LONDON | ZURICH | October 2, 2018 – Technology, media, and communications global investment bank Drake Star Partners announced today two new seasoned senior advisors partnering with the firm – Kevin Power and Thomas Hürlimann – to engage with the firm’s partners as an experienced, valuable resource for the firm’s senior team – especially for those involved in global transactions in both cloud communication and insurance technology.
Kevin Power is an accomplished senior business leader with more than 30 years of operating and Board of Director experience in technology, IT, software, and cloud communication services. He has been involved with successful growth companies for most of his career and was on the original management team for two start-ups (Orion Network Systems, GTS) that launched IPOs in the U.S. market. Most recently, Kevin was Senior Advisor to the CEO and Board of Broadsoft a leader in cloud-based unified communications services to telecom service providers that has since been acquired by Cisco in February 2018.
Thomas Hürlimann brings over 28 years of experience in banking, reinsurance, insurance and Board of Director proficiency along with a deep understanding of the cross-industry impact – and M&A potential – of Insurtech. Most recently as CEO Global Corporate at Zurich Insurance Group, a business with US$9 billion premiums and a network in over 200 countries. Prior to joining Zurich Insurance Group, Thomas worked at Swiss Re, a leading global reinsurer.
Kevin Power commented: “Drake Star Partners keeps making impressive market gains in the midcap technology segment, making this an opportune time for me to help the firm’s roster of vertically-minded partners. The firm’s reputation for offering truly sector-focussed advice and crossborder coverage gives me the confidence to become an important resource for partners looking to deepen their sector knowledge, broaden their corporate ecosystem outreach or to discover new geographies. I look forward to helping the firm achieve quality deals in the IT, software and cloud communications services.”
Thomas Hürlimann continued: “I am excited to be part of the Drake Star network, actively contributing to the firm’s ongoing momentum. It is a unique opportunity to leverage my deep knowledge of the financial service industry, especially as this segment becomes increasingly intertwined with new, innovative technology solutions, where Fin- and InsureTech scaleups keep challenging and disrupting traditional, large incumbents. Together with Kevin and the other firm’s senior advisors, we have a rare chance of forming a robust cross-border, cross-industry board of advisors to benefit the partners’ ongoing deal execution work at Drake Star.”
Marc Deschamps, Executive Chairman at Drake Star Partners, added: “Strategically, our senior advisors are uniquely positioned to add considerable value to Drake Star thanks to their deep sector knowledge, their access to new corporate ecosystems, and to untapped geographies. Their unique experience is an immeasurable resource for our partners, which can become critical in complex sector-specific, cross-border transactions. This board of advisors for our partners becomes one of Drake Star’s distinctive attributes, which we plan on developing even further. Our network of hand-picked senior advisors is what defines us and as such, I am thrilled to welcome Kevin and Thomas to the Drake Star family.”
Kevin divides his time between France and the US while Thomas operates from Zurich. Kevin and Thomas bring a combined 60 years of technology corporate and top-management expertise. They complement an already vast network of advisors actively sourcing, driving and supporting numerous projects at Drake Star. In addition to Drake Star Partners’ existing global presence, the firm’s network of advisors is far-reaching, with its members based in many international tech hubs.
Inquiries
For further inquiries, please contact
Kevin Power
Kevin.Power@drakestar.com
Thomas Hürlimann
Thomas.Huerlimann@drakestar.com
