Permira founding partner, Damon Buffini, has been appointed as a Non-Executive Director of The PGA European Tour, effective January 1, 2015. In the role of Senior Independent Director, Damon’s extensive City experience, his proven expertise in value creation and his ability to build strong teams will contribute to the board’s ongoing work to shape the future of the Tour.
This is the third appointment of a new Non-Executive Director to stem from the ongoing strategic review and board restructuring. Jutta af Rosenborg and Sophie Goldschmidt also took up new roles as Non-Executive Directors on January 1, 2015.
Cambridge and Harvard educated, Damon made his name as founder and former managing partner of Permira, which grew out of a number of separate European businesses under the Schroder Ventures’ brand. Combining operations in France, Germany and Italy with Schroder Ventures Europe, Damon led a successful buyout from Schroders in 1996 and expanded the business to 12 offices in the following decade. Under his leadership, Permira was voted Private Equity Firm of the Decade in 2006, when funds raised topped €10.8bn.
Commenting on his appointment to The European Tour, Damon said: “I am excited to be taking up my new role as Senior Independent Director of The European Tour. I am looking forward to working closely with David Williams and the rest of the board to help shape the strategy and the future of The European Tour.”
David Williams, Chairman of The European Tour, said: “I am delighted that Damon is joining us at an important time in both the global development of the game of golf, and specifically The European Tour. Damon has extensive experience of building high-performance teams and businesses across Europe, and we look forward to working with him as we further develop our strategy.”
In addition to his new role with the European Tour, Damon will remain a board member of the global fashion brand Hugo Boss and as a Governor of the $28 billion Wellcome Trust Foundation, where he is also a member of the Investment Committee and the Syncona Board. Damon is co-founder and Chairman of the Social Business Trust, the organisation focused on building national social enterprises which currently benefit over 400,000 mostly young people.
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