Calista Direct Investors is represented by a professional team with complementary skills and experience across the PE/VC spectrum, with the highest commitment to the task at hand and strongest sense of ethics.
John spent 20 years at European Investment Fund as the Director of Investments and is recognised in Luxembourg as the “Godfather of Venture Capital”. Prior to his engagement in the world of VC, he spent 20 years at European Investment Bank.
Throughout his career he invested in over 400 GP’s and met representatives of many more looking to raise money.
John has held Board Director positions, most of them as Chair, on over a dozen legal structures involving Venture Capital or Private Equity products.
Uwe‘s career folds into three distinct phases. He is the Founding Partner of PwC Transaction Services and served as the Managing Partner of the PwC EMEA Mid Market Practice with over 75 countries. Following his move to a PE fund as an investment partner, Uwe became a Senior Partner in a European Mid Market Fund as the Managing Partner in DACH and became a member of the Group Operating Committee and the Group Investment Committee.
Today, Uwe is a seasoned investor and board member in family offices and in family-owned businesses. Uwe is passionate to contribute to wealth development and wealth protection and is a strong believer that active governance, performance culture, best-in-class management teams and KPI-driven reporting are the key to outperformance. His team-oriented and motivational approach supports the implementation of strategies on the basis of a modern and empathic style.
Until 2022 Ian Prideaux was Chief Investment Officer for the Family Investment Office of the Grosvenor Estate, which supports the private interests of the family of The Duke of Westminster and associated family trusts.
In this role Ian was deploying money in assets other than real estate, with a view to diversification over a long-term time horizon. The investment portfolio includes principally public equities and fixed income, private equity and venture, hedge funds, absolute return instruments and cash. All assets are run by third party managers, Ian’s job being to put forward an asset allocation plan and select the appropriate managers for the different parts of that plan.
Calista relies on experts to assist us with important support functions that include “Talent / Leadership / Human Resources”, “IT / Data / Cybersecurity" and "Tax consulting".