Mid-market private equity investor LDC has strengthened its Bristol-based South West & Wales team with the appointment of Stefan Gunn as investment director.
Stefan, pictured, joins from NatWest, where he was a director in its Bristol-based structured finance operation with responsibility for originating and executing transactions across the South. 
In his new role at LDC – the private equity arm of Lloyds Banking Group – he will be responsible for identifying potential investment opportunities, leading transactions and supporting LDC’s portfolio of investment companies.
His appointment coincides with a period of significant growth and success for LDC in the South West & Wales, following the investment in Welsh outdoor adventure business ZipWorld, as well as the sales of Devon-headquartered traffic management specialist Amberon and fume extraction and filter technology manufacturer BOFA, based in Dorset.
Stefan began his career 16 years ago at Mazars, where he qualified as a chartered accountant, and went on to work for accountancy giant Deloitte’s corporate finance team.
He was then appointed to HSBC’s West and Wales corporate and structured banking team, advising private and listed businesses in the mid-market, before joining RBS Group, initially establishing its William & Glyn’s structured finance operation and, latterly, developing and growing NatWest’s structured finance team and the business across the South of England.
Head of LDC in the South West & Wales Andy Lyndon said: “Stefan brings additional expertise to our team at a time when we’ve pledged to invest £1.2bn nationally over the next three years.
“His considerable skills and experience in identifying high-quality investment opportunities will be valuable as management teams across the South West and Wales look externally for investment to back their growth plans.”
Stefan added: “LDC has a market-leading reputation and proven track record of supporting management teams at the helm of South West & Wales businesses to create real value and scale within its portfolio. I’m thrilled to be joining and look forward to contributing to its future success.”
LDC recently teamed up with The Prince’s Trust for its three-year Backing Youth Ambition initiative to support youth enterprise across the South West and Wales. The partnership aims to help more than 1,200 young people across the UK explore and launch their own businesses through start-up grants and additional funding for The Prince’s Trust Enterprise programme.
