‘I didn’t do this to exit. I did this to grow’: Breslauer on Patron’s sale to MEGP

In this episode, Patron Capital founder Keith Breslauer says the firm’s sale of a majority stake to Mitsubishi Estate Global Partners should be seen as a springboard for growth rather than an exit. Breslauer sat down with PERE’s Jonathan Brasse in August following the headline-grabbing sale of the Europe-focused firm to Mitsubishi Estate Global Partners, the investment management business of Japanese property giant Mitsubishi Estate. Listen to the wide-ranging interview in full, as Breslauer sets out how the business will evolve following that sale. “I didn’t do this to exit. I did this to grow,” he explained. Find out the rationale and opportunity behind Mitsubishi’s backing, which includes an initial €600 million equity injection, and how Patron will diversify as a result, taking it beyond its 25-year history in opportunistic equity investing. Among the initiatives discussed is the build-out of a private real estate debt platform, launched in April under the leadership of former CBRE executive Henry Randolph. Breslauer also highlights strong investor appetite for credit strategies but stresses the need to underwrite cautiously in volatile markets. Among the other topics floated during this episode is a potential collaboration with Europa Capital, another London-based manager acquired by Mitsubishi in 2010, and a willingness to contribute to Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction.