Network. Stability. Partnership.

He has a long track record in real asset investments (private equity, infrastructure, and private debt). Before founding Palladio Partners he worked for Feri, where he managed investments in these asset classes for German institutional investors for many years, ending up as Head of Alternative Investments. Prior to that he was employed at a corporate finance boutique and by SAP, where he was process analyst and developed scalable financial and banking software.

Dr. Bernd Kreuter holds a doctorate in computational mathematics (Humboldt University, Berlin) and a degree (Diplom) in mathematics (University of Bonn; Paris VI) with minors in business studies and law. In addition, he is a CFA Charterholder.

What fascinates you about infrastructure and private equity investments?

“What I find fascinating is how wide the range of these investments is and how complex they are – a mix that frequently presents us with interesting challenges. The long-term nature of our investments enables us to create real value from both a sustainability and a financial perspective.”

Before joining the company he worked for Feri, where he managed real asset investments (including infrastructure, private equity, private debt, and timber) for institutional investors.

Markus Polarczek has worked for Palladio Partners since 2013.

Markus Polarczek has an M.Sc. in economics (Goethe University, Frankfurt; Fern-Universität Hagen) and is a trained bank clerk.

If you didn’t work in finance, what would you have become?

“I’m particularly interested in science and technology, though I’d also liked to have become Germany’s national football trainer :-)”

Prior to joining Palladio Partners, he worked in investment banking at IKB Industriebank, where he was responsible for transactions across Equity and Debt Capital Markets as well as M&A.

Dennis Schnutenhaus has been at Palladio Partners since 2017.

He holds an Executive M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and is a CFA Charterholder. He earned a B.A. in Finance & Banking from FOM University of Applied Sciences in Düsseldorf.

What fascinates you about infrastructure and PE investments?

“The fascination of infrastructure and private equity investments is that they offer a unique mix of intellectual challenge and social benefit. These projects require in-depth analysis, strategic thinking and the ability to work with all sorts of people – whether it’s on the technical, financial or political side.

At the same time, infrastructure investments have a direct and positive social impact: they lay the ground for sustainable growth, boost living standards and support the transition to a more environmentally friendly future.

It’s the perfect combination for me: feeling challenged every day both to grow and to give back something meaningful. That’s what excites and motivates me.”

Before joining the company she was a member of Feri’s investment team for over a decade, managing real asset investments (including private equity, venture capital, infrastructure, real estate, private debt, and timber) for private and institutional investors.

Anna Baumbach has worked for Palladio Partners since 2013.

She is a member of the Board of the Long-term Infrastructure Investors Association (LTIIA).

She has an MA in Finance & Banking (Warsaw School of Economics; Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz) and has passed the CFA Charter exams.

What fascinates you about infrastructure and private equity investments?

“For me, the most interesting thing about investments in infrastructure and PE is that they combine being close to the assets with taking a broader, macro view. We invest all around the world and across all relevant sectors. This allows us to compare different assets and managers’ approaches, and select the ones that best meet our clients’ risk-return requirements.”

Before joining the company he worked for Feri for many years, where he managed investments in infrastructure, private equity, private debt, real estate, and timber for German institutional investors.

Sven Clasen has been at Palladio Partners since it was founded in 2012.

He is a graduate of the Harvard Business School’s Executive Leadership General Management Program and also holds an MSc in Finance (Frankfurt School of Finance & Management; St. Gallen University), a BA in Business Administration (Frankfurt School of Finance & Management; Cass Business School, London), and a degree (Diplom) in business information systems from Mannheim University of Cooperative Education.

What fascinates you about infrastructure and private equity investments? 

“What inspires me is working together with our clients to build resilient, sustainable investment portfolios that contribute positively to society by providing an affordable infrastructure that works.”

He has a long track record in asset management and transaction advisory services. Before joining Palladio Partners in 2020, he was responsible for Feri’s private equity operations, where he advised institutional investors and family offices on real asset investments. Prior to that, he provided transaction advice for private equity managers and M&A support at KPMG.

Sven Czermin has an M.Sc. in Finance & Accounting from Frankfurt’s Goethe University.

Before joining the company he was a member of Feri’s Private Equity investment team, where he managed investments in infrastructure and private equity funds for institutional investors. Prior to that, he worked in asset management at the Allianz Group for several years, focusing on manager selection (Allianz Global Investors) and renewable energies (Allianz Climate Solutions).

Alexander Krater has worked for Palladio Partners since 2015.

He is a member of the Board of Germany’s Di4 Community for the Promotion of Digital Infrastructure, Investment, Innovation, and Industry.

Alexander Krater is a qualified bank clerk and has a BSc degree in business administration (Frankfurt School of Finance & Management; Indian Institute of Management Indore). He is also a CFA, a CAIA Charterholder, and a certified Financial Risk Manager (FRM).

What is the most interesting country you’ve visited and why?

“My family and I visited Singapore and Indonesia in the 2024 Easter holidays. It was an unforgettable vacation, especially because my three children – who are 9, 7, and 5 years old – embraced getting to know a new country so openly, and because we did so much together as a family. One highlight was how the kids played football together with Indonesian children on the beach. Sport brings people together when they’re young as well. ”

Before joining the company he was active for many years in the area of global investment for a German employers’ association. Prior to that, he worked for two project developers in the development, acquisition, and implementation of international infrastructure projects and publicly funded projects.

Thomas Mehlhorn has been at Palladio Partners since 2014.

He has a business studies degree (Diplom) from Eberhard-Karls University, Tübingen.

What is the most interesting country you’ve visited and why?

"Argentina. The warm welcome I get from my relatives there and my travels through this vast country with its extreme contrasts are always a highly emotional experience for me. "

Before joining the company he worked in KPMG’s Infrastructure Advisory unit for many years. In this capacity he was responsible for providing end-to-end support to public and private sector customers wishing to structure, finance, purchase, and sell infrastructure projects in the transportation, technology, media, telecommunications, energy, and social infrastructure sectors.

Steffen Reeser has worked for Palladio Partners since 2020.

He is a member of Initiative deutsche Infrastruktur e.V., where he heads the Municipal Utilities Working Group.

Steffen Reeser studied business (Diplom) at Georg-August University, Göttingen, where he majored in banking, finance, and macroeconomics.

What fascinates you about infrastructure and private equity investments?

“The main things that fascinate me about infrastructure investments is the ability to make the world a better, more sustainable place for my children.”

He has many years of experience in the German and European energy sector. Before joining Palladio Partners, he worked as Group Head of M&A and Cooperations at the GETEC Group, where he was responsible for implementing the company’s buy & build and internationalization strategy. Previously, he was Group Head of M&A at MVV Energie AG. He also worked as an M&A consultant in Global Financial Advisory at Rothschild & Co and in IBD at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein. In these roles, he advised private sector energy firms, municipal utility providers and financial investors on the acquisition or disposal of German and European energy and infrastructure companies. 

Oliver has been at Palladio Partners since 2023.

He holds a degree in Business Administration from HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management.

Carsten Dentler is Managing Partner at Palladio Infrastruktur GmbH.

He has many years of international transaction and management experience in banking and capital markets. Before joining Palladio Partners, he successfully developed and managed the M&A, IPO and DCM advisory business at Morgan Stanley and subsequently at UBS in Germany and Austria. These roles spanned more than two decades, including 12 years as a management board member. A major focus of his work there was on supporting and advising domestic and international businesses in chemicals, energy transport and utilities, telecommunications, real estate and other infrastructure-related sectors. 

He has been at Palladio Infrastruktur since 2019.

Carsten is on the supervisory boards of several listed and private companies.

He holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of Mannheim. 

Dr. Annikki Schoolmann is a Managing Director at Palladio Partners.

She has many years of asset management experience in the real asset sector. Before joining Palladio Partners, she worked initially at PwC in export credit insurance, before moving to Deutsche Bank as a Director in international project finance and subsequently working as a freelance consultant on the structuring and financing of wind and solar projects.

She has been with Palladio Partners since 2012.

Dr. Annikki Schoolmann holds a Doctorate in Law (University of Hamburg).