The Silverfern Group Expands Asia/Pacific Merchant Banking Team - Mark Baldassarre Joins as Managing Director

SYDNEY, Nov. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- The Silverfern Group announced today that it has continued the expansion of its proprietary merchant banking business and that Mark Baldassarre has joined the Silverfern Australia team as Managing Director.

In bringing over 20 years of international banking and private equity experience to the Silverfern team, Mark will deliver deep expertise and strategy direction in acquiring, merging integrating and growing businesses, in addition to proprietary deal origination, to Silverfern's Asia/Pacific Clients(1). During his career, Mark has executed numerous transactions across a broad range of industries, including health, retail, consumer products, transport, warehousing and storage, waste management, tourism, telecom & media and various IT sectors.

Prior to joining Silverfern, Mark founded and ran a boutique corporate advisory business in Australia, before which he was a Partner with ABN AMRO Capital Management Australia, a private equity fund that operated in the Australian and New Zealand markets. Before ABN AMRO Capital Australia, Mark was a Director with ABN AMRO Capital in Amsterdam, where he was involved in private equity and venture capital transactions in Europe, the United States and South Africa.

Based in Sydney, Mark is focused on driving Silverfern's integrated Merchant Banking strategy and is responsible for interfacing with senior CEOs on the Silverfern Advisory Board in the Asia/Pacific region with a primary focus on Australia(1).

Silverfern Chairman & CEO Clive Holmes said, "We are excited to enhance our geographic Client service delivery with the addition of Mark to the Silverfern Australia team. As Silverfern continues to originate wealth creation opportunities for CEOs invited to join the Silverfern Advisory Board in Asia/Pacific, Mark's ability to create an institutional bridge to capital in the region will be a critical differentiating factor for our Clients".

Mark Baldassarre added, "I am delighted to be joining the Silverfern team at a time when both Clients and senior Managers are increasingly focused on proprietary, non-auction deal origination in Australia. We expect continued growth in our business in the region, and delivery of an increasing number of exciting Asian-focused investment opportunities to our Clients over the next several years."

About The Silverfern Group

The Silverfern Group Pty Ltd(1) (Silverfern) is an independently owned Merchant Bank specializing in originating and structuring proprietary (non-auction) buy-side Mergers & Acquisitions opportunities, and through its affiliate Silverfern Co-Investment Partners in making private equity co-investments with relationship private equity firms and corporates worldwide. Silverfern's senior merchant bankers deliver a compelling competitive advantage to its Clients - combining exclusive access to robust proprietary deal flow and leading managers with the highest levels of Wall Street advice, analytical support and negotiating deal experience. Silverfern is an affiliate of The Silverfern Group, Inc., a U.S. Broker-Dealer and Member FINRA.

Additional information is available at http://www.silfern.com

(1) Australian Financial Services License application pending

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SOURCE The Silverfern Group, Inc.