LPs

Former GIC private equity exec joins family office Mousse Partners

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Mousse Partners, Singapore, Suzi Kwon Cohen, private equity, pension fund
Alain Wertheimer (L) and his brother Gerard (R), co-owners of fashion house Chanel, attend the Haute Couture Fall Winter 2013/2014 fashion show by German designer Karl Lagerfeld for French fashion house Chanel in Paris July 2, 2013. REUTERS/Charles Platiau (FRANCE - Tags: FASHION BUSINESS) - RTX119UY
  • Suzi Kwon Cohen ran North American private equity at GIC
  • Joined Mousse Partners in March
  • Mousse is an active venture investor

Suzi Kwon Cohen, who formerly led North American private equity at Government of Singapore Investment Corp, joined the private family office Mousse Partners Ltd, two people with knowledge of the move confirmed.

Kwon Cohen joined Mousse Partners in March as chief investment officer, according to the two people and her LinkedIn profile. Mousse Partners, which did not make the hire public, did not respond to calls for comment. Kwon Cohen did not respond to a LinkedIn request.

Mousse Partners was formed in 1994 by Charles Heilbronn, a member of the Wertheimer family, which owns Chanel, according to media reports. A Bloomberg profile lists Heilbronn as chairman and president of Mousse Partners.

Kwon Cohen works on PE at Mousse Partners, though as CIO she is likely to focus on other asset classes as well. One source said Mousse Partners targets around $1 billion a year in PE investments.

Kwon Cohen worked at GIC from 2005 till February. Prior to GIC, Kwon Cohen was a vice president at Quadrangle Group for two years, her LinkedIn profile said. And she spent three years at Credit Suisse Private Equity/DLJ Merchant Banking.

Mousse Partners has been an active venture investor over the past few years. In July, the firm led a $6.4 million Series A funding round in Everplans, an online real estate and legacy planning platform.

Last October, Mousse Partners joined a $34 million Series C funding round in Paddle8, a secondary market for art and luxury collectibles. The firm also joined a $12 million Series B round in WHOOP, a performance optimization system for elite athletes.

Action Item: GIC’s investment report:  http://www.gic.com.sg/report/report-2015-2016/investment-report.html

Photo: Alain Wertheimer (left) and his brother Gerard (right), co-owners of fashion house Chanel, attend the Haute Couture Fall Winter 2013/2014 fashion show by German designer Karl Lagerfeld for French fashion house Chanel in Paris on July 2, 2013. Photo courtesy Reuters/Charles Platiau