Roberto Meneguzzo, through a club deal of professionals and entrepreneurs from the Veneto region in the North-Eastern Italy, establishes Palladio Leasing, a company initially specialized in car leasing and, progressively, through the newly established Palladio Finanziaria, in other areas of financial services to companies. His successful intuition results in a quickly growing business.

Roberto Meneguzzo, together with a small number of shareholders and through a leveraged management buyout operation, simplifies and consolidates control of the company, giving further impetus to business growth.

Palladio Leasing is sold to Mediobanca in a transaction that is a testament to its significant and rapid success. The new chapter of Palladio Finanziaria (today Palladio Holding / PFH) begins with the proceeds of this sale. Alongside entrepreneurial and professional partners from the North-East of Italy, several leading Italian financial institutions believe in and invest in the project. The goal is to capitalise on the synergies of its shareholder base to provide companies not only with capital but also with strategic advice for growth. It is the beginning of the first investments in private equity.

The business increasingly focuses on private equity. The size of the company grows, then number of deals increases and the Milan office is opened.

Assets under management increase through a collection of managed capital.  PFH creates Venice, its first investment vehicle entirely dedicated to private equity, with a collection of over €200 million.

A capital increase of €300 million marks a leap in size for the company as it becomes one of Italy’s main private equity operators while maintaining its characteristics as a holding company with permanent capital.

PFH establishes VEI Capital, a new fund with an endowment of over €500 million. The main investor is still PFH, but other limited partners include leading banking and insurance. PFH expands it operations alongside private equity, and the company begins to invest in the renewable energy sector.

Following a major overhaul of our corporate and organisational structure, today PFH is even more dynamic and independent, boasting a specialised investment team able to guarantee maximum flexibility and speed in decision-making.