Rusty Ray and Frederic Laurier join Alantra's healthcare practice
Alantra, a London-headquartered investment banking and corporate finance advisory firm, has added a specialist healthcare M&A team from Crosstree Capital Partners. The team includes new managing partner Rusty Ray, who will lead Alantra’s healthcare practice, as well as Frederic Laurier, who will serve as a managing director in the practice.
At Crosstree, a Florida-based boutique investment bank specializing in the healthcare industry, Ray and Laurier led the firm’s M&A, recapitalization, and growth financing practice. In the last three years, they advised on eleven deals for clients such as Pfizer, GSK, and Santus.
Ray brings 20 years of experience in healthcare banking to Alantra, working with clients across pharma, early-stage drug development, and services firms. Prior to joining Crosstree, he spent eight years as a deputy director at a DC-based think tank focusing on independent economic research, including studies on the pharma and biotech industries. Before that, he worked at The Meningitis Research Foundation in London.
Ray holds an MBA from Fordham University and a BS in biology from Wake Forest University.
Laurier brings 20 years of experience in investment banking, with a focus on technology companies. He has advised on over 50 transactions during his career.
Prior to joining Crosstree in 2012, he spent seven years as a principal at Alpha1 Consulting, a boutique investment bank specializing in health IT and services. Earlier in his career, Laurier was an associate at Bear Stearns and an analyst at CIBC World Markets.
He holds a master’s degree in finance from London Business School and a bachelor’s degree in finance from Université de Montréal.
“We are thrilled to add Rusty, Frederic, and their team to Alantra,” said Paul Colone, managing partner at Alantra US. “Their track record of deep sector expertise combined with high quality execution is clearly evident from their impressive client roster and lines up exactly with our values and strategic direction.”
The move represents a “new step” in Alantra’s growth plan in North America, according to a release from the firm. Alantra’s North America operations will now have more than 40 professionals supporting mid-market clients across a range of sectors on M&A and debt advisory.
The UK-origin firm has more than 540 professionals across Europe, the Americas, and Asia. The firm’s investment banking division has advised on more than 300 deals in the last two years, and its credit portfolio division has advised on more than 90 transactions in the last two years. Alantra’s asset management division had €2.4 billion in AUM in direct investments as of October 15, 2020.
The addition of the team from Crosstree will also bring the company’s global healthcare team to more than 35 people. The practice has completed more than 100 transactions in the last five years, serving clients in pharma and life sciences, medtech, consumer health and OTC, and healthcare services.