Meet Our Team
Meet Our Team
FINANCIAL TEAM
Nicolas Berggruen
Investment Advisor
Mr. Berggruen has been the Investment Advisor of Berggruen Holdings for the last 20 years. He is also the Founder and President of the Berggruen Institute. Mr. Berggruen’s goal is to address fundamental political and cultural questions in our rapidly changing world.
Focusing on Great Transformations in the human condition, brought for example by climate change, restructuring of global economics and politics, and advances in science and technology, the Institute seeks to connect deep thought in the human sciences—philosophy and culture—to the pursuit of practical improvements in governance.
Koonal Gandhi
Chief Investment Officer
Mr. Gandhi joined Berggruen Holdings in 2018 as its Chief Investment Officer. He is responsible for the management and oversight of over 50 direct investments in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Mr. Gandhi plays a key role in Berggruen’s buyout activities, investment sourcing, portfolio oversight and firm administration.
Justin Topilow
Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Topilow joined Berggruen Holdings in 2016 as Chief Financial Officer. He is responsible for oversight of the accounting and tax functions as well as portfolio operations. He also assists in the implementation of company strategies. Mr. Topilow has an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business and a BA from Yale University.
Samuel Czarny
Managing Director | Germany
Mr. Czarny joined Berggruen Holdings in October 2005 to create a long-term diversified real estate portfolio in Germany and other European countries. Prior to joining Berggruen, Mr. Czarny spent two years as the head of acquisitions for Apellas Property Management GmbH, the German platform of George Soros Real Estate Investors.
Rodolphe Zellitch
Managing Director | France
Mr. Zellitch joined Berggruen Holdings in 2017 to create a long-term diversified real estate portfolio in France. Prior to Berggruen, Mr. Zellitch was Managing Director at Bank Rothschild within the M&A department for 14 years, specializing in structured acquisitions, equity investments and take-over bids.
Kabir Kewalramani
Managing Director | India
Mr. Kewalramani is the Managing Director of Berggruen Holdings India (Berggruen). Mr. Kewalramani serves as a member of the board of Keys Hotels, Accentia Technologies, Car Club, GEAR, United Education Institutes (UEI) and Berggruen Properties.
Alex Quinnell
Vice President
Mr. Quinnell joined Berggruen Holdings in 2020 as a Vice President. He is responsible for investment analysis and sourcing, investment execution, and portfolio support and oversight. Prior to joining Berggruen, Mr. Quinnell was a Vice President in Chartwell’s investment banking group, where he focused on executing middle-market sell-side, buy-side, and debt recapitalization transactions in addition to ESOP transactions.
Mr. Quinnell has experience within the industries of business services, outsourced human resources, engineering and construction, education, healthcare, technology, and media and entertainment. Mr. Quinnell has a BA in Finance, with honors, from the University of St. Thomas.
Mehmet Kosematoglu
Managing Director | Turkey
Mr. Kosematoglu joined the team in 2006 as a founding partner of our Operation in Turkey. He is responsible for investing in several asset classes, from real estate to start-ups. Previously, Mr. Kosematoglu was the CEO of AIG Blue Voyage.
Kinga Rekowska
Managing Director | Europe
Ms. Rekowska joined the team in 2016 and together with Ms. Kandler is taking care of the operating business within Europe. As COO of the IMS group she is responsible for the furniture portfolio including assets, implementation of company strategies, and has played a critical role in restructuring the operating entities.
Ms. Rekowska has experience within various industries of business as e.g. shipbuilding, welding equipment, pharma and furniture.
Marion Kandler
Managing Director | Europe
Ms. Kandler joined the team in 2016 as an European tax and finance expert. Ms. Kandler together with Ms. Rekowska is taking care of the operating business within Europe. As the CFO of the IMS group she is responsible for all tax and financial strategies within the group and has played a critical role in the group restructuring.
BERGGRUEN DIRECTORS
Colin Bird
Director
Colin has been involved with advising and assisting Berggruen Holdings for some twenty years, witnessing the growth and development of the group throughout that period.
Colin is a partner in the Maitland Group, based in the Isle of Man, having joined Maitland in 1998. He is recognised in the Isle of Man for his expertise in complex commercial and trusts work, working particularly with family offices and private clients. He specialises in Isle of Man and British Virgin Islands (BVI) company and trust law.
He specialises in Isle of Man and British Virgin Islands (BVI) company and trust law. He is an experienced director of corporate trustee companies and of various other companies, including mining and natural resource companies, e-commerce companies, investment holding companies, investment funds, and regulated entities. Colin is also involved with transactions in works of art held in private collections.
Justin Topilow
Director
Mr. Topilow joined Berggruen Holdings in 2016 as a Director. He is responsible for oversight of the accounting and tax functions as well as portfolio operations. He also assists in the implementation of company strategies. Mr. Topilow has an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business and a BA from Yale University.
Maxine Lace
Director
Ms. Lance has been involved with assisting Berggruen Holdings for the last 3 years, and recently joined the board.
Ms. Lance is a Senior Manager in the Maitland Group, based in the Isle of Man, having joined Maitland in 2012. She has more than 35 years of experience working with private clients and family offices. She is an experienced director of corporate trustee companies and of various other companies, including mining and natural resource companies, investment holding companies, investment funds, and regulated entities.
