The Carlyle Model: Permira Recruits Former Dutch Finance Minister
Gerrit Zalm, the former Dutch Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister who served in various cabinets for the center-right liberal party VVD until February this year has joined Permira as an advisor.
According to Permira, "His role will be broad-ranging - covering advice on business issues, the economy and the socio-political environment - to reflect the depth of his experience and the quality of his network."
In a September 25 interview with the Dutch Financieele Dagblad Zalm insisted that his advisory position with the buyout fund owed nothing to his "political connections."
As pressure continues to build for regulating the buyout business beyond issues of general partners' personal income tax, Permira seems to be building on the Carlyle Group model. Carlyle has included as major shareholders and advisors at various times, among others, former US secretary of state James Baker, former defense secretary and deputy CIA director Frank C. Carlucci, former White House budget director Richard Darman, former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission William E. Kennard, former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Arthur Levitt (not to mention the former World Bank Treasurer and Chief Investment Officer Afsaneh Mashayekhi-Beschloss, who did a stint as Carlyle's CEO and chief investment officer).
In June, Gordon Brown appointed Permira head Damon Buffini to a new "Business Council for Britain" charged with "advising government on all policies affecting business." Brown had previously appointed Buffini to a newly established National Council for Education Excellence.