Rachel Thompson

Bridgepoint

Rachel Thompson knew back in 2019 that she would succeed Charlie Barter as Bridgepoint general counsel, but then the Covid-19 pandemic hit and she fell pregnant, so the official succession date was pushed to July 2021. It while she was on maternity leave that Bridgepoint called Thompson in to inform her of its plans to float – her promotion, it said, was secure.

Having played a key role in Bridgepoint’s 2020 acquisition of EQT Partners’ €3.9bn credit arm, Thompson returned from maternity leave last year to take over the day-to-day running of the legal team while Barter managed the IPO before his exit. During this time, Thompson took a central role in the fundraising activity for the flagship buyout fund, Bridgepoint Europe VI, which underpins its expansion strategy. As general counsel, Thompson will lead the spending spree having already created the Bridgepoint blueprint for deals via the EQT Partners deal.

Forthright, inquisitive and fair, Thompson will help shape the private equity market just as it hits boom time.