Led by our founder and principal Rami Cassis, Parabellum Investments is a highly operational investor bringing together a team with a broad range of competencies & backgrounds including entrepreneurship, corporate executive leadership, operations, legal, HR, finance and PR & Marketing.
We mainly deploy our own funds to acquire controlling stakes in operating companies. We make decisions quickly, transparently and free from the influence of opaque investment committees.
Deals are struck directly with the decision maker whose background is vastly different from the majority of investment principals. Moreover, we have a diverse team from a broad range of disciplines so are able to look at problems practically and creatively.
Given our collective backgrounds, we truly understand the challenges of leading a business and are able to relate to management in a way most investment professionals cannot.
Our word is our bond. The way we engage with any stakeholder is always respectful, open and principled. Conscious of never wasting anyone’s time, we are decisive and do not volunteer opinions if we do not feel sufficiently informed to do so. In transactions, we qualify deals quickly and set price expectations early. We neither change our mind at the last minute nor price chip.
We use our own capital so we truly understand what it takes to put money at risk and the journey required to get there. There is no investment committee, pre-defined investment mandate or external investors to answer to, meaning decisions are quick and unpolitical, with dialogue directly with the decision maker.
Transactions are never executed with an exit in mind and there is no prescribed time frame to “exit”. The typical three to five year investment horizon does not apply – indeed Parabellum Investments has been an investor in some companies for over ten years.
We acquire firms in enterprise software, Business & IT services as well as mining & energy anywhere in the world. We have a strong pedigree of operating across numerous sectors including financial services, banking, telco, pharmaceutical / life sciences and oil & gas. Our investee operations are international with a global presence spanning North & South America, Europe, the Gulf and the Far East.
We deploy our own funds and generally seek to acquire the entire share capital or a controlling stake in a company.
The way we work is important to us because it reflects the shared values and style across the team. This fosters an environment where the investee companies feel supported and constructively challenged rather than burdened with inane reporting or trapped in endless board meetings.
However, it also means Rami and the team can step in if things go wrong. The core of the Parabellum Investments team has been together for almost ten years.
We are acutely aware of the importance of continuity of service post-acquisition and the protection of the vendor’s reputation, especially in the case of corporate disposals.
Our deal flow is varied but typically, we tend to acquire companies either from large corporate groups seeking to dispose of non-core assets to a reputable and operational buyer or from owner / operators who are also keen to ensure the business is sold to an operational buyer who will ensure continuity of trading and that employees are well looked after.
Principal
Rami’s background as an operator, corporate executive and entrepreneur is a unique combination of experience that gives rise to strong deal-making ability, exceptional operations experience and appetite for risk. In particular, Rami Cassis and the team have the ability to quickly assess and take a considered view of any commercial risk in circumstances when most others have neither the knowledge nor the confidence to be decisive.
Rami Cassis has proven success growing companies ranging in size from $5m to $150m in revenue, leading transactions including reverse takeovers / IPOs and take-privates.
Rami is an international operational investor specialising in lower mid-market companies, operating through Parabellum Investments, the company he both leads and founded.
CFO
Robert is Chief Financial Officer of Parabellum Investments and its portfolio of companies. A Chartered Accountant (FCA), Robert qualified at the large independent practice, BHP, prior to spending four years at PwC’s North Assurance practice, working with a wide mix of clients. He joined the Royal Mail Group in 2010 before moving to Parseq.
General Counsel
Alan provides legal advice and strategic support to Parabellum Investments. He is also General Counsel and Company Secretary of Parseq. Alan was previously Head of Legal for the international deploy division at Communisis plc and prior to that at law firm Pinsent Masons advising on corporate law. He studied at the University of Manchester and the College of Law, Chester.
Director of M&A
Dirk directs Parabellum Investments’ M&A strategy and execution, including target identification, investor management, and overseeing research and due diligence. He works across the entire fund portfolio and is also tasked with raising debt and equity capital. Dirk was previously a Vice President in TMT Investment Banking at Jefferies in New York, and earlier worked at Deloitte & Touche and Deutsche Bank.
Coloured Gemstone Specialist
Cyrille is a coloured gemstone industry executive with thirty years of experience. As Head of Coloured Gemstone Tenders and Auctions at Bonas Group, he runs the Bangkok tender cycle covering emerald, ruby, sapphire and tourmaline. He was previously CEO of Kariba Minerals for over eight years and Director of Fine Gems at Gemfields PLC.
Mining and O&G Adviser
Stéphane has more than thirty years of experience in the energy and natural resources sectors. As a founding partner of Auctus Advisors, a London-based investment-banking boutique, he focuses on equity capital markets for natural-resources juniors. He previously co-founded the UK business of FirstEnergy Capital and was earlier a senior oil and gas analyst at Société Générale.
