(Financial News) Barcelona-based placement agent Sabertia Capital Partners has hired an executive from the Latin American private equity association, Juan Savino, to lead its London operations.

Juan Ignacio Savino has joined the firm as a vice president. He was previously director of research at the Latin American Private Equity and Venture Capital Association and will continue to serve as a senior adviser to the trade body.

Since 2006, Sabertia has raised roughly US$1.5 billion of funding for more than 20 projects. Its clients include Partners Group, Avista Capital Partners, Victoria Capital Partners and Palladium Equity Partners.

It has offices in Barcelona, Madrid and Panamá City, but does not currently have an office in London.

Savino’s hire in London is designed to increase the firm’s presence in the city. “Being the world’s leading global financial center,” Savino said, “it allows us to connect our investors with global general partners and identify the best projects to represent.”

The firm focuses on raising capital for private equity funds globally from investors in Central and South America and southern Europe.

Savino said that family offices in Central America and Mexico were the main contributors to international private equity funds, rather than institutional investors.

“There is a lot of capital that is not institutional that wants to expand allocations to private equity,” said Savino. “[The] total capital raised for international private equity is highly concentrated in family offices.”