Ardian becomes first European-rooted partner to support Ownership Works

Ardian has been practicing profit sharing for nearly 15 years as part of its sustainability vision and organized its first distribution in 2008, following the creation of an internal charter detailing principles of shared value. Ardian’s commitment to profit sharing and other value sharing schemes is based on the belief that if we are to successfully transform the performance of portfolio companies, active participation from everyone will be necessary. Since then, Ardian has distributed a portion of capital gains at exit to more than 31,000 employees at 40 portfolio companies and assets through its Buyout, Expansion, and Infrastructure investments, representing between one to six months’ salary for each employee. Ardian’s Buyout and Expansion teams also recently committed to expand value sharing schemes to 100% of portfolio companies.

Ownership Works is a new US-based non-profit organization that partners with companies and investors to provide all employees with the opportunity to build wealth at work. This partnership with Ownership Works, established from shared values and common vision, will allow Ardian to go beyond actions implemented to date through its promotion of a shared ownership program to at least three companies by late 2024. The program will incorporate several features, including a broad-based equity plan that aims to provide all full-time employees with a pathway for sharing in the equity upside, an employee financial education program, and an employee engagement program.

“We are very proud to partner with Ownership Works and to implement shared ownership schemes in our portfolio. At Ardian, we believe that everyone who has contributed to a successful investment should be rewarded for their contribution. From Ardian’s perspective as a private investment house, we see our commitment to reward employees of portfolio companies as an important element of our license to operate. We are convinced Ownership Works will soon become a major movement in the private equity industry and we are proud to be its first European partner.” Thibault Basquin, Deputy Head of Buyout, Ardian

“This is another step in our commitment to implement value sharing within our portfolio companies. We are honored to be the first European partner of Ownership Works. Value sharing helps us to deliver positive social outcomes in line with our sustainability commitments and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 10, which seeks to reduce inequality. This shared ownership program will allow us to reward our portfolio company employees, recognize their work and daily efforts, and express Ardian’s culture and values.” Candice Brenet, Head of Sustainability and Managing Director, Ardian

“We admire Ardian’s leadership and existing efforts to create more equity for workers and are grateful to them as early champions of the shared ownership model in the European market. We know they will be critical partners to Ownership Works in helping us evolve our thinking and approach.” Peter Stavros, Founder and Chairman, Ownership Works; Co-Head of Us Private Equity, KKR

“We’re thrilled to have Ardian as our first European-rooted partner and with the natural alignment between the Ownership Works mission and Ardian’s existing efforts to share value with workers We look forward to leveraging this new partnership as a learning ground from which to explore expanding our consortium of partners outside the US. “ Anna-Lisa Miller, Executive Director, Ownership Works