Pierre Louvrier

Pierre Michel Louvrier
Born (1973-12-02) December 2, 1973
Mons, Belgium
NationalityBelgian
EducationUniversité catholique de Louvain
Occupation(s)Businessman, investor
TitleChairman of the Supervisory Board, Clementy Group
Board member ofBarkley Asset Management; Softline International

Pierre Michel Louvrier (born 2 December 1973) is a Belgian businessman and investor. He is chairman of the supervisory board of Clementy Group,[1] a London-based investment firm. In 2015, Louvrier was involved in an attempt to acquire Vivacom, Bulgaria’s largest telecom operator, in a deal reportedly worth €900 million.[2][3]

Education and early career

Louvrier earned a law degree from Université catholique de Louvain in 1995 and studied economics and international relations. At that time, he was a member of Belgium’s Conférence Olivaint and completed an internship at the International Labour Organization in Geneva. In the late 1990s, he co-founded a technology startup, which he sold before the dot-com downturn. He also worked as a strategy consultant at Arthur D. Little and Accenture, focusing on corporate restructuring and the valuation of distressed entities.

Business career

Oaklins and CFG Capital

In 2001, Louvrier joined M&A International (now Oaklins),[4] where he participated in restructuring activities, including the refinancing of the European aluminum anodizer Aloxide. He later founded CFG Capital, which he led for more than a decade.[5]

Rusgrain & Rezana

At Rusgrain, Louvrier chaired audit and compensation committees and established Rezana, a Geneva-based grain trading operation financed by BNP Paribas. The company operated across 120,000 hectares and was also a major producer of eggs. According to EWTN Vatican, Louvrier left Russian ventures in response to Western sanctions following the 2014 Ukraine crisis.[6]

Vivacom acquisition attempt

In 2015, via the Luxembourg-based LIC33, Louvrier attempted to acquire a controlling stake in Vivacom.[7] The transaction was later terminated following legal and political complications,[8] amid reports of irregularities and external pressure from political and financial entities in Bulgaria and Russia.[9] Louvrier currently runs the Clementy Group, a UK-registered investment entity.

International political connections

According to investigative outlet Bivol.bg, Louvrier's foundation hosted a Vatican event attended by Tulsi Gabbard, member of the United States House of Representatives at the time.[10] Bivol.bg and other media have reported allegations of connections between Louvrier and individuals associated with sanctioned Russian entities,[11][12] which Louvrier has denied. The same Bivol.bg report stated that he filed a lawsuit against The New York Times contesting its coverage.[10] The matter was mentioned in a U.S. Senate confirmation hearing, according to the Congressional Record.[13]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Building Peace Beyond Borders: A Vatican Initiative Inspired by Robert Schuman". EWTN Vatican. 2024. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  2. ^ "LIC33 Buys Bulgarian Telecom From Owner of Failed Corporate Bank". Bloomberg. 24 March 2015. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  3. ^ "Private equity investor pulls out of Vivacom deal in Bulgaria". Sofia Globe. 2015-07-24. Retrieved 2025-08-08.
  4. ^ "M&A International Becomes Oaklins, a New Global Investment Banking Organization". PR Newswire (Press release). 11 October 2016. Retrieved 2025-08-08.
  5. ^ "Rusgrain Holding Announces Board Changes". MarketScreener. 1 January 2015. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  6. ^ "Peace Talks and Personal Encounters: How the Vatican Supports Ukraine's Recovery". EWTN Vatican. 21 July 2025. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  7. ^ "LIC33 Group of Investors Acquires Majority Stake in Vivacom Telecom". BTA. 19 March 2015. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  8. ^ "Sale of Bulgarian Telekom Challenged in Court". Bivol.bg. 19 January 2016. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  9. ^ "Belgian investor hands back Bulgarian company stakes". Reuters. 23 July 2015. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  10. ^ a b "Tulsi Gabbard is questioned in the Senate about Pierre Louvrier's Russian connections". Bivol.bg. 3 February 2025. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  11. ^ "Bulgaria's Largest Telecoms Firm Shares Bought by Group Linked to Sanctioned Oligarch". Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project. 23 March 2015. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  12. ^ "Putin's Concertmaster — The German Maestro Of Russian Propaganda". World Crunch. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  13. ^ "Congressional Record". Congress.gov. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
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