PRIMARIES, SECONDARIES & CO-INVESTMENTS

James Ellis heads a team dedicated to the needs of primary funds, secondary funds and co-investors. We support LPs of all types in building their investment platforms across the world. Delivering the best people requires a thorough understanding of the strategies in order to promote and differentiate the roles and the firms effectively.

Our experts

James joined PER in 2017. He focuses on searches for investment professionals across the LP space.
Key Contact
James Ellis
Partner, Head of Primaries, Secondaries & Co-Investments
+44 20 7747 7885
View full bio
View profile
Anvir joined PER after graduating from the University of Warwick studying Politics and Sociology.
Anvir Singh

Team Coordinator

Load More
View all PER People
Stat Sub Header

Stat Header

17

Placements in the last 12 months

65%

Senior & mid-level placements

5

Countries where we completed LPs & Secondaries searches

47

Current open roles with LPs & Secondaries





LEVELS

Building your leadership pipeline



Whether adding to an existing team or bringing in a senior hire to develop a new strategy, hiring for primary, secondary and co-investors requires deep product understanding of the nuances and objectives of the role.

Culture and compensation vary across the wide range of organisations that deliver these strategies such as sovereign wealth funds, family offices, multi-asset managers, pension funds and foundations. 

Our knowledgeable team ensures clients and candidates can make the right choice for their needs.


Mid level hiring requires knowledge of the landscape and where change may result in a new source of people as well as a great cultural understanding of the client to promote the organisation as well as the role.

Our team maintains market maps of the UK and European primary, secondary and co-invest landscape to help pinpoint likely people for mid-level roles.


We are successful at bringing talented junior people into the primary, secondary and co-invest space as a result of our deep understanding of the roles and opportunities and ability to distinguish those people who are likely to be committed to building a career in the space. 

We hold workshops, produce articles and maintain resources which inform and educate the market on the opportunities in this space.


EXPERIENCE
Client Story

A small team requiring an experienced but still growing Fund and Co-Investor for their London office

We utilised our European LP network to find an experienced investment professional from outside of London to fill the role.


Working with a blue chip name in the secondaries space to help them scale the team

Provided diverse shortlists containing candidates from a range of backgrounds and helped the client secure great talent in an incredibly competitive market.


We were tasked with finding a seasoned investment professional to head up a new strategy within an Impact investor

This had a unique set of requirements and required us to look deep into our networks. It also required a thorough understanding of the asset class in question and the ability to appropriately present the strategy to potential candidates.

You may also like

All news and insights
Insight
20 Aug 2026

Beyond finance: Why private equity is looking to STEM talent by Lea Nusser

Insight
13 Aug 2026

Personality, judgement and drive: What it takes to succeed in private equity by Gail McManus MBE

Insight
30 Jul 2026

Why private equity talent is on the move by Daniela Braemisch, Head of Frankfurt

Insight
07 Jul 2026

Beyond the trophy asset: The new era of sports investment talent by Izzy Mittag-Lenkheym

Insight
25 Jun 2026

Gail McManus, Founder & Director, reflects on 30 years of PER

Insight
10 Jun 2026

Secondaries remains the place to be by James Ellis, Head of Primaries, Secondaries & Co-Invest

Insight
31 May 2026

We’re proud that PER has been named the Ideal Recruiter in Private Capital and Asset Management

Insight
29 Apr 2026

How to attract the next generation of Private Markets talent by Marina Gil Martinez, Senior Associate