British general joins PE ranks

Chalsys Capital Partners, a cleantech-focused private equity firm, has drafted Mike Jackson, the former head of the British army, as a special advisor.

Mike Jackson

Jackson will work alongside the firm’s senior partners to “lend his considerable expertise and insight, ensuring that Chalsys is well positioned to capitalise on the growing opportunities in cleantech and renewable energy investments”, according to a statement.

Jackson has a military career spanning five decades, which culminated in a role as head of the British army from 2003 to 2006.

The appointment of a high-level military official isn’t a first for the industry. In 2009, distressed specialist Patriarch Partners hired former US army general Howard Yellen to run its then newly created defense platform. In 2008, US-based private equity firm Behrman Capital hired former chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, general Peter Pace, as an operating partner. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the US' highest ranking military officer and chief military advisor to the president.