Blackstone announced that Franck Petitgas will join the firm in January 2026 as a Senior Managing Director and Vice Chairman, Europe.

In this newly created role, Lord Petitgas will work with Blackstone’s leadership on strategic initiatives and senior-level engagement with clients and business leaders across Europe.

Stephen A. Schwarzman, Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO said: “We are excited to welcome Franck to Blackstone. His experience at the highest levels of international finance and strong relationships across Europe will deepen our engagement in the region as we accelerate efforts to finance, build, and scale great businesses and critical infrastructure.”

Franck Petitgas said: “I believe Blackstone is the most consequential firm in investing today, deploying capital to address some of the region’s most critical investment needs. I’m thrilled to join this outstanding team to help strengthen its commitment to Europe – supporting growth, innovation, and long-term value creation across the region.”

Lord Petitgas spent 30 years at Morgan Stanley where he was a member of the firm’s Operating Committee and co-head of Global Investment Banking before serving as Head of Morgan Stanley International. He retired from Morgan Stanley in early 2023 and was subsequently appointed by the then UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as his Chief Business Adviser. In March 2024, he was appointed to the House of Lords of the United Kingdom.

Blackstone has been active in Europe for over 25 years and currently has investments in over $350 billion of assets in the region across private equity, real estate, credit and infrastructure. The firm sees the opportunity to invest in over $500 billion of European assets over the next decade, driven by digitalization, AI, electrification and reindustrialization.

Source: Blackstone