James Sutherland serves as Managing Director and Head of Investments at Avalon Growth Capital, leading the firm’s investment management and investor relations functions and responsible for sourcing, evaluating, structuring, and executing transactions across the platform. James is a voting member of the Firm's Investment Committee.

Since beginning his finance career in 2010, James has executed a wide range of private and public transactions in the Infrastructure, Industrials, and Natural Resources sectors, in multiple countries, and across the capital structure including all forms of debt, structured finance, and equity. Over that time, he has developed deep expertise in transaction management and business development, managing teams to source, diligence, structure, and execute complex investments.

Prior to joining Avalon Growth Capital, James was a Director at Rock Elm Capital Management, an investment advisory and investment banking firm focused on sustainable infrastructure and industrial decarbonization, specializing in food and agriculture, energy, critical metals, and the circular economy. In addition to managing the firm’s business strategy and business development activities, James was responsible for opportunity sourcing, investor relations, due diligence, financial analysis, and deal structuring, underwriting, negotiation, and execution.

James started his career in London as an investment banker, first at Macquarie Capital then at UBS, advising corporate clients and financial sponsors across EMEA and Russia. While at UBS, he advised large-cap Industrials and Natural Resources companies on complex cross-border M&A transactions and was responsible for business strategy, deal process coordination, and client management. While at Macquarie, he advised mid-market Infrastructure and Natural Resources companies on M&A and capital raising transactions and was responsible for valuation analysis, due diligence, and market research.

James holds a BA (Hons) in Modern Languages and Linguistics from the University of Oxford and a Master’s in Business and Management from ESCP Europe Business School in Paris.

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