New Macquarie hire hints at more real assets funds

Patricia Rodrigues has re-joined Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets as head of product development for agri, infrastructure, energy and real estate.

Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA) has hired Patricia Rodrigues as head of product development for agri, infrastructure, energy and real estate in a move that hints at the launch of new real assets funds.

A spokeswoman from Macquarie confirmed Rodrigues’ appointment and said in an email that “she will work with MIRA’s global business development teams to support the growth of new fund products in infrastructure and other real assets.”

Rodrigues is re-joining MIRA, where she worked as a director, focusing on infrastructure investments, from 2008 to 2011. During her first spell at MIRA, she co-led the £580 million ($893 million; €787 million) acquisition of motorway services chain Moto and also helped to established and develop Macquarie’s Iberian advisory and investment capabilities.

After leaving MIRA, Rodrigues then joined the UK government’s Department for Business Innovation & Skills (BIS). At BIS, she also structured and invested some £200 million of government capital into four private equity and infrastructure funds.

Before re-joining MIRA, Rodrigues spent some time at Townsend Group, where she helped set-up its non-real estate real assets business, focusing on agriculture, timber and infrastructure