BERLIN, May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- We are excited to welcome Felix Rose to the Optio team as Head of Private Equity Solutions. Felix will lead our new private equity solution business and will be based in Frankfurt, Germany. The SaaS product will allow private equity clients and their portfolio companies to set-up and manage equity incentive programs on the Optio platform in an automated and efficient way. This marks one of Optio's next key growth areas. It builds on the strong presence already established in the DACH region and Southern Europe, following a funding round backed by tech investor CCAP.
Felix joins Optio with nearly 30 years of experience across European private and public markets. Throughout his career, including roles at Morgan Stanley Investment Banking, Cinven, and Jamieson Corporate Finance, as well as co-founding and co-managing MPTransaction, he has consistently been involved in public and private M&A transactions and over the last seventeen years he has supported CEOs and business founders in navigating through large and complex private equity transactions.
"Felix brings an incredible depth of insight into how private equity firms operate and where they encounter friction in relation to their management equity programs," says Christoffer Herheim, Co-founder and CEO of Optio. "His expertise in Management Equity Plans (MEPs) will be essential as we help firms transition away from manual processes and fragmented tools into fully digital workflows."
In today's market, private equity investors often rely on a patchwork of Word documents, Excel sheets, legal counsel, and large email threads to manage MEPs. This approach is not only resource-intensive, but it also creates risks around compliance, data privacy, and scalability - especially in cross-border deals involving dozens of participants.
Optio for Private Equity offers a smarter path forward. The platform simplifies compliance workflows (including KYC), enables secure access and communication for all stakeholders, and includes digital signing functionality for efficient execution of legal MEP documentation. These efficiencies not only reduce costs, but they also make it possible to extend equity participation deeper into portfolio companies, aligning with broader ownership movements like the U.S.-based "Ownership Works" initiative.
"What attracted me to Optio was more than just the product," shares Felix. "It was the team's drive, precision, and entrepreneurial energy. With the right technology, we can empower private equity firms and their portfolio companies to rethink how they design and manage equity incentives not just for the executive team, but for a much broader group of employees."
Looking ahead, Felix envisions a shift across the industry: "I believe that within the next five to ten years every private equity management incentive program will run on a secure digital platform."
About Optio
Established in 2018, Optio combines software and deep expertise to manage equity compensation plans for companies of all sizes. The company is trusted by over 500 businesses, with equity plans managed across 100 countries and 15 stock exchanges. Optio's unique ability to support organizations at every stage-from early development to the public market-sets it apart from other providers. By simplifying the complexities of employee incentive programs, Optio helps companies stay compliant, manage equity, report costs accurately, and maximize the benefits of their plans.
Learn more on www.optioincentives.com
Optio Incentives AS
Lørenveien 73, 0580 Oslo
+47 986 19 877
mt@optioincentives.no
