Delicious food and excellent wine may sound like a surefire way of winning a Parisian gentleman over, so it’s perhaps unsurprising that Laurence chose a top London sushi restaurant as the place to try and coax Jean Tardy-Joubert into joining Highland Europe.
Unfortunately, not everything went exactly to plan. The first course was delightful, but the second mediocre at best. By the time dessert was served, neither man had much of an appetite left. Luckily for Laurence, though, the misfired dinner didn’t sour professional relations, and after several more palatable meetings, Jean joined Highland as an advisory partner in 2018.
Jean brought a wealth of experience, knowledge and industry intel to the partnership. In 2009, he founded and subsequently ran tech-focused boutique investment bank Qatalyst’s European practice. Almost a decade on, Jean was ready for his next challenge.