AURELIUS has acquired McKesson UK in a corporate carve-out from US healthcare company McKesson Corporation, Irving, Texas.
The McKesson UK business has an established position in the healthcare sector, comprising Lloyds Pharmacy as well as wholesale pharmaceuticals distributor, AAH Pharmaceuticals. McKesson UK operates four divisions: retail, digital, homecare and wholesale. The business has over 18,000 employees, including pharmacists, nurses, logistics operatives as well as store, warehouse and administration personnel.
Dr. Dirk Markus, Founding Partner of AURELIUS, said: “I am very excited about the transaction which marks a new milestone in the development of AURELIUS, lifting the whole organisation to a new level. This major transaction validates the strategic decision to raise AURELIUS European Opportunities Fund IV. We now have available capital of more than EUR 500 million and are looking forward to further exciting opportunities. I would like to thank McKesson for placing its trust in us. Our agreement with McKesson builds on AURELIUS’ proven track record as a trusted investor in corporate carve-outs, leveraging AURELIUS’ operational expertise to grow portfolio companies. A special thank you also goes to our investment team all of whom played an important role in reaching this stage. I am looking forward to the management and operational team providing their expertise and know-how in supporting the business under new ownership.”
Tristan Nagler, Partner at AURELIUS, added: “We see significant potential in all four segments of McKesson UK to grow and enhance the business along with delivering further benefits to customers through additional investments – for example in digitalisation measures and other initiatives to further increase the quality and reliability of service for the patients and communities that McKesson UK serves. The transaction with McKesson reaffirms that AURELIUS is well-positioned and well-regarded in the European mid-market as a pan-European asset manager offering sustainable value creation for its stakeholders.”
