HIG Capital’s Credit Arm Finances French Marketing Group Globe as Firm Enters New Era

Jérémy Dahan founded Globe Groupe in 2002 out of Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, with a focus on helping consumer brands connect with shoppers at the point of sale. Over the following two decades, the company grew into one of Europe’s more substantial operational marketing specialists, building a client base of more than 500 across eight countries and expanding into 14 offices. Dahan stayed at the center of it throughout.

Now, with a financing package from H.I.G. WhiteHorse Europe in place, Globe is moving into what its backers are calling an active new growth phase — one anchored by acquisitions and supported by a founder who is reinvesting meaningfully to retain his stake and leadership role.

H.I.G. WhiteHorse, the credit affiliate of HIG Capital, announced the deal on April 20. Terms were not disclosed.

What Globe Groupe Sells — and Who It Sells It To
Globe’s business sits at the intersection of brand strategy and retail execution. Its three service lines — brand activation, outsourced field force, and merchandising — are designed to move products off shelves and into customers’ hands across European markets. The client list spans more than 180 premium brands in consumer goods, technology, beauty, lifestyle, healthcare, and luxury.

What distinguishes Globe in its market, according to H.I.G. WhiteHorse Europe, is the combination of local execution capability across multiple countries and the ability to run large, complex activations at scale. Charles Bourgeois, a managing director at H.I.G. WhiteHorse Europe, described the investment rationale in direct terms: “Globe exemplifies the qualities we seek in our investments: a leading market position, a high-calibre management team, exposure to a growing and resilient market, and a strong track record of financial performance.”

Pascal Meysson, who heads H.I.G. WhiteHorse Europe, said the firm had monitored Globe for several years before moving. “Globe has demonstrated sustained growth over the years, driven by its comprehensive offering and strong execution track record,” Meysson said. “We are delighted to partner with Jérémy Dahan to support the Group’s continued expansion with a bespoke financing solution.”

HIG Capital’s WhiteHorse Credit Platform and the Schwartz Era
H.I.G. WhiteHorse is one of several credit strategies operating under the HIG Capital umbrella. The platform employs 85 credit professionals across the U.S. and Europe and focuses on senior secured debt for refinancings, acquisitions, buyouts, and growth capital. It also manages WhiteHorse Finance, a publicly traded business development company.

The Globe transaction arrived in the middle of a significant week for HIG Capital. Two days before the announcement, the firm named Brian Schwartz its first chief executive officer since co-founders Sami Mnaymneh and Tony Tamer built it from the ground up in Miami in 1993. Mnaymneh, who held the CEO role from the firm’s founding and oversaw its growth into a $74 billion platform, transitions to executive chairman alongside Tamer — both retaining seats on the firm’s investment committees.

Schwartz joined HIG Capital a year after its founding and spent more than six years as co-president before taking the top job. Doug Berman, a 28-year veteran of the firm who ran its U.S. private equity franchise, was promoted to co-president alongside Rick Rosen as part of the same transition.

For a credit team operating across European markets, the leadership context matters less than execution — and the Globe deal reflects a WhiteHorse Europe unit deploying capital consistently into founder-led businesses with established market positions. HIG Capital, co-founded by Sami Mnaymneh, who serves as Founder and Executive Chairman, and Tony Tamer, who also serves as Founder and Executive Chairman, manages $74 billion in capital across private equity, credit, real estate, and infrastructure strategies from 18 offices in nine countries.

Main image by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash