Thomas Bardet

Thomas Bardet is a Principal at OpenGate Capital, based in the firm’s Paris office. OpenGate’s team page says he joined the firm in 2019 and is a member of the operations team, overseeing operations for OpenGate’s European portfolio companies and supporting the M&A team on transactions across Europe.

Before OpenGate, Bardet built international operating and finance experience in automotive, aerospace, and machine-tools businesses. OpenGate says he held senior management roles across finance and operations and worked on performance improvement, operational turnarounds, and business restructuring. Third-party executive-profile sources identify earlier roles including Chief Financial Officer at Fives Landis and Finance and Supply Chain Director at Jost UK; those sources also state that he was previously a Vice President at OpenGate before becoming Principal.

His education includes an MBA from London Business School, a Specialized Master in financial performance optimization from ESCP Europe Business School, and a mechanical engineering degree from École Nationale d’Ingénieurs de Tarbes. LinkedIn also lists London Business School education from 2017 to 2018 and a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt certification issued by Fives Landis in August 2016.

• Bardet is not presented publicly as an angel or seed-stage investor; public sources place him within OpenGate’s private-equity operations team.
• OpenGate’s strategy is focused on acquiring and operating lower-to-middle-market businesses where operational improvement can create value.
• The firm describes itself as an “industrial, corporate carve-out specialist” providing flexible capital solutions.
• OpenGate says it invests where there is “a measurable opportunity to enhance a company’s value.”
• The firm looks for businesses with leading positions in their markets, long-lasting customer relationships, strong products, and experienced management teams.
• OpenGate’s published criteria include up to $1 billion in revenue, up to $500 million in enterprise value, headquarters in Europe or North America, and fragmented markets suitable for consolidation.
• Bardet’s individual operating background suggests strongest relevance for companies or divisions needing finance/operations improvement, turnaround execution, restructuring, or carve-out support in European industrial markets.