Epiris names Owen Wilson managing partner in planned succession
Owen Wilson will succeed Bill Priestley as managing partner of Epiris, subject to customary FCA review and approval, the firm announced.
By Marcus V. Thorne · Markets Editor
· 2 min read
Epiris has appointed Owen Wilson as managing partner, with the move subject to a customary review and approval process by the UK Financial Conduct Authority, the private equity firm announced. Wilson is set to succeed Bill Priestley, who will retire in October 2026 as part of a planned leadership transition.
The change places a long-serving investment executive at the head of the firm as Epiris continues to deploy Epiris Fund III. According to the firm’s statement, the fund held its final close in February 2024, has made commitments across six deals to date and is performing with a distributed-to-paid-in ratio of more than 100 percent.
Wilson joined Epiris in 2013. He was appointed to the firm’s investment and management committees in 2018 and became chief investment partner in 2024, according to the announcement.
Priestley has been closely involved in Epiris since its founding, the firm said. Its statement credited him with helping shape the firm’s strategy, culture and investment approach. He became managing partner in 2024 and currently chairs both the management committee and the investment committee.
Regulatory approval remains pending
The appointment remains contingent on the FCA’s customary review and approval process. For UK-regulated investment firms, senior appointments can require regulatory assessment before the individual formally assumes approved responsibilities.
The firm did not disclose any change to its investment strategy alongside the succession announcement. The statement framed the move as a planned transition, with Priestley remaining in place until his scheduled retirement in October 2026.
Epiris Fund III is the active vehicle referenced by the firm in connection with the leadership update. The distributed-to-paid-in ratio, or DPI, measures the amount of capital returned to investors relative to the amount they have contributed. A DPI of more than 100 percent means distributions have exceeded paid-in capital, based on the firm’s statement.
The announcement adds to a period of senior leadership changes across private markets, where succession planning has become a focus for limited partners assessing continuity in investment decision-making, governance and fund deployment. Epiris did not provide further details on Wilson’s mandate as managing partner beyond the leadership succession and his existing committee roles.
This story draws on original reporting from PE Hub.
