EUROPE - Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Equity Group is making a further push into Europe with the appointment of Clive Norton to head up the group’s European marketing efforts.

Norton joins the team as an executive director, working alongside Marc Boheim who heads the team’s investment efforts in Europe. Three other professionals support Norton and Boheim.

Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Norton worked at Merrill Lynch’s Private Equity Group in a similar role.

GSAM Private Equity Group has, this year, made a push into Europe. In January, John Shearburn moved from New York to head up the London team. Norton will report to Shearburn.

Says Suzanne Donohoe, co-head of GSAM Europe: "we have seen increasing demand in recent months from European investors for alternative asset products." There is now a team of six working from London, in addition to the 65 staff working out of the New York office.

GSAM Private Equity Group has also closed its GS Equity Partners 2002 fund of funds. $1.2bn was raised. The fund is the sixth GS PEP fund raised by the Private Equity Group, which in total manages nearly $11bn of committed capital.