JER Partners' Michael Pralle

JER Partners has been busy in Europe lately. The McLean, VA-based investment firm recently hired Chester Barnes as managing director of its asset management for the continent and opened a new office and brought on a new team in Prague. Clearly, management expects more expansion opportunities there. JER, the private equity arm of JE Robert Cos., a real estate investment firm that manages 10 private equity funds with almost $5 billion in equity capital, earlier this year opened offices in the Middle East and Latin America. Michal Pralle, the firm’s president and chief operating officer, spoke with GlobeSt.com about his firm’s international expansion plans.

GlobeSt.com: What is causing you to boost up your personnel in Europe as of late?

Pralle: Actually we’re boosting up staffing in general. Europe is clearly one area, but we’ve hired people in the US and Latin America, as well as Europe. This is consistent with our overall strategy of growing the business globally. Given the current situation in the financial markets, the uncertainty and the turmoil, it’s actually a great time to be building a business.