Beyond Capital: Jeito Capital’s New Hires Signal a Deeper Private Equity Playbook

PARIS – May 05, 2026 – In a move that underscores a significant evolution in private equity strategy, global biopharma investment fund Jeito Capital has announced the appointment of two seasoned industry veterans to its leadership team. Elaine Caughey, MBA, joins as Partner, Business Development and Investor Relations, while Sarah Shackelton, MPA, takes the role of Partner, Talent. These hires are more than just additions to the masthead; they represent a deliberate fortification of Jeito’s hands-on, value-add investment model, signaling a broader industry trend where deep operational expertise is becoming as critical as capital itself.

Coming on the heels of a record fundraising period that brought its assets under management to €1.6 billion, Jeito is doubling down on its promise to not just fund, but actively build the next generation of biopharma leaders. By bringing in dedicated partners for business development and talent management, the firm is building an infrastructure designed to accelerate the complex journey from clinical-stage innovation to market-ready therapy.

The New Era of Value Creation

The private equity landscape, particularly in the high-stakes biopharma sector, is undergoing a fundamental transformation. The traditional model of leveraging financial engineering for returns is giving way to a more integrated approach focused on operational value creation. Success is no longer solely measured by the size of the check written but by the strategic, operational, and human capital support a firm can provide to its portfolio companies. Jeito's latest appointments are a prime example of this shift in action.

Industry analysis shows that private equity firms are increasingly embedding specialized operating partners within their teams to drive growth from the inside. The appointment of a Partner, Talent, like Sarah Shackelton, reflects a growing recognition that leadership is the single most important driver of a startup's success. Research indicates that getting the right leadership team in place within the first year can multiply the return on an investment. Shackelton’s role is to systematically de-risk the human capital equation, from conducting leadership due diligence before a deal is signed to coaching CEOs and building high-caliber boards as companies scale.

Similarly, the addition of a partner with Elaine Caughey’s deep business development and commercialization experience is crucial. For clinical-stage biotechs, navigating the labyrinth of pharmaceutical partnerships, licensing deals, and global market access is a make-or-break challenge. Caughey’s mandate is to leverage her experience from Blackstone Life Sciences, Biogen, and Kymera Therapeutics to help portfolio companies forge these critical alliances, secure strategic value, and prepare for successful commercial launches.

Fortifying the Engine for Portfolio Growth

Jeito Capital’s strategy is to invest in 15 to 20 clinical-stage companies with breakthrough potential. The recent appointments directly address the core needs of these high-growth enterprises.

Elaine Caughey brings over 30 years of experience that reads like a playbook for biopharma success. Her time at Biogen saw her executing major global partnerships and steering strategy for global market access during several drug launches. As Chief Business Officer at both Kymera Therapeutics and Cygnal Therapeutics, she was on the front lines of building value through licensing and pharma collaborations. At Jeito, she will not only guide portfolio companies in these areas but also strengthen the firm's investor network and expand its U.S. presence—a critical market for any aspiring global biopharma company.

“I am very pleased to join Jeito and contribute to this new phase of its development,” Caughey stated. “With significantly strengthened financial resources... I am pleased to bring my experience to Jeito and its portfolio companies, supporting them in reaching their full potential and creating value for patients.”

Sarah Shackelton’s appointment as Partner, Talent, is equally strategic. With a background as Chief Talent Officer at Oxford Science Enterprises and a talent-focused Partner at Abingworth, she has a proven track record of building the elite teams that power scientific innovation. Her work will span the full investment cycle, ensuring that Jeito backs not just promising science but also leadership teams capable of executing on that promise.

“Talent is one of the most powerful drivers of company value - but only when it's treated as a genuine strategic input, not an afterthought,” Shackelton commented. “Joining a team with that kind of ambition, momentum and understanding of talent as a strategic lever was an easy decision.”

The “Collective Model” in Action

These hires are the latest in a series of strategic additions designed to bolster what Jeito’s Founder and CEO, Dr. Rafaèle Tordjman, calls its “unique collective model.” This model integrates key expertise across the entire drug development value chain. Caughey and Shackelton join other high-profile experts like Dr. Samit Hirawat, former clinical development head at Bristol Myers Squibb, and Karin Van Baelen, a former global regulatory leader at Johnson & Johnson. Together, they form a brain trust that portfolio companies can tap into to navigate clinical, regulatory, and commercial hurdles.

Dr. Tordjman emphasized the synergy of the new appointments, stating, “We are delighted to welcome Elaine and Sarah, whose backgrounds and expertise will further strengthen Jeito’s strategic capabilities in a highly complementary way. Their extensive and widely recognized experience... will help strengthen our unique collective model.”

The success of this approach is already evident in Jeito's recent string of high-value exits. The acquisitions of portfolio companies like EyeBio by Merck for up to $3 billion and Human Immunology Biosciences (Hi-Bio) by Biogen for up to $1.8 billion demonstrate the fund's ability to identify and nurture companies toward significant strategic value. These successes validate the thesis that providing deep, multidisciplinary support accelerates growth and attracts major pharmaceutical partners.

By formalizing leadership roles in business development and talent, Jeito is institutionalizing its hands-on approach. This ensures that every company in its portfolio benefits from a systematic process for building world-class teams and forging strategic pathways to market, ultimately accelerating the delivery of innovative therapies to patients in need.