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Sagard Holdings Manager
Paul Desmarais III's Sagard Holdings Manager manages $46B in AUM through venture, private equity, credit, and real estate strategies across 13 global...
Sagard Holdings Manager
Sagard Holdings Manager LP was launched in 2016 by Paul Desmarais III, Samuel Robinson, and Adam Vigna. The firm emerged from the Desmarais family's broader financial network, which includes Power Corporation of Canada, although Sagard operates as a distinct, multi-strategy alternative asset manager seeking third-party capital. Its rapid growth has been marked by both organic build-outs, such as the Portage fintech platform, and inorganic expansion, including the acquisition of the real estate unit that became Sagard Real Estate. The firm manages capital across four main strategies: venture capital, private equity, private credit, and real estate. The venture capital arm, Portage, deploys through early-stage funds (Portage Ventures) and later-stage solutions (Portage Capital Solutions) focused on fintech and financial services. The private equity and credit platforms, including Sagard MidCap, Sagard NewGen, and Sagard Senior Lending Partners, cover North American and European middle-market companies. Deployment spans Food & Consumer, Healthcare, Industrial & Business Services, and Software & Technology sectors, with named portfolio companies such as 1Password and Wealthsimple (per Sagard portfolio disclosures). Geographically, the firm executes from offices in Montreal, Paris, and Singapore, among others. As of December 2025, Sagard reported $46 billion in assets under management and employed over 540 professionals across 13 global offices (per the firm, 2025). The firm also operates Sagard Wealth, a private wealth channel, and Diagram, an IT and corporate development hub. In an expansion of its leadership and capital formation capabilities, the firm promoted Leslie Hill to Partner and COO of Global Capital Formation, reflecting a continued buildout of its institutional infrastructure. A key structural differentiator is Sagard's relationship to the Desmarais family network, which provides a distinct source of patient capital and corporate connectivity while the firm actively raises institutional third-party funds. This hybrid model allows the firm to commit co-investment capital alongside its LPs into direct deals and club transactions, blending features of a family-backed principal investor with a traditional institutional asset manager.
General information
Firm type
Generalist
Year founded
2016
AUM
$46B (per firm website, 2025)
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
New York
Corporate office
280 Park Avenue, 29th Floor East, New York, NY 10017, United States
Additional offices
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates · Denver, CO, United States · Düsseldorf, Germany · Geneva, Switzerland · Greenwich, CT, United States · London, United Kingdom · Milan, Italy · Montreal, Canada · Naples, FL, United States · Paris, France · Singapore · Toronto, Canada · Zürich, Switzerland
Principals
Paul Desmarais III
Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO
Samuel Robinson
Co-Founder and Vice Chairman
Adam Vigna
Co-Founder and CIO
Adam Felesky
Managing Partner and CEO, Portage
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Sagard?
Adam Vigna serves as Chief Investment Officer and oversees the investment strategy across the platform. Individual strategies have dedicated leadership, such as Adam Felesky as CEO of Portage for venture, Jonathan Tétrault as CEO of Sagard Private Equity Solutions, and Rick Stone as CEO of Sagard Real Estate. The Executive Committee, chaired by CEO Paul Desmarais III, coordinates capital allocation and risk management across the firm.
How does Sagard source proprietary deal flow?
Sagard leverages its connection to the Desmarais family and Power Corporation ecosystem to access deal flow through a global network of corporate partners and advisors. The firm also sources opportunities through its 13 offices and dedicated verticals like Portage in fintech and Sagard Healthcare Partners. Its in-house value creation and corporate development teams provide operational support, which can be a differentiator in competitive processes.
Is Sagard structured as a family office or does it operate more like a venture firm?
Sagard is an institutional asset manager that raises third-party funds, not a single-family office. It operates dedicated private equity, venture capital, private credit, and real estate teams, each with their own fund structures. While the Desmarais family network remains a meaningful influence and capital source, the firm manages committed capital from a broad base of external investors.
Does Sagard participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
Sagard invests both directly into companies and through its managed fund vehicles across its strategies. The firm also makes co-investments alongside its funds and can structure club deals by bringing in limited partners or other institutional investors. This flexibility allows it to write equity and credit checks across the capital structure.
What investment stages does Sagard typically target?
Sagard covers the full lifecycle. Portage Ventures targets seed to Series C fintech companies, while Portage Capital Solutions provides later-stage and cross-over capital. Sagard MidCap and NewGen focus on growth equity and mid-market buyouts, Sagard Senior Lending Partners provides direct lending, and Sagard Real Estate acquires stabilized and value-add property assets.
How is Sagard related to Portage?
Portage is Sagard's dedicated global fintech investment platform. Founded in 2016 and led by CEO Adam Felesky, it operates two strategies: Portage Ventures for early-stage fintech investing and Portage Capital Solutions for later-stage and public-company flexible capital. Portage is wholly integrated within Sagard's multi-strategy structure and shares its back office, capital formation, and value-creation resources.
Does Sagard maintain philanthropic structures, and how are they separated?
Sagard's public disclosures do not list a separate philanthropic entity directly managed by the firm. The Desmarais family's charitable activities, including the activities of the Power Corporation-linked foundations, are conducted through separate legal structures and not commingled with Sagard's fund management operations or investment portfolios.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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