Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) has hired Santander’s global head of infrastructure, Jorge Gil, to strengthen its European transport investment team.

Gil, a former CEO of Ferrovial Airports, is set to join GIP as a managing director based in the London office on 1 October, focusing on investments in the transport sector, according to an internal memo seen by Infralogic.

Michael McGhee, GIP’s deputy chairman and founding partner, wrote in the memo that Gil’s appointment “will help grow and build upon our success in the transport sector, where we continue to generate attractive investment opportunities globally”.

In addition to McGhee, a transport sector veteran, Gil will also work alongside Philip Iley, a partner and global head of the transport investment team at GIP, which is set to be acquired by BlackRock in a USD 12.5bn deal.

Gil leaves Santander after just over two years at the Spanish bank, where he was responsible for M&A and equity capital markets advisory globally in the infrastructure sector, working with infrastructure funds and corporate clients.

He joined the Santander in 2022 after a 20-year career at Ferrovial in sectors including airports, power transmission lines, renewable energy and toll roads.

He was responsible for nearly 10 years for the Spanish infrastructure group’s airport business, which included majority stakes in London Heathrow, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Southampton airports.

Gil also oversaw Ferrovial’s entry in the power transmission sector, and for almost 10 years worked at the company’s toll road unit, Cintra.

GIP’s transportation assets in Europe include stakes in London Gatwick Airport and Edinburgh Airport. The US fund manager sold majority stakes in both to France’s Vinci in two separate deals in 2019 and earlier this year, while continuing to manage minority stakes via continuation vehicles.

The firm also manages a stake in Italian high-speed train operator Italo, having sold a 50% stake to shipping group MSC last year, and a stake in UK ports operator Peel Ports.

Other global assets with operations in Europe include private jet terminal operator Signature Aviation and container port operator Terminal Investment Limited.

Gil’s move comes amid a bounce-back of activity in European transport M&A, particularly in UK airports.

Ferrovial and other shareholders earlier this year agreed to sell a stake in Heathrow Airport to Ardian and Saudi Arabia’s PIF, while the Spanish group and Macquarie are currently selling their UK operator AGS, which runs Glasgow, Aberdeen and Southampton airports. InfraBridge is also set to launch a sale of its minority stake in Newcastle Airport.

One of GIP’s latest deals is also in airports – the proposed acquisition of a stake in Malaysian airport operator Malaysia Airports Holdings.

GIP and Santander declined to comment.