US private equity firms Carlyle Group and Warburg Pincus have both added to their European teams as they prepare for an upturn in opportunities in the region.

Alexander Pietruska is to join Carlyle as a managing director and European head of financial services team. Pietruska was previously director of group strategy and corporate development for Lloyds Banking Group in London where he led negotiations with the European Commission regarding state aid following its 2008 acquisition of peer HBOS. Prior to joining Lloyds, Pietruska spent seven years at ABN Amro in a number of roles, including corporate development.