Financial News will on Monday publish a profile of Lionel Zinsou, the chairman and chief executive of French private equity firm PAI Partners, as part of a series on the 100 most influential people in the capital markets. Here we ask Zinsou five questions, including on the best piece of advice he's ever been given - and what he plans to do when he eventually retires.

French national Zinsou's audacious coup to replace PAI's leaders Dominique Mégret and Bertrand Meunier last August rocked the private equity industry. His appointment triggered a restructuring, and months of negotiations with investors forced PAI to halve its fund size to €2.7bn to ensure a return to business. Investors have, however, warmed to the new set-up and praised PAI's management for their increased emphasis on transparency and communication.