Signal Hill Equity Partners Announces the Formation of Aeterna Group (opens in a new tab)
CSArch, ZMM, Kluber, KGD and Omni combine into a national architecture and engineering firm for social-infrastructure clients.
Private Equity
Toronto-based long-hold private equity firm investing in essential services and, increasingly, US architecture and engineering firms.
Signal Hill Equity Partners is a Toronto-headquartered private equity firm that uses unusually long-dated capital (its Fund IV has a 20-year term) to build companies in essential-service and regulated industries. Its Canadian track record includes engineering firm McIntosh Perry (sold into Egis in 2023), outdoor-maintenance company Urban Life Solutions and Romet, both chaired by the co-founder. Since opening a US office in 2024 it has been assembling Aeterna Group, a US architecture and engineering platform of five firms, and in October 2025 the US-based Ahmed Abdel-Saheb succeeded co-founder Jamie Johnson as CEO. It is a very small team (10 people on its team page), so recruiting is occasional and senior-led.
0 open roles5 deals5 people26 sources
Control investments in essential-service and regulated businesses held for many years using long-dated capital; portfolio includes Urban Life Solutions (Canadian outdoor maintenance) and Romet Limited.
Since 2024 Fund IV has backed five US architecture and engineering firms serving schools, governments and healthcare, combined in June 2026 as Aeterna Group with more than 230 design professionals.
Dedicated portfolio-support staff including engineers, accountants, an HR specialist and in-house legal counsel who work with management teams on request.
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From the inside
Reasons that work in interviews
2 reasons for Signal Hill Equity Partners
Lower mid-market Canadian businesses, often first institutional capital, which is a distinct type of deal.
Very small team: associates see the whole investment.
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How juniors get in
Small Toronto team with no analysts and no careers page; the junior seat is a single Associate, so there is no visible route for students or new graduates and no published hiring process.
Green: evidence it does. Struck through: evidence it doesn’t. Dashed: no public evidence either way.
Programs
Aeterna Group
US architecture and engineering platform combining CSArch, ZMM, Kluber, KGD and Omni Associates, serving education, government, healthcare and housing clients.
Infrastructure Architecture and Engineering ServicesSince 2024
Romet
Ontario-based manufacturer of rotary gas meters and electronic measurement instrumentation for gas utilities in North America and abroad.
Utilities ServicesSince 2013
Urban Life Solutions
Outdoor maintenance services provider offering snow and ice control, landscaping, construction and road repair to municipalities and corporations across Canada.
National Outdoor InfrastructureCalgary, AB
Chief Executive Officer
Leadership
Joined Signal Hill in May 2024 as a US-based Managing Director to open its first US office and build the architecture and engineering platform, then became CEO when Jamie Johnson retired at the end of September 2025. Previously a partner at Godspeed Capital and an investment banking VP at Greenhill & Co. CFA charterholder with a Chicago Booth MBA.
Co-Founder
Leadership
Co-founded Signal Hill and was its sole CEO for about 20 years, completing over 100 transactions, until retiring from the CEO role on 30 September 2025. Remains on the Investment Committee, chairs Romet and Urban Life Solutions, and sits on portfolio boards.
Chairman
Leadership
Listed as Chairman on Signal Hill's official team page; the site does not publish biography text for him.
Photo: signalhillequity.com (official) (opens in a new tab)
Chief Financial Officer
Finance
Listed as Chief Financial Officer on Signal Hill's official team page; no biography text is published.
Photo: signalhillequity.com (official) (opens in a new tab)
Principal
Investment Team
Promoted to Principal in June 2026; the firm's announcement credits him as a strategic adviser and leader within the team. No further biography text is published.
Professional information only, drawn from official biographies and published reporting. BSO never lists private contact details.
Jun 8, 2026
Brian KimPromotion
Principal
Signal Hill Equity Partners → Signal Hill Equity Partners
Signal Hill announced Kim's promotion to Principal (date is the announcement date; prior title not stated).
Oct 2, 2025
Ahmed Abdel-SahebPromotion
Chief Executive Officer
Signal Hill Equity Partners → Signal Hill Equity Partners
Named CEO to lead the firm's next phase, focused on long-term investments in US essential services (date is the announcement date).
Sep 30, 2025
James C. (Jamie) JohnsonRetirement
Co-Founder (Investment Committee member)
Signal Hill Equity Partners → Signal Hill Equity Partners
Retired as CEO after about 20 years but stays on the Investment Committee and as chair of Romet and Urban Life Solutions.
May 21, 2024
Ahmed Abdel-SahebHire
Managing Director (US-based)
Godspeed Capital → Signal Hill Equity Partners
Hired to open Signal Hill's first US office in the Washington, D.C. area and source US deals in architecture, engineering, consulting and essential services.
Jun 18, 2026
Omni Associates Architects
Acquirer · Architecture and engineering
Buyer Signal Hill Equity Partners
Fifth firm added to Signal Hill's US architecture and engineering platform: a Fairmont, West Virginia architecture practice founded in 1980 serving education, healthcare, commercial and government clients.
Oct 7, 2025
KGD Architecture
Acquirer · Architecture and design
Buyer Signal Hill Equity Partners
Strategic partnership with Washington, D.C.-based KGD (40+ staff), bringing the platform to more than 210 professionals across 13 offices; terms undisclosed.
Sep 8, 2025
Kluber Architects + Engineers
Acquirer · Architecture and engineering
Buyer Signal Hill Equity Partners
Investment in Aurora, Illinois-based Kluber (founded 1988), joining CSArch and ZMM in a platform of more than 160 professionals across nine offices.
Feb 28, 2025
ZMM Architects and Engineers
Acquirer · Architecture and engineering
Buyer Signal Hill Equity Partners (Fund IV)
Second Fund IV investment: Charleston, West Virginia-based ZMM (founded 1959, 70+ employees), focused on education and state and local government clients; terms undisclosed.
Oct 31, 2024
CSArch
Acquirer · Architecture, engineering and construction management
Buyer Signal Hill Equity Partners (Fund IV)
First Fund IV investment and the seed of the US platform: Albany, New York-based CSArch (founded 1991, 70+ employees), mainly serving the education sector; terms undisclosed.
CSArch, ZMM, Kluber, KGD and Omni combine into a national architecture and engineering firm for social-infrastructure clients.
The co-founder retires as CEO after two decades; the US-based managing director takes over.
First Fund IV deal.
Ahmed Abdel-Saheb hired to open a Washington, D.C.-area office.
Signal Hill's long-held Canadian engineering portfolio company, grown from one Toronto office to 21 offices, agrees to join France's Egis.
Limited partners agree to a 20-year fund term instead of the usual 10.
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Bay Street Oracle · Oct 8, 2026 · intelligence.baystreetoracle.ca
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