2026 Agenda
Scaling smart: Ops, talent, and tech amid global uncertainty
- Global instability and increasing market volatility
- One year later: How private equity has navigated tariff wars imposed by the Trump administration and if we can expect to grapple with the impact for the rest of the year
- What this macro environment means for operational decision-making
- How to ensure solid due diligence processes Assessing exposure efficiently across the value chain
Moderator:
Jon Whiteaker, Editor, The Drawdown
Speakers:
Hana Prochaska, Executive director, Gen II
Zulfi Ali, Partner, Chief Risk Officer & Chief Operating Officer, Zetland Capital
Simon Wells, Chief UK Economist, HSBC
- Treasury strategy in a fragmented world (Benelux, US, and beyond)
- Opportunities and risks in consolidating treasury with a single bank or provider
- Navigating hedging risks What tax and regulatory changes are expected to have a major impact on the industry?
- What are fund managers prioritising when evaluating fund finance options?
- What questions should fund managers be asking their finance providers today?
Moderator:
Matthias Plötz, Deputy Editor, The Drawdown
Speakers:
Andrew Frazer Smith, Managing Director, Bridge Fund Finance
Jack Sirett, Partner, Ebury
Alex Postlethwaite, Finance Director, Sprints
- What systems, processes, and structures are needed to support growth without adding complexity?
- What are LPs currently looking for when it comes to scalability and operational readiness?
- How to demonstrate scalability in a credible and measurable way to investors?
- Understanding what areas of operations to prioritise scaling People or systems- is scaling in one or the other better?
Speakers:
Valeriya Leshukova, Director Finance & Risk, Earlybird
Christopher Edwards, Head of IMS Client Enablement, SEI
Jessica Stewart, Chief Operating Officer, Systemiq Capital
- Is there an issue of over-leveraging and if so, how did the industry get to this point?
- NAV financing: when is enough, enough?
- Is the ‘debt bubble’ just a natural evolution and response to regulatory change?
Speakers:
Richard Lang, COO and CFO, LND Capital
Paul Bramley, Chief Financial Officer, Partner, and Board Director, Claret Capital Partners
- Exploring the growing financial risks of cybersecurity
- Should firms be dedicating more people to tackle cyber threats?
- Are current training systems on handling sensitive data sufficient given the rise of generative AI?
- To what extent are AI tools being utilised in operations?
- To build or buy: when is building your own AI systems the correct option?
- Should GPs be concerned about data privacy and if so, how can they mitigate this?
Speakers:
Alan Chu, CFO, Partner, Beechbrook Capital
Evgenia Clark, Global Data Lead, BC Partners
David O’Flaherty, Head of AIFM Ireland, CSC
Stream A: Data privacy & team structure | Stream B: Internalisation vs outsourcing |
Moderator: Tanya Kaushal, Reporter, The Drawdown Speakers: Alex Rozmiret, Financial Controller, Clipway Leanne England, CFO, ETF Partners Rob Hayward, CTO, Hollyport Capital Aztec Group, TBC
|
Moderator: Vince Cao, Independent COO/CCO Speakers: Ankit Verma, Finance Director, Exponent Debojit Mukherjee, COO, Agilitas Tom Seymour Mead, Chief Financial Officer, Signal Luciana Germinario, Partner and Chief Operating Officer, Helios Investment Partners |
Day two
- How to align priorities between operations and executive leadership
- Best practices for clear decision-making and escalation paths
- How to build trust and shared accountability across leadership
- How can alignment between origination and operational teams be strengthened?
- Motivating teams in a high-pressure Non-financial drivers of engagement: purpose, autonomy, recognition
Moderator:
Jon Whiteaker, Editor, The Drawdown
Speakers:
Rebecca Boscott, Head of Responsible Investing, Hanover Investors Management
Charlotte Pettit, Head of Operations, Just Climate
Simon Hirtzel, General Partner & COO, IQ Capital
Kieran Wilcock, CFO, HSBC Innovation Banking
- Best practices for aligning investor expectations with operational realities
- How do deal teams and portfolio teams work best together after closing?
- Managing handover from deals to operations: what’s working and what’s not?
- Structuring governance and reporting to create clarity and accountability
- How do leadership priorities change as a fund scales or as market conditions shift?
Speakers:
- Frederic Brodach, Managing Director, RSI Capital
- Steven Dunne, Senior Partner, Frog Capital
- How have LP expectations changed and how have operations adapted to meet these demands?
- How do you tackle conflict between demands and realistic financial circumstances, especially during economic instability?
Tanya Kaushal, Reporter, The Drawdown
Jonathan Pugh-Smith, Partner and General Fund Counsel, Bregal Unternehmerkapital (BU)
1- Bridging the skill gap: How to hire the right talent despite increased need for specialised skills
Facilitator: Gustav Højmark-Jensen, Head of Platforms, Nordic Alpha Partners
2- Gen Z culture: What new talent require from culture to improve productivity
Facilitator: Vince Cao, Independent COO/CCO
3- Need for speed: Adapting training processes to meet faster hiring demands
Facilitator: Martina Redmond, Chief Financial Officer, Terlos LLP
4- Leadership: Accommodating and preparing younger talent for senior roles
Facilitator: Raj Shah, CFO & Operating Partner, Claret Capital Partners