2026 Agenda
Scaling smart: Ops, talent, and tech amid global uncertainty
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Registration
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Welcome remarks
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Keynote
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Opening panel: Global volatility, geopolitics & the macro reality
- 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
Speakers:
Hana Prochaska, Executive director, Gen II
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Panel: Treasury and banking strategy: Steering financial relationships during geopolitical shifts
- 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?
Speakers:
Andrew Frazer Smith, Managing Director, Bridge Fund Finance
Jack Sirett, Partner, Ebury
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Networking break
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Debate: Is there a debt bubble?
- Is there an issue of overleveraging 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?
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Fireside chat: Balancing act: scaling without complications
- 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
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Networking lunch
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Interactive Roundtables: Risk management practices in cybersecurity
A moderator will be joined on stage by two speakers who will pose questions on risk management practices with interactive polling site, Slido. Attendees will be given five minutes to discuss amongst their tables. Once responses are in, the moderator will select a table to explain their answer and the speakers will weigh in.
- 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?
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Panel: AI, data privacy & internal operating models
- 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:
Evgenia Clark, Global Data Lead, BC Partners
David O’Flaherty, Head of AIFM Ireland, CSC
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Streams
Stream A: Data privacy & team structure | Stream B: Internalisation vs outsourcing |
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Speakers: Ankit Verma, Finance Director, Exponent Debojit Mukherjee, COO, Agilitas Tom Seymour Mead, Chief Financial Officer, Signal |
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Closing remarks
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Activities
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Networking drinks
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Dinner
Day two
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Activities
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Welcome remarks
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Panel: Synergy and strength: how operational and executive teams can stand tall together
- 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
Speakers:
Rebecca Boscott, Head of Responsible Investing, Hanover Investors Management
Charlotte Pettit, Head of Operations, Just Climate
Simon Hirtzel, General Partner & COO, IQ Capital
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Fireside chat: What do you wish you knew earlier about managing portcos?
- 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?
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Networking break
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Interview: Journey of directing investor relations and financial ambition
- 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?
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Workshops: Exploring talent
- 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
- Gen Z culture: What new talent require from culture to improve productivity
- Need for speed: Adapting training processes to meet faster hiring demands
- Leadership: Accommodating and preparing younger talent for senior roles
Facilitator:
Raj Shah, CFO & Operating Partner, Claret Capital Partners
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Closing remarks and networking lunch