Agenda

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Registration, coffee & networking
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Chair’s welcome and opening remarks

Jon Whiteaker, Editor, The Drawdown

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Keynote: Industry attitudes on innovation

With persistent inflation, rising interest rates, and ongoing geopolitical issues a key industry professional will set the scene to how private capital markets are navigating their way through these challenges to create innovative opportunities.

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Opening Panel: Assessing the dynamic state of the private equity market
  • How has the definition of 'resilience' changed for PE firms in recent years We're seeing a growing appetite for specialised strategies and more flexible fund structures.
  • How are market conditions driving this innovation, and what are some of the most compelling trends being observed?
  • What are the key drivers behind the market moving towards consolidation, and how are firms navigating the complexities of managing multiple strategies and asset classes?

Alex Di Santo, European Head of Private Equity, Gen II
Hamish Mair, Managing Director and Head of Private Equity, Columbia Threadneedle Investments
Peter Northcott, Partner, Chief Operations Officer, Hereford Capital

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Panel: Weathering the storm of a challenging fundraising and valuations environment
  • Fundraising in the current low-liquidity environment: strategies for attracting capital and managing investor expectations.
  • Valuation challenges: the impact of updated ILPA guidelines, auditors' stricter stance on last-round pricing, and the need for transparency.
  • Tax structuring considerations in the current market: optimising fund structures and navigating evolving tax regulations.
  • Exploring the role of third-party valuation providers and their increasing scrutiny

Moderator: Peter Soliman, Managing Partner, Arosa Capital
Roland Graaf, CFO, Bencis Capital Partners

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Coffee & networking
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Reg Talk: Riding the regulatory wave: Private markets in a shifting world
  • How are recent amendments to AIFMD and other EU regulations reshaping private market operations? What are the key compliance priorities for firms today?
  • What operational strategies are firms implementing to stay ahead of regulatory shifts and maintain a competitive edge?
  • How are private equity firms adapting their workflows to meet evolving securities regulations, AML requirements, and KYC standards efficiently?
  • What’s next on the regulatory horizon, and how should firms prepare for future developments in private markets oversight?  

Vix Sherliker, Chief Compliance Officer, Stafford Capital Partners

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Fireside Chat: Optimising operations through outsourcing vs. insourcing
  • How do you determine when to use insourcing vs outsourcing?
  • Considering the impact of increased regulatory requirements and the role of digitisation.
  • Discuss the challenges of selecting appropriate providers through navigating the crowded market and choosing systems that meet specific needs and budgets.

Moderator: Shuli Levy, CFO/COO, Expedition Growth Capital
Tom Seymour Mead, Chief Financial Officer, Signal Capital Partners

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Panel: The future of investor reporting: Tech, transparency & trends for GPs
  • How can GPs leverage advancements in automation and data management to enhance reporting insights and efficiency, What trends are driving change in investor reporting?
  • How can GPs evolve their data and reporting functions to adapt to changing investor expectations?
  • With private equity increasingly focused on tapping retail markets, will DPI become more important?

Alan Chu, Partner, Finance & Operations Director, Beachbrook Capital
Gilad Amir, Digital Operating Partner, Pollen Street Capital

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Networking Lunch
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Panel: AI in the investment space: Revolution or hype?
  • The practical applications of AI in investment processes: market research, due diligence, portfolio management, and reporting.
  • Managing and policing AI usage within teams: protecting proprietary information and ensuring responsible AI implementation.
  • The challenges of verifying and critically assessing information obtained from AI tools like ChatGPT

Jan Beitner, Director, Data & AI, Inflexion Private Equity
Ties Boukema, Head of Data and AI, Dawn Capital
Tarak Gorai, Director and Operating Partner, Mavenswood
Julian Schickel, Managing Partner and Co-Founder, Avellinia Capital



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Roundtables

Entering the retail market: 
The case of ELTIF 

  • How can technology be leveraged to democratise access to private markets for retail investors while simultaneously mitigating the inherent risks and complexities involved?
  • How can EU regulators strike the right balance between encouraging retail participation in private markets and protecting individual investors from the inherent risks of illiquid investments, considering the trade-offs between access and investor safeguards?

Paul Bramley, CFO, Claret Capital

The new frontier: How GP stakes are shaping private equity markets

Exploring the integration of GP stakes with secondary markets, strategies for breaking into GP stakes, the expanding addressable market, and the intersection with impact investing.

Succession planning- what’s next?  

  • Ensuring a smooth transition of leadership and preserving firm culture.
  • As the industry continues to evolve, how can fund managers effectively plan for leadership succession to ensure a smooth transition while preserving the firm’s culture?

Karen Swain, CFO, Kindred Capital
Simon Hirtzel, General Partner & COO, IQ Capital Khuram Bajwa, Director, One Ten Associates


Changing role of the COO

  • How is the role evolving from an operational leader to a strategic driver in private equity-backed firms?
  • What are the key challenges in balancing efficiency with growth initiatives?
  • With the rise of AI, automation, and advanced analytics, how should COOs prioritize technology investments?
  • What are the biggest opportunities and risks in leveraging data for operational excellence

Aaron​​​​ Kienwald, Chief Operating Officer, Oakley Capital
Jessica Stewart, COO, Systemiq Capital 

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Closing Panel: Secondaries- a market in motion
  • As secondaries and co-investments reshape portfolio construction, what operational adjustments are needed to manage deal execution, valuations, and investor reporting?
  • With market activity accelerating here, how should firms refine their operational models to handle increased transaction volumes, regulatory scrutiny, and investor expectations?
  • What role are innovative structures like continuation vehicles playing in this evolution?
  • What’s next for secondaries? As both supply and demand momentum builds what opportunities could this present

Thomas Hallinger, Managing Director, Secondaries, Golding Capital Partners
Adam King, COO, CVC Secondary Partners

Closing remarks and activities
Drinks reception
Dinner

Agenda

Embracing Innovation and steering change- The Future of Private Equity Operations

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Coffee & networking
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Chair’s welcome and opening remarks

Jon Whiteaker, Editor, The Drawdown

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Opening Panel "War Stories" Session: Lessons learned across market cycles
  • Industry veterans share their experiences navigating past market downturns, boom periods, and other significant events.
  • Reflecting on past industry trends and their implications for the future of private markets.
  • Sharing insights on successful investment strategies, risk management, and leadership in challenging times.

Moderator: Diana Meyel, Managing Partner, Cipio Partners
Matthias Dux, Managing Partner and Co-Founder, Avellinia Capital
Karen Sands, COO, Federated Hermes Global Private Equity

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Fireside chat: The changing shape of fund finance
  • How is the relationship between LPs and GPs evolving in the context of fund financing?
  • Explore the emerging trends in fund financing, such as the use of technology platforms, specialised lenders, and innovative structures like hybrid facilities or contingent equity, and discuss their potential impact on the market.
  • How will the expected surge in secondaries activity, driven by market dislocation, create both challenges and opportunities for fund managers and investors, and what role will fund financing play in facilitating these transactions?

Moderator: Ben James, Head of Lender Engagement, Fund Finance Alpha Group
Giovanni Pericolini, Co-Founder & Partner, Medicxi

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Networking coffee
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Keynote Address
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Roundtables

Consolidation- is it good or bad for the industry? 

  • How are increasing regulatory costs and compliance burdens acting as a catalyst for consolidation, and what strategies can smaller firms employ to remain competitive without merging or being acquired?
  • What challenges are posed for long term success when integrating different firms and cultures?

Tom Miller, Director, Sales Real Estate, Alter Domus

Building a diverse and dynamic talent pipeline for the future

Addressing AI’s impact in transforming the workforce and what are firms doing to attract the younger generation into the industry?

Debojit Mukherjee, COO, Agilitas


ESG: Beyond compliance - Real impact or greenwashing?

  • Addressing the business case for ESG: demonstrating tangible benefits for portfolio companies and investors
  • How can the growing disconnect between investors' stated ESG beliefs and their actual investment practices be addressed, and what are the implications for the credibility and effectiveness of ESG investing?
  • Given the increasing prevalence of greenwashing accusations and low confidence in corporate ESG reporting, how can transparency and standardisation be improved to ensure investors have access to reliable and comparable data?

Yudi Singh, Finance Director, Future Business Partnership (FBP)

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Fireside Chat: Performance in private equity: where are we now?
  • Analysing current fund performance metrics and trends globally, including regional variations and sector-specific insights How has the changing market landscape, particularly illiquidity and valuation discrepancies, driven the increased focus on DPI as a key performance indicator, and what are the implications for GPs and LPs?
  • With investors demanding more transparency and a wider range of data, what role do alternative metrics like MOIC, PME, and direct play in assessing fund performance and how can inconsistencies in calculation and benchmarking be addressed?
  • How will the private equity industry's approach to performance measurement evolve in the coming years, considering factors like increased regulatory scrutiny, ESG integration, and the growing sophistication of data analytics?
Lunch