CFO
Network
Europe Forum
13 - 14 November 2024,
Sofitel London St James, London
Optimizing your global finance and operations strategies
Join us at the Private Funds CFO Network’s Europe Forum in London on November 13-14, 2024.
The Forum will bring together operations and finance professionals across all key asset classes while giving you the opportunity to network with and benchmark against your peers.
Secure your Private Funds CFO Network membership to gather with the most influential CFOs, COOs and their teams in Europe.
Why the Private Funds CFO Europe Forum?
Connect year-round
Build lasting relationships with your peers not only through the two-day event but also year-round with the Private Funds CFO Network membership.
Unrivalled content
Hear from leading experts as they offer a mixture of insightful, data-driven presentations, topical panel discussions and interactive debates.
More than an event
Use your Private Funds CFO Network membership year-round to stay ahead of the markets and connect with your peers.
2023 keynote speaker
Emma Cashmore
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Director
Ex-Meta
Emma Cashmore delved into her previous role and DE&I as a whole. Topics of discussion included:
- Using DE&I to build a thriving ecosystem
- Implementing systemic change
- What mattered most in the employee experience
- Why you needed to get comfortable with being uncomfortable
- And more…
2023 featured speakers
2023 attendees included:
What our attendees say about the Forum
Vantage Infrastructure
Alex Geach, Finance Director
An excellent conference offering a wide range of relevant panel discussions and the opportunity to effectively network
NTR
Marie Joyce, Chief Financial Officer
An excellent mix of peers – never a wasted journey to this conference, learn something new and make new connections every time
StepStone Group
Stephen Penny, Partner & CIO
Great coverage of current relevant topics for COOs/CFOs with good balance between high-level intro to broader issues and deep dives into most topical issues
2023 Agenda
Last year’s agenda was built through consultation with influential finance and operations leaders in private equity and venture capital. The topics covered improved processes and practices within your firm, including:
- Effectively managing your portfolio
- Staying on top of the latest regulatory initiatives
- Finding and retaining top talent
- Navigating the future of carried interest
Agenda
Day 1 - Tuesday 14th
Registration & coffee
Invite-only women’s CFO & COO networking breakfast
Chairperson’s Welcome Address
Adam Smallman, Director of Membership Programmes, PEI
Operational imperatives- CFO/COO top priorities for the next 12 months
- The future of fund management over the next decade, key themes and practical issues influencing their role.
- Key factors CFOs/COOs consider vital to their strategy for accelerating their organization’s growth
- Overriding implications of SVB collapse- what does it mean for the industry?
Moderator: Nicholas Clapham, Senior Vice President, Global Head of Sales (Alternatives), State Street
Panellists:
Alan Chu, Partner, Finance & Operations Director, Beechbrook Capital
Nisha Raghavan, COO, Actis
Chris Heyworth, Group CFO, BC Partners
Aaron Kienwald, Chief Operating Officer, Oakley Capital
PEI Presentation: The Private Funds CFO Insights Survey 2024
Evie Taylor, Research Manager, PEI
Navigating challenges in a rising rates and inflationary climate
- In a high interest rate environment is alternatives still looking attractive in general?
- Managing liquidity in the current economic environment. What are investors return rate horizon across private markets?
- How is this market moving forward in the new age of fewer exit possibilities & higher interest rates?
- How are CFOs and COOs making sense of the higher rates environment?
Moderator: James Duffield, Group Head of Business Development, Aztec Group
Panellists:
Jesper Soderberg, CFO, Nordic Capital
Raffael Rupprechter, Principal & CFO, CONSTELLATION CAPITAL AG
Phillipe Renauld, Group CFO, Sienna Investment Managers
Philippe Renauld
Group Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, Sienna Investment Managers
Read bioFireside chat: Future of Carried interest
- Carried Interest – Current purpose and motivation
- How has Carry evolved?
- What do we see in terms of variations on classic carry models?
- What next for carry?
Moderator: Simon Shipgood, Regional Director, EMEA, EWM Global
Panellists: Karen Sands, Chief Operating Officer, Federated Hermes
Networking coffee break
Accelerating ESG and meeting investor demands
- Is standardisation in reporting (managing and measuring ESG data) good for the industry?
- How are funds managing the latest investor demands in areas such as ESG?
- SFDR- is it fit for purpose for private funds?
Moderator: Charles Avery, Reporter, New Private Markets
Panellists:
Claire Hedley, ESG Director, 17Capital
Joanne Butler, COO & Head of Investor Relations, Dunport Capital
Anne Sheedy, CFO & ESG Advisor, Bowmark Capital
Niamh Whooley, Managing Director, Head of Sustainable Investing, Pemberton Asset Management
In-Focus Fireside chat: LP Secondaries & Liquidity
- Is there a wall of LP secondaries waiting to be transacted?
- Should we expect a further sale of LP stakes to secondary funds?
Moderator: Adam Le, Senior Editor EMEA, PEI
Panellists:
Malcolm Goddard, COO & CFO, Zetland Capital
Jason Howard, CFO & COO, Headway Capital Partners
Panel: Cultivating and retaining human talent in a competitive market
- What are the top talent management goals for private fund managers?
- How are you approaching the war for talent and shortage of personell?
Moderator: Stuart Paterson, Director, Allbyn
Panellists:
Debojit Mukherjee, COO, Agilitas Private Equity
Thomas Lack, COO & CFO, All Seas Capital
Neha Mittal, VP Europe, Viola Credit
Lunch and networking break
Portfolio Management
- Best ways to demonstrate exceptional portfolio management to end investors
- Best tools to quantity alpha in portfolios and predict future liquidity risks?
Moderator: Graham Bippart, Editor, PEI Media
Panellists:
Steven Dunne, Partner, Frog Capital
James Smith, Head of Operations & Finance, ARA Venn
Alexander Plenk, Head of HR, Finance& Capital Markets, creditshelf
Navigating a changing regulatory and compliance environment
- SEC registration reporting requirements and updates to policies.
- Regulatory developments and taxonomy issues that private fund managers need to keep on top of.
- Operations and regulation- how do they work together?
- Impact of ELTIF regulation on retailization
Moderator: Pat Shea, Partner, UK Regulatory Advisory, ACA Group
Panellists:
Victoria Sherliker, Chief Compliance Officer, Stafford Capital Partners
Joshua Cherry-Seto, Partner & CFO, Startup Health
Valuation challenges in changing times
- How are valuation methods and processes changing across private assets?
- Which procedures should be in place to mitigate risk?
Moderator: Richard Urban, Director, Rivington Pike
Panellists:
Bijal Patel, Managing Director, Fund Services, Actis
Nick Latner, Finance Director, HG Capital
Matthew Maguire, Director, Finance and Investor Relations, Park Square Capital
Mitigating emerging cyber risks and the CFO/COO strategy
- How to successfully balance risk without paralyzing operational teams that are trying to grow?
- How have operational teams joined with legal and compliance to mitigate risks?
- How has the SVB collapse reiterated the problem of opportunistic cyber threats?
Moderator: Simon Eyre, Chief Information Security Officer, Drawbridge
Panellists:
Julia Lassarat, Finance Director, MV Credit
Patricia Hamel, Chief Operating Officer, Kester Capital
Best practices for fund set-up
- Key factors driving and influencing advisor appointmuient decisions, choice of fund domicile, and the key fund establishment challenges CFO/COOs are facing.
- Assessing liquidity risks
Moderator: Adam Smallman, Director of Membership Programmes, PEI
Panellists:
Sandeep Giroud, Finance Director, Ashgrove Capital
Amandeep Johal, Senior Adviser
Data analytics: Why it’s the golden era of data
- Implementing an effective
data strategy to create better firm visibility - Impact of unifying disparate data and embracing predictive analytics on operational performance
- Best tools to capitalize on value-creation opportunities
Moderator: Henry Kwok, Fund Controller, Orchard Global
Panellists:
Andreas Koukos, Chief Financial Officer & Executive Director, Brook Lane Capital
Sahem Gulati, Private Assets Capability Lead, Strategy & Consulting, M&G Investments
Tom Richardson, Director- Account Management, Allvue Systems
Networking coffee break
Debate: To outsource or not to outsource- When, where and how?
- Key areas for outsourcing and what makes for an effective outsourcing partnership.
- When is it better to do it inhouse?
- How do you balance cost and efficiency?
Moderator: Patrick McCullagh, Managing Director, Sales: Europe & North America, Alter Domus
Panellists:
Rob Shaw, Partner & CFO, Apera Asset Management
Ted Frith, Chief Operating Officer, GLIL Infrastructure
Stephan Plagemann, CFO, Head of MSPA, Mount Street
Off the record - Audience roundtable discussions
- The role of data sourcing and data management to support asset verification
- How to fundraise in a tough environment facilitated by Neil Brown, Head of Capital Formation, Low Carbon
- Managing investor due diligence process facilitated by Cameron Price, Chief Operating Officer, Vantage Infrastructure
- Handling large scale integration challenges facilitated by Sahem Gulati, Private Assets Capability Lead, Strategy & Consulting, M&G Investments
- Democratisation of the private funds market
- The demand for NAV and hybrid financing facilitated by Neil Smith, Chief Financial Officer, Castleforge
- Balancing in house finance teams, 3rd party admins and having the right financing software facilitated by Agne Raulinaitiene, Director of Finance, Silverfleet Capital
Networking reception
Agenda
Day 2 - Wednesday 15th
Registration & Coffee
CFOs & COOs in Private equity (GPs only)
Facilitated by Joshua Cherry-Seto, Partner & CFO, Startup Health
CFOs & COOs in Private debt (GPs only)
Facilitated by Alexander Plenk, Head of HR, Finance& Capital Markets, creditshelf
CFOS & COOs in Infrastructure (GPs only)
Facilitated by Alex Geach, Finance Director, Vantage Infrastructure
CFOs & COOs in Real estate (GPs only)
Facilitated by Melinda Knatchbull, CFO, Sellar
CFOs & COOs in Service providers (GPs only)
Chairperson’s day 2 welcome remarks
Adam Smallman, Director of Membership Programmes, PEI
Keynote Address: The Art of Inclusion
Emma Cashmore, DE&I Director, International, ex Meta
Fireside chat: Managing risk in an ever-changing environment
- Why do private credit funds need to be more mindful of sanctions?
- Conducting due diligence in the current sanctions environment.
Moderator: Richard Urban, Director, Rivington Pike
Panellists:
Chaim Langer, Chief Operating Officer, Vintage Funds, Goldman Sachs Asset Management
Networking break
Keeping up with technology integration in private markets
- Key technology implementations to drive automation
- Leveraging the opportunities of artificial intelligence and mitigating its risks
- Which focal areas are you seeing new investment ?
- Which technology benefits do CFO/COOs place most value on?
Moderator: Priyanka Lilaramani, CEO & Founder, Truealpha
Panellists:
Richard Kirkby, CFO, Veld Capital
Richard Blakesley, CEO and Founder, Capital Pilot
Manoj Jain, Director – Group Finance Operations, 3i Group
Jeremy Hocter, Managing Director, Holland Mountain
Debate: Adapting to new company sizes- small, mid and large cap
- Strategies to future proof target operating models
- How do the operational challenges compare across size?
- What does it mean to be a Large cap CFO vs emerging and small scale manager? How do you compete with larger players?
- Is it harder for smaller funds to spread out CFO capabilities over investor relations, compliance, ESG etc.?
Moderator: Graham Bippart, Editor, PEI Media
Panellists:
Tom Seymour-Mead, CFO, Signal Capital Partners
Simon Hirtzel, General Partner & COO, IQ Capital
Chairperson's closing remarks
Adam Smallman, Director of Membership Programmes, PEI
Networking lunch & end of conference
Pre-Event Resources
2023 Speakers
Contact Hannah Ogun at hannah.o@pei.group for speaking opportunities in 2024.
Philippe Renauld
Group Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, Sienna Investment Managers
Connect with a community of CFOs, COOs and senior finance executives
The Private Funds CFO Europe Forum offers a unique opportunity for providers to engage and connect with senior compliance professionals in the private equity sector through thought leadership, networking, and more.
For exclusive sponsorship packages for 2024, contact Josh Stoller at joshua.s@pei.group or call +1 646 970 3923.
2024 Sponsors
Where CFOs, COOs and CCOs connect, learn and grow
Drive success through the Network
The Private Funds CFO Network provides senior finance, operations, and compliance professionals in private markets an exclusive hub to connect, learn, and grow year-round.
By joining the Network, you’ll gain access to a community of peers actively seeking solutions to shared challenges, along with our year-round series of networking events, regular peer meetups, and monthly meetings led by industry experts, providing opportunities to earn CPE credits.
Got questions? Our membership team is here to help!
Monthly meetings
From risk management to AI and automation, members can catch up on timely topics every month with peers.
Member Circles
Connect with like-minded peers in your field, such as Women, Emerging Managers, Venture Capital and more.
Executive Coaching
The Network offers five free hours of virtual executive coaching with our vetted coaches.
Think Tanks
Extend the in-depth discussion of monthly meetings, or ad-hoc topics need to be discussed.
In-person meetups
Local members gather regularly to catch up and connect.
Earn CPE credits
The Network offers 20+ CPE credits throughout the year.