International
Operating Partners Forum: Europe London 2023
17 - 18 May 2023,
Hilton Tower Bridge, London
The largest European event for private equity value creation
Private Equity International’s Operating Partners Forum Europe is the largest European event dedicated to operating partners. The 12th annual event focuses on best practices in private equity portfolio operations and value creation across all functional business areas.
The operating partner community will discuss the best strategies to deliver value and growth at a critical time in the economic cycle in London, this May.
Attendees build lasting relationships and compare best practices with their peers through the new interactive style of the agenda with more operating partners-only sessions than ever before. The Forum helps you foster business relationships and influence the future of value creation models with extended opportunities to network with key players in the industry.
What will attendees experience at the Operating Partners Forum?
Event content designed for value creation
The content focuses on working with and scaling portfolio companies at a crucial time. Featuring sessions on the evolution of value creation, developing a world class value creation team, making boards effective, the future of work and practical insights into key areas of value creation.
Build a valuable network
Attendees connect with industry participants within all functional areas of value creation and benefit from a truly international event. Attendees benefit from in-person networking with think tanks, interactive workshops, networking breaks, evening drinks reception, roundtable discussions and invite-only breakfasts.
Hear from Operating Partners
Attendees hear from 100+ operating partners on the most important topics. Past speakers included representatives from BC Partners, Carlyle Group, CDPQ, CVC Capital Partners, Hg, PAI Partners, InvestCorp, KKR Capstone, Partners Group and many more.
2023 agenda highlights
- Think Tanks for operating partners only – led by operating partners, these dynamic discussions allow you to learn and share how to best position yourself in your career as a PE operating partner
- Evolving and adapting your value creation strategy in a more challenging economic environment
- Building an effective talent function for your PE firms and portfolio companies
- The modern CFO: optimizing finance during challenging economic times
- Developing a world class value creation team – comparing different operating models
- Women in PE portfolio operations lunch discussion (invitation-only for operating partners)
- Leveraging technology for value creation in the current environment
Meet the largest European operating partner network
2023 Speakers
Testimonials from attendees
Attendee of the forum
As my first Operating Partners Forum event, I found it incredibly valuable to spend time with operating partners in other funds and discuss the opportunities an…
Attendee of the forum
Great operating partner attendees, content, and networking. This is a crucial event for monitoring the pulse of European private equity.
Attendee of the forum
The exchange of ideas between operating partners and their advisors, CEOs, and board members, brought useful insights and re-energised me.
Attendee of the forum
As my first Operating Partners Forum event, I found it incredibly valuable to spend time with operating partners in other funds and discuss the opportunities and challenges that our portfolio companies are facing. It was also helpful to be introduced to a wide range of advisors who have the experience to support management team. I will be attending next year!
Our leading advisory board
Maria Carradice
Managing Director
Mayfair Equity Partners
Ralph Friedwagner
Managing Director & Operating Partner
CDPQ
Will Harman
Principal, Margin Practice Lead
Apax Partners
Celine Infeld
Operating Partner
Investcorp
Esther Nayyar
Managing Director, Due Diligence & Value Creation
ICG
Tony O’Carroll
Managing Director and Head of Investment-Ops team
SVPGlobal
Alex Kesseler
Partner – Performance Improvement
Antin Infrastructure Partners
Lisa Weaver-Lambert
Data and Digital Operating Partner
Independent
The Operating Partners Forum: Europe
For more information on our 2023 agenda, please contact Charles Gould.
charles.g@peimedia.com | +44 (0)203 879 3893
View our 2023 agenda
Agenda
Operating Partners Forum: Europe - Day 1 - Wednesday 17th
Registration and breakfast
Think tanks for full-time operating partners: value creation war room (invitation-only)
This closed-door discussion will allow you to learn and share strategies together with your operating partner peers. It will also allow you to submit topics to be discussed in value creation:
Room 1 Emerging Operating Partners (1-3 years in PE)
Room 2 Advanced Operating Partners
PEI’s welcome and chairman’s opening remarks
Building agility in the current economy: the next chapter of the value creation playbook
- Value creation playbooks in a recessionary/inflationary environment: how is this impacting strategy?
- Maintaining a growth mindset to navigate through instability and build sustainable EBITDA
- Lessons learned from other downturns: what has PE done historically to deal with recessions?
- How is PE investing its time and resources during these difficult times: what are the real challenges and opportunities?
CEO Perspective—How Operating Partners Can Earn the Right to Help
- Why are some CEOs reluctant to engage with Operating Partners?
- What are the do’s and don’ts for earning the trust of CEOs and leadership teams?
- How have successful Operating Partners found ways to become relevant and earn the right to help?
Facilitator: Jim Corey, Managing Partner, Blue Ridge Partners

The evolution of operating models in European private equity
- To what extent has economic disruption changed how funds are structuring their teams?
- Making the “magic quadrant” work: how the deal partner, operating partner, CEO, and board can work together to deliver value creation
- Comparing team designs eg functional vs. generalist
- How best to engage with portfolio companies
Keynote session: US Operating Partner perspectives on the evolution of value creation in North America
This unique session will feature the views of two prominent North American operating partners as they discuss how the operating model is developing in North American private equity
Networking break
Interactive Working Group 1 (for operating partners only) - How to approach tech during a downturn
This session will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
How to approach tech during a downturn
- How the profile of tech-spending changes during a downturn?
- Knowing where to spend when budgets are being cutback
- How to transform from problem solving to maximizing value in the years to come
Interactive Working Group 2 (for operating partners only) - Working with portfolio companies on revenue growth
This session will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
Working with portfolio companies on revenue growth
- How to persuade CEOs to make changes to the revenue model
- Overcoming friction with CEOs and management team
- How to earn the right to help on revenue growth
Interactive Working Group 3 (for operating partners only) - Aligning management teams and employees around the value creation plan
This session will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
Aligning management teams and employees around the value creation plan
- Incentivising management teams during longer hold periods and planning for exits during economic turmoil
- Assessing if management have the capabilities to deliver: signs to know when they don’t
- Organisational effectiveness: ensuring employees understand their role
Networking Lunch
Practical approaches for operating partners to improve the linkage between ESG and value creation
- Where to find genuine value enhancement in sustainability
- Role of ESG data: How are GPs standing up efficient and insightful ESG tracking across the portfolio?
- How closely should operating partners work with sustainability heads?
Strategically managing pricing in an inflationary and recessionary environment
- Uncovering how pricing is a key element of organic growth in a recessionary/inflationary environment in looking at market, market share, consolidation
- Implementing urgent and opportunistic pricing changes in current times
- Looking at inflation and current opportunity for different industries

Building a culture of innovation in portfolio companies
- Best practice in driving innovation through people: equipping management teams to create an innovative and entrepreneurial environment
- Making best use of technology and tools to deliver value
- How to deliver innovation in a downturn
Unlocking cloud transformations for value creation
- Cloud transformation external and internal business aspects: how to handle it with your portcos
- Leveraging the cloud for security, scalability, and reliability
- Create value through cost optimization and product modernization using Cloud
Managing supply chains during times of disruption
- What are businesses doing to enhance resilience in their supply chains?
- Managing costs at a time of inflation vs. ensuring reliable supply chains
- Examples of supply chain management that worked through the pandemic
Building an effective talent function for your PE firms
- Where to recruit in-house talent execs from
- What makes a great PE talent partner/human capital operating partner team?
- Rapid acceleration of the talent value creation plan: sharing what must be done
Cybersecurity: operating partners share war stories & tips
- Ensuring you have the right controls in place and how to respond to an attack
- Setting up a centralised Security Operations Centre (SOC) across your portfolio
- Picking a security tool when there are so many: advice on where to go

Go-To-Market levers during a recession
- Gaining insight and momentum during due diligence
- Pricing – picking up quick wins and bringing sales teams with you
- Channels – diversifying routes to market
HR best practice: addressing the biggest risk and inhibiter to growth
- Why is HR excellence often ignored during value creation?
- Recruitment & retention during a time of inflation and labour shortage
- What can companies do to increase efficiencies of recruitment?
Fireside chat: Driving value through technology
- Accelerating ROI on tech investment with data driven tech delivery
- Enabling portco technology delivery teams to become more data-led
- Case studies from the hg portfolio

Value creation for the mid-market in a more challenging environment
- What different operating models exist for the mid-market?
- Exploring the dynamic between management teams, deal teams and operating teams
- Which levers are most important for the mid-market?
Human capital due diligence in private equity
- How to implement talent due diligence
- Challenges in assessing management teams and talent at all levels
- What tools and resources are most effective in executing talent due diligence?
Networking break
Interactive Working Group 4 (for operating partners only)
This session will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
Working with CFOs: operating partners share dos and don’ts
- Building a productive relationship with CFOs throughout the investment
- How to partner with a CFO during challenging times for the company
- Operating partners exchange war stories of challenging relationships
Interactive Working Group 5 (for operating partners only) - Long-term digital strategy, how it becomes integrated
This session will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
Long-term digital strategy, how it becomes integrated
- How technology can be used for originating deals and during due diligence
- Working with management teams to set long-term IT goals for technology companies
- Putting digital strategy at the core of the fund
Interactive Working Group 6 (for operating partners only) - Never let a crisis go to waste: how to prosper over the next 18 months
This session will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
Never let a crisis go to waste: how to prosper over the next 18 months
- The increased importance of agility throughout the value chain in challenging times
- Maintaining a growth mindset: where are opportunities and how to realise them?
- Deciding where to invest and where to hold back
End of day and cocktail reception
Agenda
Operating Partners Forum: Europe - Day 2 - Thursday 18th
Registration and breakfast
Breakfast deep dive discussion (invitation-only for operating partners)
Think tanks for full-time operating partners: value creation war room (invitation-only)
This closed-door discussion will allow you to learn and share best practices of successful operating partners. The think tank will allow you to select one of the rooms by functional area:
Room 1 Digital and Technology Operating Partners
Room 2 Human Capital/Talent Operating Partners
Chairman’s welcome
Driving organization effectiveness in a challenging economic environment
- How digitisation can help with driving efficiencies
- Creating new opportunities for a competitive advantage during economic disruption
- What can be learnt from businesses who thrived through covid?
- Case studies of companies who have done things right
100-day plans for value creation: operating partner views
- How does the 100-day plan change in a recessionary environment?
- Why starting quickly is even more important during times of uncertainty
- Outlining some of the challenges with engaging management teams in the first 100-days
- How to prioritize and identify the most important value creation areas to focus on
Utilising data throughout the investment process
- Tips for mid-market firms without data specialists
- Getting ahead of the game on data during due diligence
- What are the 10 questions you should ask?
- Turning data into an asset at your portfolio company

How boards should react to a crisis: a case study
This unique session will highlight how a board should react in a crisis situation. A case study will be presented of an issue of huge importance to the running of PE backed business. The panelists will be made up with experts with experience in different board positions including an operating partner with board experience
Networking break
Interactive Working Group 7 (for operating partners only) - Optimising revenue through sales, marketing & customer success during a downturn
This session will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
Optimising revenue through sales, marketing & customer success during a downturn
- Strategies for operating partners to drive sustainable growth through turbulence
- What it means to have a shared methodology through the different functions
- Developing an action plan through all parts of the company
Interactive Working Group 8 (for operating partners only) - Integrating new acquisitions to ensure success
This session will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
Integrating new acquisitions to ensure success
- How involved should operating partners be?
- Ensuring culture and talent align throughout the process
- Managing integration of technology
Interactive Working Group 9 (for operating partners only) - Human capital strategy throughout investment lifecycle
This session will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
Human capital strategy throughout investment lifecycle
- How to measure the people side of the deal
- Reducing new portfolio company onboarding times – and gaining faster traction towards delivering on the investment thesis
- Preventing costly organizational derailments during the hold period
Networking Lunch
Women in PE portfolio operations lunch (invitation-only for operating partners)
This closed-door lunch discussion will explore what it’s like being a woman in PE and VC portfolio operations:
- Uncovering what being a woman operating partner means and how to be successful in your role
- What are the issues causing a disparity in genders?
- Exploring career paths, development, and how to position yourself as female leaders
- Is your firm focused on women’s leadership at portfolio companies?
- Does your company have any specific programs, leadership coaching and assessments geared towards promoting women’s leadership?
- Are there any changes in recruiting that will create a more equal playing field?
- Looking at trends and stats in gender in PE and VC
The CFO role during an economic downturn
- Recession-proof your portfolio companies
- Transforming finance from a cost-center into a value-creation engine
- Looking at effective ways to mitigate risk across the portfolio
Tech and talent: attracting and retaining top talent in the current environment
- Has the tide turned with tech companies making cutbacks?
- Are there signs of more talent available?
- Is there an opportunity to double down on tech talent?
Operational excellence stories explained by the participants
Three award winning private equity firms will present a case study of a successful investment. Attendees will vote on the most impressive of the three case studies

Women in PE & VC portfolio operations panel: revealing key talking points from the event’s closed-door lunch discussion
For the very first time, this insightful panel will reveal the key discussion points from the event’s closed-door women’s lunch discussion with the entire audience. Please join the main room to learn what matters most to the industry and how progress can be achieved.
Closing remarks and end of conference
Networking with Europe’s leading Operating Partner community
The 12th annual forum returns to London this May. The event welcomes 300+ value creation operating partners and expert advisors for two days of networking at the must-attend event for anyone involved in value creation in private equity. Attendees get an opportunity to meet our expansive European operating community to discuss strategies, hear new perspectives, and enlarge their networks.
Attendees participate in an agenda packed with in-person networking opportunities throughout the two-day event. The Forum includes interactive Q&As, think tanks, roundtables, networking breaks, an evening drinks reception, and meeting with fellow operating partners during closed-door operating partner only sessions.
PRE-CONFERENCE NETWORKING
Tuesday, May 16
Operating Partners Forum Europe Welcome Reception (invitation-only)
18:30-21:30
Venue: Tower Bridge Walkways
Join the operating partners attending the Europe Forum in a casual gathering to see old friends and meet new operating partners.
DAY 1 RECEPTION
Wednesday, May 17
Operating Partners Forum Europe Day 1 Networking Reception
17:40-18:30
Venue: Hilton Tower Bridge, London
A casual cocktail reception to chat with your operating partner peers at the end of the first day of the Forum.
DAY 2 BREAKFAST AND LUNCH
Thursday May 18
Europe Forum Deep Dive Breakfast (operating partners only)
7:45-8:30
Venue: Hilton Tower Bridge, London
This breakfast deep dive discussion designed solely for operating partners will focus on key themes in value creation.
Women in PE and VC Portfolio Operations Lunch (invitation-only)
13:00-14:00
Venue: Hilton Tower Bridge, London
This closed-door lunch discussion will explore what it’s like being a woman in PE and VC portfolio operations.
Sponsored by:
Featured interactive discussions & networking opportunities
Think Tank Sessions
The closed-door session led by operating partners for operating partners only will allow you to engage in lively discussions with your peers. The thinks tanks will also allow you to submit topics to be covered in looking at the best value creation practices.
Interactive Working Groups
These exclusive deep dive discussions only available to operating partners allow you to participate in interactive roundtable discussions with designated facilitators.
Meet the largest European operating partner network:
Testimonials from attendees
Company
Attendee of the forum
As my first Operating Partners Forum event, I found it incredibly valuable to spend time with operating partners in other funds and discuss the opportunities an…
Attendee of the forum
Great operating partner attendees, content, and networking. This is a crucial event for monitoring the pulse of European private equity.
Attendee of the forum
The exchange of ideas between operating partners and their advisors, CEOs, and board members, brought useful insights and re-energised me.
Company
Attendee of the forum
As my first Operating Partners Forum event, I found it incredibly valuable to spend time with operating partners in other funds and discuss the opportunities and challenges that our portfolio companies are facing. It was also helpful to be introduced to a wide range of advisors who have the experience to support management team. I will be attending next year!
Pre-Event Resources
View the 2023 speakers

Franck Abadia
Managing Director, Operating Team, LBO France

Alejandro Alcalde Rasch
Senior Director - Portfolio Support, APS Advisory

Gilad G. Amir
Digital Operating Partner, Pollen Street Capital

Matt J Baird
Managing Director, Operations & Strategy, OMERS Private Equity Europe Limited

Andrei Balta
Senior Director, Portfolio Support Group, Advent International

Riccardo Basile
Operating Partner, Permira

Victor Benazech
Investment Director, Three Hills Capital Partners

Streisan Bevan
Director, Specialist – Customer Insight and Sales Effectiveness, Mayfair Equity Partners

Marc Bielitza
Director, Deutsche Private Equity

Philip Borbély
COO, Private Assets AG

Jim Corey
Managing Partner, Blue Ridge Partners

Guillaume de Montchalin
Managing Director - Portfolio Performance, Eurazeo

Rob Dembitz
Investment Partner, Mirovia

Polly Firman
Associate, Sustainability, Actis

Ralph Friedwagner
Managing Director and Operating Partner, CDPQ London

Dominic Gallello
Managing Director, Bridgepoint

Miles Graham
Operating Partner, Operating Partners Group

Christopher Harwood
Operating Partner– Apollo Portfolio Performance Solutions, Apollo

Alex Kesseler
Partner – Performance Improvement, Antin Infrastructure Partners

Sachin Korantak
Partner, Conditor Capital

James Markham
Senior Partner - Portfolio Management, Graphite Capital

Kate Migliaro
Global Head of Portfolio Talent, Searchlight Capital Partners

Esther Nayyar
Managing Director, Due Diligence and Value Creation, ICG

Tony O'Carroll
Head of Investment-Ops Team and Managing Director, SVPGlobal

Charlie Ponsonby
Co-founder and CEO, Plandek

Benjamin Puche
Director Value Creation & Sustainability, Paragon Partners

Duncan Ramsay
Partner, ECI Partners

Robin Rowland OBE
Partner & Chair Rosas, Pho & Thunderbird, Trispan

Suzie Ruffley
Managing Director, Global Head of People & Sustainable Culture, Foresight Group

Wessel Schevernels
Operating Partner, PATRIZIA Infrastructure

Chris Smith
Partner, Leathwaite

Christian Trümpler
Member of Management, Operating Directors & Entrepreneurial Governance, Partners Group

Lisa Weaver-Lambert
Data and Digital Portfolio Executive, Independent

Emma Winter
Director, Value Creation, Graphite Capital

Jasper zu Putlitz
Operating Partner, Triton Partners
Connect with a community of expert operating partners and C-level executives
PEI’s Operating Partners Forums are a unique blend of networking, collaboration and thought leadership between private equity operating partners, portfolio operations teams and sponsors. Each venue is custom designed to encourage conversation about value creation best practices, relationship building and knowledge sharing across functional areas on the most pressing issues facing their investment and portfolio companies. Access to the Forum is limited to operating partners/value creation experts from private equity, and sponsoring firms.
For more information on ways to engage with PEI’s Operating Partners community, please contact Lawrence Dvorchik at lawrence.d@pei.group or call on +1 (646) 545-4429