Private Equity
International
International
Operating Partners Forum New York 2021
20 - 21 October 2021,
Convene, 117 W 46th St, New York
COVID-19 vaccination requirements
As part of our commitment to safety at the Operating Partners Forum New York and in accordance with New York City and venue COVID-19 guidelines, we are requiring that all attendees must provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination status prior to checking into the event at Convene, 117 W 46th St, New York.
To expediate this process, PEI Media and Convene will be using Health Pass by CLEAR, which provides a secure, digital proof of COVID-related health insights via the CLEAR mobile app. Complete your health screening with Health Pass by CLEAR ahead of time for expedited check-in and entry. We will not be accepting NYC COVID Safe App and Excelsior Pass as a form of record of vaccination at the event. All attendees will receive the event specific Health Pass registration code prior to the event.
The largest global event for private equity value creation
Private Equity International’s Operating Partners Forum New York is the world’s largest event dedicated to operating partners. The 11th annual event is focused on best practices in private equity portfolio operations and value creation across all functional business areas.
Join the operating partner community to discuss and debate the best reset strategies to deliver maximum portfolio growth post-crisis this October in-person in New York City.
Extensive opportunities to network, compare best practices, build new relationships and influence the future of value creation models make this an event not to be missed.
Create the most operationally efficient portfolio companies
Hear first-hand perspectives on how to further develop your operational efficiencies by looking at successful models.
Network with top value creators
Meet with the largest community of operational experts in one place over 2 days.
Learn key strategies for cross-portfolio initiatives
Find the right tools and knowledge to create value.
2021 agenda
The 2021 agenda is carefully curated to feature the most prominent functional areas in value creation for your portfolio companies. Click the headings below for a snapshot of some of the top features you’ll find in the agenda:
Value Creation
- One hour invitation-only think tanks each day for operating partners to select:
- advanced/seasoned operating partners
- emerging operating partners
- human capital operating partners
- digital operating partners
- How operating teams work best with investment teams
- Operating partner models post COVID-19: what will the future of value creation look like?
- Governance – selecting and managing boards as a value creation lever
- Effective value creation strategies for carveouts and M&As
- The archetype of a world class operating team
Revenue Growth
- The future of sales: virtual sales best practices and the impact of virtual workforces
- Uncovering the most important GTM levers
- Leveraging customer success initiatives for growth
- Uncovering revenue growth stories and early warning signs with operating partners
- Developing a successful ecommerce strategy in an increasingly digital world
Human Capital
- Human capital operating partners think tank: a one hour value creation war room led by and exclusively for operating partners
- Big data & workforce analytics
- What will the future role of the human capital operating partner look like?
- Talent acquisition, development, and assessment best practices in the post-COVID world
- Integrating culture for success
- Accelerating management team performance post transaction
- The future of human capital and virtual workforces: what lies ahead
Technology
- Digital and technology operating partners think tank: a one hour value creation war room led by and exclusively for operating partners
- Digital transformations: how things will change
- Dissecting cost structures and customer interaction via technology
- Advanced data science to govern the business throughout the investment life-cycle
- Leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning for value creation
- Cybersecurity in the modern age: dos and don’ts
Supply Chain & Procurement
- Navigating supply chain disruptions and post-COVID best practices
- Impact of technologies and today’s fast paced e-commerce on your supply chain
- Supply chain cost optimization: individual company vs. cross-portfolio programs
- Procurement transformations in the first 100 days
Finance
- Add-on acquisition readiness: adding value through the finance function
- How can PE best support portco CFOs?
- Transforming finance from a cost-center into a value-creation engine
- Identifying, attracting, and recruiting top CFO talent
- Enabling a data-driven CFO
2021 Speakers
Firms attending the Operating Partners Forum New York
What our attendees say
The Operating Partners Forum is a fantastic 2 days where thought leaders share best practices and key learnings in a collaborative and transparent fashion. I al…
I find this conference the best way to network with my peers in the operating partner community. The quality of attendees and dialog is outstanding and always h…
For a new Operating Partner in PE the conference was an invaluable accelerator in my learning process of the key challenges and opportunities in the space.
The Operating Partners Forum is a fantastic 2 days where thought leaders share best practices and key learnings in a collaborative and transparent fashion. I always come away from the event with new Ideas that I can put into action to deliver value back to my firm.
I find this conference the best way to network with my peers in the operating partner community. The quality of attendees and dialog is outstanding and always helps me do my job better.
2021 Speakers
For speaking opportunities, contact Marc Mele at marc.m@peimedia.com or call +1 646 581 9295.
Tracey Abbott
Senior Operating Lead, Partners Group
Tracey Abbott leads the Americas Industry Value Creation (portfolio operations) Consumer Goods and Retail team at Partners Group, an $92 B Assets under management private equity firm. She sits on three boards, ranging from food co- manufacturing to r… Read full bio
Sean Adkins
Managing Partner, Mergers and Acquisitions, West Monroe Partners
Sean has a focus on delivering value for his private equity clients across a wide range of investments. He has expertise in technology strategy through implementation, but typically operates at the intersection of technology and operations, given tha… Read full bio
Aswatha Amarnath
Senior Vice President, Strategic Engagements and Sales Strategy, Wipro
Aswatha Amarnath (Amar) is a Senior Vice President at Wipro. He has global responsibilities for sales and go-to-market functions. This includes leadership for large & complex deals globally, Wipro’s sales operations, responsible for Private Equit… Read full bio
Geoffrey Baird
Independent Operating Partner
Geoff Baird is a Senior Operating Advisor for LLR Partners in the technology sector. Working as a consultant he leverages extensive experience assisting sourcing of new investments and driving growth in their technology portfolio businesses. Previous… Read full bio
Bob Barthelmes
Managing Director, Portfolio Operations, Blackstone
Bob Barthelmes is an Managing Director in the Portfolio Operations group, providing strategic support and advice to the firm’s investment teams and portfolio companies with a focus on technology, operations, and digital transformation. Before joining… Read full bio
Anish Batlaw
Operating Partner, General Atlantic
Anish Batlaw is an Operating Partner at General Atlantic and leads the firm’s human capital effort as part of the firm’s Operations Group. Anish and his team help the firm’s portfolio companies develop best-in-class management teams and provide suppo… Read full bio
Jarrad Berman
Vice President, Digital Transformation, TZP Group
Jarrad Berman joined TZP Group in September 2019. Prior to TZP, he was the Global Head of Ecommerce Marketing at Facebook. At Facebook, Jarrad worked with Fortune 500 companies and digital disruptors across ecommerce, retail, tech/telco, restaurants,… Read full bio
Ted Bililies
Managing Director and Chief Talent Officer, AlixPartners
Ted is an internationally-recognized expert on leadership and organization development. He advises investors, CEOs, and boards globally to help them position the right leaders for key roles and to support those leaders and teams for maximal value cre… Read full bio
Kristin Brown Patrick
Senior Operating Partner, Human Capital, New State Capital Partners
Kristin joined New State Capital Partners in 2019 as Senior Operating Partner, Human Capital with more than 25 years of hands-on growth strategy, executive search, talent acquisition and talent development experience. The bulk of Kristin’s career has… Read full bio
Matt Brubaker
CEO, FMG Leading
Throughout his career, Dr. Matt Brubaker has advised executive leaders and teams in a variety of areas, including senior leadership development, conflict resolution, and large-scale organizational assessment and change. An expert in sustainable trans… Read full bio
Wendy Buxton
President, LynnCo Supply Chain Solutions
Wendy Buxton, President, has an established reputation in diverse industries for excelling growth of organizations through corporate vision, strategic planning, and the power of effective leadership. Ms. Buxton's career as an executive level strategi… Read full bio
Andy Caine
Partner, Human Capital, Frazier Healthcare Partners
Andy is a Partner at Frazier Healthcare where he focuses on pre-investment organizational due diligence, talent assessment and development, and post-acquisition management. In addition, he has designed and help lead the firm’s diversity, equity, incl… Read full bio
Greg Carlson
Managing Director, Riveron
Greg Carlson, Managing Director at Riveron, is responsible for client service and practice development specializing in functional transformations, liquidity optimization, and transaction support. Greg brings 20 years of consulting and industry experi… Read full bio
Brian Chu
Senior Managing Director, Centerbridge Partners
Brian joined Centerbridge in 2016 and co-leads Firm’s portfolio operations team. The Portfolio Operations Team is integrated into the vertical investment teams. They start in Due Diligence, then work with the management team to set and execute the Va… Read full bio
David Cohen
Managing Director, Human Capital, Kelso & Company
David joined Kelso in 2019. He is focused on applying talent and human capital best practices to enhancing the firm’s investment process, portfolio companies and Kelso Specialist Network. He spent the preceding nine years with American Securities in… Read full bio
Jim Corey
Managing Partner, Blue Ridge Partners
Jim is co-founder of Blue Ridge Partners and serves as the firm’s managing partner. For 35 years he has assisted companies in North America, Europe and Asia accelerate profitable revenue growth. Jim has advised over 250 companies on revenue-related i… Read full bio
Steve Cumbow
Operating Partner, Sentinel Capital Partners
Steve Cumbow joined Sentinel Capital Partners as an operating partner in 2015. He has worked closely with Sentinel since 2010, when he joined one of the firm's portfolio companies as CFO. Before joining Sentinel, he was a member of the operations tea… Read full bio
Jamey Cummings
Partner – Cybersecurity and Technology, JM Search
Jamey is a Partner at JM Search and a member of the Firm’s Cybersecurity and IT Executives Practice. Jamey has more than 14 years of executive recruiting experience and is a recognized leader in advising organizations on the recruitment, assessment,… Read full bio
Adam Cummins
PMO Lead, Global Investment Resources, The Carlyle Group
Adam Cummins is a Director with West Monroe, a Management Consulting firm that helps organizations build agile operations that maximize results. For the past several years Adam has served as the PMO lead for The Carlyle Group’s Global Investment Reso… Read full bio
Jon Davies
Managing Director, Head of Talent, Lightyear Capital
Jon Davies is a Managing Director and Head of Talent at Lightyear Capital where his primary focus is managing the Senior Advisor network as well as appointing C-Suite Executives and Board members within Lightyears portfolio companies. Prior to joinin… Read full bio
Ashley Day
Chief Talent Officer, CI Capital Partners
Ashley Day, Ph.D. is the Chief Talent Officer and joined CI Capital Partners in 2019. She is dedicated to championing an overall strategy for human capital development and talent assessment across the portfolio. In her role, Ashley enables CI Capital… Read full bio
Merche del Valle
Managing Director, Chief Talent Officer & Chief HR Officer, Grain Management
Merche del Valle is a Managing Director, Chief Talent Officer and Chief HR Officer at Grain Management. She is responsible for developing a robust and diverse pipeline of leadership talent, working across Grain and portfolio companies to identify, as… Read full bio
Cory Eaves
Operating Partner, General Atlantic
Cory A. Eaves is an Operating Partner at General Atlantic, providing strategic support and advice to the firm’s investment teams and portfolio companies with a focus on technology, operations, and digital transformation. Before joining General Atlant… Read full bio
Spencer T. Farrar
Private Equity Business Development, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
In his current role at AWS, Spencer supports US-based private equity firms grow their business through the use of cloud computing and digital transformation. Prior to joining AWS in 2019, he worked at Cerberus Capital where he served as the interim C… Read full bio
Michael Farrell
Executive Vice President of Business Development, World Travel, Inc.
Michael Farrell is World Travel, Inc.’s EVP of Business Development, overseeing the company’s Sales and Marketing teams. Mike’s experience in the travel industry, which spans over 20 years, ranges from vacation and leisure travel to corporate transie… Read full bio
Michael Frain
Senior Vice President, Shared Services, Warburg Pincus
Michael Frain is based in New York, joined Warburg Pincus in 2008, leads the firm's Shared Services program, which program helps portfolio companies drive strategy and value in areas such as procurement, employee benefits, corporate insurance and rea… Read full bio
Bala Ganesan
Managing Director, Special Situations, Oaktree Capital Management
Mr. Ganesan is a Managing Director within Oaktree Capital's Special Situation/Private Equity group. He specializes in driving commercial and operational performance improvement initiatives, including turnarounds, collaboratively with management teams… Read full bio
Angela Geffre
Chief Human Resources Officer, Sun Capital Partners
Angela is the Chief Human Resources Officer for Sun Capital Advisors, where she partners with the Investment and Operating Partner teams to accelerate growth through talent. Angela’s role focuses on leading human capital initiatives for both the firm… Read full bio
Ignacio Giraldo
Partner, TPG Growth
Mr. Giraldo is a Partner with TPG Growth and TPG Rise in San Francisco. As a member of the Business Building team, he focuses his time on consumer goods, retail, the circular economy and ed-tech. Prior to joining TPG, Ignacio worked in management con… Read full bio
Daniel Goetz
Principal, Operational Excellence, Siris Capital
Mr. Goetz joined Siris Capital in 2013 and is a Managing Director, leading the firm’s Operational Excellence practice. Mr. Goetz works with management teams and operating advisors to identify, drive, and manage value creation initiatives at Siris por… Read full bio
Hannah Gräfin von Waldersee,
Vice President, Strategy and Innovation, Insight Partners
Hannah joined Insight Partners in 2021 to drive the growth of Insight and its portfolio as a strategy and innovation leader. Prior to joining Insight, Hannah worked at McKinsey & Company, Buckingham Palace, and ran a professional development star… Read full bio
Tommy Greer
Senior Vice President Enterprise Energy Solutions, Insight Sourcing Group
Tommy leads Insight Sourcing Group's Enterprise Energy & Sustainability business and has over 25 years working with national and global companies to integrate more cost-effective supply, demand-side and renewable solutions. With a history of lead… Read full bio
Doron Grosman
President and CEO, Global Container Terminals
Doron Grosman is the President and Chief Executive Officer of GCT Global Container Terminals Inc., with operations in Vancouver BC, Bayonne NJ and Staten Island NY. Doron is a seasoned multi industry executive with experience in a variety of C-suite… Read full bio
Todd Grove
Vice President, Private Equity, Quantum Health
As Vice President of Private Equity, Todd serves as the liaison between Private Equity firms, their portfolio companies, and Quantum Health. He works to educate the senior leadership teams on independent navigation and identifies opportunities for pa… Read full bio
Asheesh Gupta
Managing Director, Portfolio Support, Audax Private Equity
Asheesh is a Managing Director for Audax Private Equity, based in Boston. Prior to joining Audax in 2008, Asheesh worked as the Director of Performance Improvement and Supply Chain Management at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Prior to that,… Read full bio
Dan Hawkins
CEO, Summit Leadership Partners
Dan is the CEO and Founder of Summit Leadership Partners. He advises boards, CEO's, investors and business leaders on strategy execution and value creation through leadership and organization performance. After a successful corporate career, Dan foun… Read full bio
Kara Helander
Managing Director, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, The Carlyle Group
Kara Helander is a Managing Director and Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer. She is based in Washington, DC. Prior to joining Carlyle, Ms. Helander was a Managing Director at BlackRock where she led the firm’s global inclusion and diversity, and p… Read full bio
Michael Hennessey
Managing Director, Grant Thornton
Mike Hennessey is a Managing Director in the Financial Transformation practice of Grant Thornton located in Charlotte, NC. Mike currently leads the growth and development of Advisory Capabilities within Grant Thornton’s Transformation practice with s… Read full bio
Darren Herman
Operating Partner, Bain Capital
Mr. Herman joined Bain Capital Private Equity in 2016. He is an Operating Partner across the North American Private Equity team. Mr. Herman has worked in both the Boston and New York offices and focuses on growing our portfolio of investments through… Read full bio
Gary Hoover
Vice President, Global Supply Chain Practice, TBM Consulting Group
Gary has over 30 years of experience working as a senior operations executive, a management consultant and military officer. He currently leads TBM’s Global Private Equity practice and works closely with over 50 private equity clients and their portf… Read full bio
Jerry Hughes
Director, Commercial Excellence, American Securities
Jerry Hughes joined American Securities, where he helps portfolio companies increase revenue growth by strengthening sales and marketing capabilities, in 2018. Prior to joining American Securities, Jerry spent nine years at Blue Ridge Partners, a bou… Read full bio
Benjamin Humphreys
Senior Operating Executive, Monomoy Capital Partners
Ben is a Senior Operating Executive at Monomoy and works with our portfolio companies on revenue growth and profit improvement. Prior to joining Monomoy, Ben held several operating and CFO roles with Cerberus, Blackrock and Staple Street Capital. Ben… Read full bio
Travis Huch
Vice President Alliances, Private Equity Partners, Zuora
Mr. Huch Joined Zuora in 2008 after spending time in enterprise software and sales consulting. In sales roles and in managing customer success for North America for Zuora, he has had experience in working with many saas and technology companies of al… Read full bio
Marc Iampieri
Managing Director, AlixPartners
AlixPartners is a results-driven global consulting firm that specializes in helping businesses successfully address their most complex and critical challenges. Our clients include companies, corporate boards, law firms, investment banks, private equi… Read full bio
Prital Kadakia
Partner, Serent Capital
Prital leads the portfolio operations team for Serent Capital, working closely with the management teams at Serent portfolio companies on value-creation initiatives to drive measurable and sustained revenue and earnings impact. Prital's work with por… Read full bio
Jason Karl
Principal, Advent International
Jason Karl joined Advent in 2010 as an Associate in the Boston office focusing on buyout investments in the industrial sector. Following business school, he rejoined Advent in the New York office. Prior to Advent, Jason was an Associate Consultant at… Read full bio
Christopher Kim
Senior Vice President, Platinum Equity
Chris Kim is a Senior Vice President within Platinum Equity’s Mergers & Acquisitions Operations practice. He is responsible for evaluating Human Capital aspects of prospective additions to the Platinum Equity portfolio. Chris also has responsibil… Read full bio
Neil Kimber
Operating Principal, Accel-KKR
Neil Kimber is a Principal and Consulting CTO at Accel¬-KKR Consulting Group. Within Accel-KKR, his responsibilities include working with deal teams during technical due diligence, aiding portfolio companies with specific technology initiatives and m… Read full bio
Bill Klein
President, Consero Global
Bill is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience with technology and services organizations ranging from startups to large organizations. He is passionate about helping small and mid-size businesses reach their full potential and leverages a… Read full bio
Michael Kohlsdorf
President, Francisco Partners Consulting
Mike Kohlsdorf is the Founder and President of Francisco Partners Consulting (FPC). He is also the Co-Chairman of the Portfolio Committee and joined Francisco Partners (FP) as an Operating Partner in March of 2011. FP has raised $25 billion in commit… Read full bio
Amy Kramer
Operating Partner, Level Equity
Amy is an Operating Partner at Level Equity focused on Go-to-Market Strategy. Amy provides operational expertise to Level Equity's portfolio companies and conducts Sales and Marketing diligence for new investments. Prior to Level equity, Amy was the… Read full bio
Raj Kushwaha
Managing Director, Digital Strategy and Innovation, Operating Partner and Chief Digital Officer, Warburg Pincus
Raj Kushwaha joined Warburg Pincus in 2012 and serves as Managing Director, Operating Partner and Chief Digital Officer responsible for operations and technology diligence with prospective investments, as well as ongoing work with the firm's existing… Read full bio
Markus Lahrkamp
Managing Director, Alvarez & Marsal
Markus Lahrkamp is a Managing Director with Alvarez & Marsal. With more than 20 years of consulting experience in North America and abroad, he brings a wealth of experience in top-line growth and operational improvement of manufacturing, distribu… Read full bio
Jean-Marc Levy
Operating Partner, Edison Partners
Jean-Marc Levy is an experienced CEO and Board Member of high-growth venture- and PE-backed technology companies. He is a recognized leader in the Ethics & Compliance and Financial Services industries, with deep expertise in organizational scalab… Read full bio
Misha Logvinov
Managing Director and Head of IT Strategy, EQT Partners
Misha joined EQT in 2018 as Managing Director and Head of IT Strategy. In his role, he is advising the EQT's investment teams and portfolio companies on digital transformation. Previously, he was Group Vice President of Cloud Customer Success at Orac… Read full bio
Evan Lorch
Operating Partner, Francisco Partners Consulting
Prior to joining Francisco Partners Consulting, Evan served as Chief Financial Officer of Optanix, Inc and ShoreGroup Solutions, two of Francisco Partners’ portfolio companies. Evan has been the CFO of numerous startups and private equity backed comp… Read full bio
Harrison Lung
Partner, Portfolio Value Creation, Siris Capital
Harrison Lung joined Siris in 2021 as Partner leading the firm’s Portfolio Value Creation practice, including Operational Excellence. Mr. Lung works with Siris leadership to bring value creation best practices to the operations of the firm and its po… Read full bio
Alex Mace
Vice President, Thompson Street Capital Partners
Alex is a Vice President at Thompson Street Capital Partners (TSCP), where he is responsible for providing analytical, operational, and organizational support to TSCP’s portfolio companies. He primarily partners with portfolio companies to execute on… Read full bio
Alice Mann
Operating Partner, Human Capital, Blue Wolf Capital Partners
Dr. Alice Mann is an Operating Partner at Blue Wolf Capital Partners LLC. The Blue Wolf Capital Funds are a family of private funds which focus on transformational investments in middle market companies. For over 20 years, Dr. Mann has advised senior… Read full bio
Todd Markson
Operating Partner, Tech Opportunities, Bain Capital
Todd Markson is an Operating Partner at Bain Capital within the Tech Opportunities Fund, where he leads value creation efforts across the portfolio and partners with management teams to support their key initiatives. In addition to working across the… Read full bio
Steven Maxwell
Senior Vice President, Portfolio Human Capital, Audax Private Equity
Steve is a Senior Vice President for Audax Private Equity where he leads Portfolio Human Capital. Previously, he was the Talent Partner at Kodiak Venture Partners. Steve also worked in the executive search industry at Korn Ferry and Russell Reynolds,… Read full bio
Kunal Mehta
Principal, Portfolio Operations, TCV
Kunal joined TCV as Principal, Portfolio Operations, to stand up the Sales and Marketing Center of Excellence to accelerate value creation across the portfolio. He works with investment teams and functional leaders to develop and implement value crea… Read full bio
Marco Mendes
Head of Portfolio Support Group, North America, Advent International
Marco Mendes joined Advent in 2013. He has worked with more than 40 private equity portfolio companies during his career, 25 while at Advent. Previously, he spent seven years with Doughty Hanson, based in London, as an investment committee partner. B… Read full bio
Marc Metzner
Vice President, Alexander Group
Marc Metzner is Vice President and National Director for Alexander Group’s Private Equity practice. He works with Alexander Group’s industry teams to help PE partners unlock value and boost valuation through go-to-market (GTM)/Commercial Diligence, V… Read full bio
Kate Migliaro
Principal, Talent Management and Organizational Effectiveness, Apollo Global Management
Ms. Migliaro is a US Army Veteran with 5 years active duty experience in the Military Police Corps. During her service, Ms. Migliaro deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan supporting and building local national law enforcement capabilities. She was aw… Read full bio
Aaron Miller
Partner, Head of Portfolio Performance Solutions, Apollo Global Management
Bio coming soon...
Todd Miller
President and CEO, Risk International
Todd Miller joined Risk International in 2015 as Chief Growth Officer. By 2016 he was promoted to President and in July 2017 named CEO. As President and CEO, Todd has over 20 years of experience supporting private equity funds and their portfolio com… Read full bio
Michael Monagle
Principal, Portfolio Operations, Providence Equity
Mike Monagle is a principal at Providence Equity Partners focused on portfolio operations. Before joining Providence, Mr. Monagle was vice president of operations at Catalant Technologies, where he started and ran the solutions business including pro… Read full bio
Melissa Mounce
Managing Director, Leadership Talent and Diversity, GTCR
Melissa joined GTCR in 2019 as a Managing Director, Leadership Talent & Diversity and manages the identification and recruitment of Leaders StrategyTM CEOs and management teams. Prior to joining GTCR, Melissa was the Principal of Human Capital at… Read full bio
David Muhlenkamp
Managing Director, Head of Portfolio Operations, Lindsay Goldberg
David Muhlenkamp is a Managing Director and heads Lindsay Goldberg’s portfolio operations efforts, where he assists families, founders, and management teams to achieve their growth and value creation objectives. David brings nearly two decades of exp… Read full bio
Michelle Nasir
Chief Talent Officer, Arsenal Capital Partners
Michelle Nasir is Arsenal Capital Partners Chief Talent Officer (CTO). Michelle’s expertise includes M&A due diligence, executive coaching, succession and transition planning, senior team effectiveness, organization assessment, and diversity stra… Read full bio
Dave Noonan
Principal, National Lead of M&A Strategy Execution and Solution Development, RSM
Dave Noonan leads RSM’s national private equity consulting practice. He aligns and directly coordinates consulting delivery services to effectively serve RSM’s private equity clients and their portfolio companies. He is responsible for the developmen… Read full bio
Kevin O’Neill
Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Acertitude
Kevin is a mold-breaking entrepreneur, executive search leader, Forbes contributor, and co-founder and managing partner of Acertitude, the executive search firm unleashing human potential for global investment firms and their portfolios. Kevin’s 25-y… Read full bio
Andy Pickens
Managing Director - Data & Digital Transformation, Apollo Global Management
Mr. Pickens joined Apollo in 2018 and serves as Managing Director, Data & Digital Transformation within the Apollo Portfolio Performance Solutions team. In this capacity, Mr. Pickens works closely with investment teams and management teams to def… Read full bio
Howard Reba
Head of Portfolio Finance, CI Capital Partners
Howard Reba is the Head of Portfolio Finance and joined CI Capital Partners in 2019. Previously, Howard served as a Finance Operating Partner at Marlin Equity Partners, a global private equity firm. Prior to joining Marlin, Howard served as the CFO o… Read full bio
Donald Reed
Managing Director, Finance Transformation, PwC
A managing director in PwC’s Finance Transformation Consulting practice, Don helps private equity, banking and capital markets and insurance clients integrate ESG (Environment, Social & Governance) factors into core growth and risk management str… Read full bio
Robert Roley
Director of Portfolio Operations, TPG Capital
Robert Roley is a Director of Portfolio Operations and leads TPG's operations team for Software and Enterprise Technology investments. Robert has been involved in TPG's investments in Planview, Digital.ai, Centrify, Thycotic and Wind River. Prior to… Read full bio
Tim Sanders
Vice President of Customer Insights, Upwork
Tim leads customer insights at Upwork where he helps enterprises transform how they work through adoption of on demand talent solutions. He began his career as an early stage member of Mark Cuban's broadcast.com and, once acquired, he became the chie… Read full bio
Adam Sheffield
Chief Revenue Officer, Global Upside
Adam brings more than 15 years of experience leading sales organizations in the Professional Services market. He currently oversees the global sales organization and helps Clients navigate global workforce complexities in over 170 countries. A true e… Read full bio
Bijal Sheth
Operations Principal, Pamlico Capital
Mr. Sheth joined Pamlico in 2021. He supports development and execution of value creation plans. Prior to joining Pamlico, Mr. Sheth worked for Vista Equity Partners’ operations team providing diligence and go to market advisory services to portfolio… Read full bio
Steven Siwinski
Operating Partner, High Road Capital Partners
Steve Siwinski is the Finance Operating Partner at High Road Capital Partners, a private equity firm focused on buying and building leading middle market companies, where he provides financial leadership to portfolio companies and works across the po… Read full bio
Brian Slobodow
Operating Partner, HGGC
Brian Slobodow is an Operating Partner of Operational Resource Group, LLC ("ORG")*. Brian advises the firm and portfolio companies in a broad range of supply chain and procurement issues. Prior to joining ORG, Brian was an Operating Executive with Go… Read full bio
Michael Smith
Senior Managing Director, Technology, Media and Telecom Practice, Blue Ridge Partners
Michael has over 35 years of strategic sales and marketing experience working with Fortune 500 and mid-cap companies to accelerate their revenue growth. He has deep experience in Media, Financial Services, Technology and other industries and develope… Read full bio
Michael Song
Managing Director, Portfolio Operations, Providence Equity
Michael Song is a managing director focused on portfolio operations and is based in our Providence office. Prior to joining Providence in 2010, Mr. Song worked at RSA, the security division of Dell EMC. Prior to joining Dell EMC, Mr. Song was a consu… Read full bio
Luis Sosa
Senior Vice President, Portfolio Operations, Platinum Equity
Luis Sosa is Senior Vice President of Portfolio Operations at Platinum Equity where he is responsible for partnering with portfolio management teams to drive enhanced operating and financial performance within and across portfolio companies. He lever… Read full bio
Richard Spencer
Co-Founder, Chief Operating Officer, Operating Partner, Kamylon Holdings
Richard is the architect of the Kamylon Management System and has led portfolio management for the Firm for 15 years. Richard has over thirty five years of experience as a private equity investor, serial board member, general manager and consultant.… Read full bio
John Toriello
Operating Partner, General Atlantic
John Toriello is an Operating Partner at General Atlantic and the firm’s Global Head of Transactions. Before joining General Atlantic in 2021, John was a Managing Director and Head of Accounting Strategy and Policy at Blackstone. Prior to that, he wa… Read full bio
Russ Trpkovski
Operating Principal, CVC Capital Partners
Russ Trpkovski joined CVC's private equity business in 2020. Russ is a member of CVC Growth Partners and is based in Chicago. Prior to joining CVC, Russ worked at Amazon Web Services, L Catterton and Boston Consulting Group in Chicago. He received a… Read full bio
Kush Tulsidas
Operating Partner, One Rock Capital Partners
H. Kush Tulsidas is an Operating Partner focused on sales and marketing strategy and execution at One Rock’s portfolio companies. He is responsible for assessing the growth potential of companies in the investment stage and improving profitable reven… Read full bio
Sarah Walker
Vice President, Global Head of Private Equity Practice, Salesforce
Sarah Walker is the VP, Global Head of Private Equity Practice at Salesforce. Her team’s remit is to build strategic partnerships with the Private Equity community, supporting and accelerating our partners’ portfolio companies and acquisitions to ach… Read full bio
Andrew Walshe
Head of Portfolio Operations, Two Sigma Private Investments, Sightway Capital
Andrew Walshe joined Sightway Capital, a Two Sigma Private Investments affiliate, in 2016 to lead the group’s portfolio operations efforts. He serves as a Finance Operating Partner to Sightway’s companies by working closely with both investment and m… Read full bio
Jesse Weber
Head of Private Equity Alliances, Sage Intacct
Jesse Weber runs Sage Intacct’s Private Equity Practice. He advises hundreds of leading firms and their portfolio companies to build more profitable businesses through world class financial management, subscription automation, and service. As part of… Read full bio
Jon Weber
Head of Global Portfolio Operations Group, Elliott Management Corporation
Jon is Head of the Global Portfolio Operations Group at Elliott Management Corp, where he works with management and boards of companies in which Elliott funds are an influential investor. Prior to joining Elliott, Jon headed teams responsible for ope… Read full bio
Lane Wiggers
Managing Director, Operating Partner Program, Argosy Private Equity
Lane joined Argosy in 2015 and is responsible for evaluating potential investments, performing due diligence, and working with portfolio companies to grow shareholder value. He has significant experience in the middle market, concluding over 30 acqui… Read full bio
Nick Winter
Managing Director, Head of North America Portfolio Operations, Värde Partners
Nick Winter is a Managing Director and North American Head of Portfolio Operations focused on value creation in Värde private equity investments. Based in New York, he joined the firm in 2018. Prior to Värde, Nick spent several years at JPMorgan Chas… Read full bio
2021 Sponsors
PEI’s Annual Operating Partner Forums unite private equity operating partners and value creation experts. This intersection of individuals provides service providers with unique and customized programs to engage in thought provoking content discussions and provides numerous opportunities to connect in one-on-one discussions, roundtable events, and various other networking activities.
To explore how your firm can take a prominent leadership position, contact Lawrence Dvorchik at lawrence.d@peimedia.com or call +1 646 545 4429.
Pre-Event Resources
Resources
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Year-round networking for operating partners
The eleventh annual Operating Partners Forum New York will take place live, in-person this October in New York City
Connect with a community of operating partners and value creation leaders to boost value creation in your portfolio, discover the latest best practices, and gain sector and functional expertise.
Attendance at the Forum is now exclusive to Operating Partners All Access members – our new industry-leading Operating Partners community. Request a trial to see how, in addition to attendance at the Operating Partners Forum New York, membership can help expand your network.
Meet our growing community of Operating Partners
Connect with your peers.
Connect with a community of operating partners and value creation leaders in networking sessions and small group meetings.
Hear from leaders in private equity.
The Forum’s authoritative speaking faculty will share key information that will increase value creation in your portfolio.
Save time building your network.
Create and nurture sustainable relationships with private equity’s elite by using our sophisticated matchmaking platform.
What our attendees are saying about Operating Partners Forum New York
The Operating Partners Forum is a fantastic 2 days where thought leaders share best practices and key learnings in a collaborative and transparent fashion. I al…
I find this conference the best way to network with my peers in the operating partner community. The quality of attendees and dialog is outstanding and always h…
For a new Operating Partner in PE the conference was an invaluable accelerator in my learning process of the key challenges and opportunities in the space.
The Operating Partners Forum is a fantastic 2 days where thought leaders share best practices and key learnings in a collaborative and transparent fashion. I always come away from the event with new Ideas that I can put into action to deliver value back to my firm.
I find this conference the best way to network with my peers in the operating partner community. The quality of attendees and dialog is outstanding and always helps me do my job better.
Forum attendees get more:
By attending the Operating Partners Forum New York you will join the most influential operating partners community. Membership will give you:
- Access to the Operating Partners Forum New York
- Access to all of PEI’s global operating partners events (both virtual and in-person)
- On-demand access to event sessions
- Access to the member directory
- Frequent virtual and in-person networking opportunities
- And much more …
Please note annual agenda is subject to change
2021 Agenda
Download the agenda to see the timely and relevant topics that are of importance to Operating Partners today. These topics will shape the discussions at the Operating Partners Forum New York.
If you are interested in a speaking role please contact contact Marc Mele at marc.m@peimedia.com.
All times are listed in Eastern Time (ET)
View agenda page
Agenda
Day 1 - Wednesday 20th
07:40 - 08:40
Registration and breakfast
07:40 - 08:40
Think tanks for full-time operating partners: value creation war room (invitation-only)
This closed-door room will allow you to learn and share best practices of successful operating partners. The think tank will allow you to submit topics to be covered in looking at best value creation practices and the toughest challenges operating partners face daily. It will allow you to select one of the rooms based on how long you have been a PE/VC operating partner:
Room 1: Advanced/Seasoned Operating Partners
Room 2: Emerging Operating Partners
08:40 - 08:50
PEI’s welcome and chairman’s opening remarks
Plenary Sessions
08:50 - 09:30
The impact of disruption on the future of work: leadership, culture, and talent
Ted Bililies,
David Cohen,
Hannah Gräfin von Waldersee, ,
Steven Maxwell
- Leading with impact in periods of constant disruption
- Scaling portfolio companies in a hybrid working environment
- Unlocking the importance of culture in value creation
- Leveraging the importance of DEI in talent retention
- Course-correcting the talent strategy post-pandemic
- Planning for further disruptions in different industries and sectors
Moderator:
Ted Bililies, Managing Director and Chief Talent Officer, AlixPartners
Panelists:
David Cohen, Managing Director, Human Capital, Kelso & Company
Hannah Gräfin von Waldersee, Vice President, Strategy and Innovation, Insight Partners
Steven Maxwell, Senior Vice President, Portfolio Human Capital, Audax Private Equity
09:30 - 10:10
The common characteristics of faster growing businesses
Jim Corey,
Jerry Hughes,
Todd Markson
- What do faster growing companies do to accelerate their growth and outperform their peers?
- How do they embed these characteristics in their organization?
- What are some examples of how PE firms transformed commercial organizations?
- How did these changes impact the valuation of the business?
Moderator:
Jim Corey, Managing Partner, Blue Ridge Partners
Panelists:
Jerry Hughes, Director, Commercial Excellence, American Securities
Todd Markson, Operating Partner, Tech Opportunities, Bain Capital
10:10 - 10:50
The archetype of a world class operating team
Michael Kohlsdorf,
Aaron Miller,
Jon Weber
- Uncovering where successful operating partners focus their attention, value creation team processes, how to deploy an operating team, and the engagement approach
- Four key areas: staff, proven value creation processes, the investment lifecycle, and engaging with the CEOs
- Comparing operating partner models and the evolution of operating teams
- Making the “magic quadrant” work: how the deal partner, operating partner, CEO and board chairperson can work together to deliver value creation
- Bridging the gap between the investment teams’ model and what actually happens in reality
- Is the operating partner model changing? If so, how?
- Holistic value creation playbooks: what lies ahead?
Moderator:
Amy Daly, Executive Director, Private Equity Consulting Leader, EY
Panelists:
Michael Kohlsdorf, President, Francisco Partners Consulting
Aaron Miller, Partner, Head of Portfolio Performance Solutions, Apollo Global Management
Jon Weber, Head of Global Portfolio Operations Group, Elliott Investment Management
10:50 - 11:20
The end of the pandemic: accelerating challenges and opportunities for private equity and portfolio companies
Markus Lahrkamp,
Doron Grosman,
Jason Karl,
Brian Slobodow
The end of the pandemic may be harder to manage than the pandemic itself from a business and financial perspective. Issues to be addressed in looking at challenges and opportunities:
- Inconsistent demand signals posing challenges for revenue forecasts
- Severe supply chain disruptions with impacts on timely delivery and product costs
- Labor shortages and wage inflation
- Transportation costs through the roof
- Work life balance issues moving from remote back to on-site work
- “Free money” to invest – a curse or a blessing?
Moderator:
Markus Lahrkamp, Managing Director, Alvarez & Marsal
Panelists:
Bill Fry, Managing Director, American Securities
Doron Grosman, President and CEO, Global Container Terminals
Jason Karl, Principal, Advent International
Brian Slobodow, Operating Partner, HGGC
11:20 - 11:50
Networking Break
Functional Breakout Series 1
11:50 - 12:20
Track 1 | Reimagining OP-CEO connections: where strategy and delivery collide
Kevin O’Neill,
Doron Grosman,
Benjamin Humphreys,
Jean-Marc Levy,
Nick Winter
- Offering a basic “cheat sheet” on how to recruit exceptional CEOs by highlighting some memorable stories (and learnings) from the trenches
- Detailing the markings of brilliant CEOs, and what it truly takes to be an exceptional leader
- Uncovering which current PE-CEO alignment and engagement practices the audience needs to know about most
- Exploring how PE executives can help CEOs reach peak performance and operate at max potential
Moderator:
Kevin O’Neill, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Acertitude
Panelists:
Doron Grosman, President and CEO, Global Container Terminals
Benjamin Humphreys, Senior Operating Executive, Monomoy Capital Partners
Jean-Marc Levy, Operating Partner, Edison Partners
Nick Winter, Managing Director, Head of North America Portfolio Operations, Värde Partners
11:50 - 12:20
Track 2 | Add-on acquisition readiness: adding value through the finance function
Jesse Weber,
Bill Klein,
Andrew Walshe
Add-ons are an important, and growing, part of the private equity playbook. Well-managed integrations can lead to growth, expansion and higher valuations, but poorly managed integrations, wherein the finance variable is not properly structured and monitored won’t in fact, add on, they’ll just subtract from. In this discussion, we explore the critical role of the finance function to drive value and maximize returns:
- Understanding bottlenecks
- Gaining visibility on hidden costs
- Uncovering inefficient processes
- Discovering unnoticed opportunity to realize the returns on investment faster
Moderator:
Jesse Weber, Private Equity Lead, Sage Intacct
Panelists:
Bill Klein, President, Consero Global
Nicki Lambropoulos, Operating Partner, Cold Bore Capital Management
Andrew Walshe, Head of Portfolio Operations, Two Sigma Private Investments, Sightway Capital
11:50 - 12:20
Track 3 | Digital as a growth lever
Sarah Walker
- Digital marketing strategy: how to automate and maximize touchpoints to acquire and engage customers at scale
- Customer experience: how to optimize customer experience management and master the customer journey
- Analytics: how to leverage actionable data and clear KPIs to increase ROI and facilitate quick wins
Moderator:
Sarah Walker, Vice President, Global Head of Private Equity Practice, Salesforce
Functional Breakout Series 2
12:20 - 12:50
Track 4 | Post-COVID talent acquisition, development, and assessment for the lower level
Tim Sanders,
Tracey Abbott,
Jon Davies,
Kristin Brown Patrick
- Grasping the lower-level talent execution plan
- What levels in the organization does your PE firm get involved in talent selection?
- Talent retention best practices in today’s world
- In our current environment, what particular people dynamics do you pay attention to and track?
- Challenges and opportunities of virtual/hybrid workforces
Moderator:
Tim Sanders, Vice President of Customer Insights, Upwork
Panelists:
Tracey Abbott, Senior Operating Lead, Partners Group
Jon Davies, Managing Director, Head of Talent, Lightyear Capital
Kristin Brown Patrick, Senior Operating Partner, Human Capital, New State Capital Partners
12:20 - 12:50
Track 5 | The future value creation supply chain playbook
Wendy Buxton,
Brian Slobodow
Companies are looking for growth by expanding into new markets, new regions and into new customer bases. Many firms are grappling with continued supply chain disruptions and respect the imperative of assessing and transforming supply chain health during all stages of the deal cycle. Join this session to learn how supply chain is changing from traditional value creation strategies and what market catalysts are creating the need for more innovative approaches to value creation. Participants will hear from the experts on sourcing, inventory, logistics, and distribution fulfilment strategies that create value and drive returns while mitigating risk and meeting customers’ shifting demands.
Moderator:
Wendy Buxton, President, LynnCo Supply Chain Solutions
Panelists:
Brian Slobodow, Operating Partner, HGGC
12:20 - 12:50
Track 6 | Carveout 3.0 – moving to the next level of value creation
Andy Pickens,
Robert Roley ,
Luis Sosa
- The focus on Carveout 1.0 to 2.0 to 3.0 provides insight into the maturity of driving value in complex transactions
- Developing a strategically aligned value creation plan early in the process
- Proven execution excellence approaches in separating on the buy and sell side
- Best practices in working with service providers during the carveout
- What is the biggest challenge or risk to be managed in a successful carveout deal?
Moderator:
Paul Lennick, Senior Vice President, M&A Services, ContinuServe
Panelists:
Andy Pickens, Managing Director – Data and Digital Transformation, Apollo Global Management
Robert Roley, Director of Portfolio Operations, TPG Capital
Luis Sosa, Senior Vice President, Portfolio Operations, Platinum Equity
Functional Breakout Series 3
12:50 - 13:20
Track 7 | How 100-day plans are changing in the current environment and years to come
Sean Adkins,
Asheesh Gupta,
Michael Song
- Fast start: coming out strong from day one in onboarding new portfolio companies even in the face of recent uncertainty
- What’s key for your first 100 days to convert to execution?
- How to prioritize: identifying the most important value creation areas to focus on
- Best practices for the first 90–180 days vs. 365+
- Day 1-100: structured approaches, pragmatic actions, and tools to bring about rapid alignment and focus
Moderator:
Sean Adkins, Managing Partner, Mergers and Acquisitions, West Monroe Partners
Panelists:
Brian Chu, Senior Managing Director, Centerbridge Partners
Asheesh Gupta, Managing Director, Portfolio Support, Audax Private Equity
Michael Song, Managing Director, Portfolio Operations, Providence Equity
12:50 - 13:20
Track 8 | Recruiting top CFO talent for PE-backed companies
Atta Tarki,
Angela Geffre
- What makes a candidate a good CFO for a PE-backed company?
- What is your greatest challenge when it comes to recruiting brilliant portfolio CFOs?
- How to assess CFO candidates during hiring?
- How can CFOs drive the value creation plan?
Moderator:
Atta Tarki, CEO and Managing Director, ECA Partners
Panelists:
Angela Geffre, Chief Human Resources Officer, Sun Capital Partners
Jim Morris, Operating Partner, Sun Capital Partners
12:50 - 13:20
Track 9 | Using GTM strategies to drive ROI in today’s over-heated market
Marc Metzner,
Amy Kramer,
Bijal Sheth,
Kush Tulsidas
- Bidding with confidence based on in-depth commercial due diligence
- Driving GTM change early enough to significantly impact valuation
- Aligning GTM resources to growth buyers and new buyer journeys
- Deploying new sales roles for new product and segment selling
- Building a sustainable customer-development and lead-gen engine
- Strengthening RevOps to sustain GTM change and integrate buyer journeys
Moderator:
Marc Metzner, Vice President, Alexander Group
Panelists:
Amy Kramer, Operating Partner, Level Equity
Jairo Romero, Managing Director, GTM Excellence, LLR Partners
Bijal Sheth, Operations Principal, Pamlico Capital
Kush Tulsidas, Operating Partner, One Rock Capital Partners
Lunch break
13:20 - 14:20
Women in PE and VC portfolio operations lunch (invitation-only)
This closed-door lunch discussion will explore what it’s like being a woman in PE and VC portfolio operations:
- 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
Facilitator:
Susan Clark, Managing Director, Operations, Sun Capital Partners
Sponsored by:
13:20 - 14:20
Networking lunch
Functional Breakout Series 4
14:20 - 15:00
Track 10 | Driving impact: what makes a great PE talent partner?
Ashley Day,
Merche del Valle,
Alice Mann,
Michelle Nasir
- PE talent partner market trends: driving better and faster execution
- How do you provide the most value in your talent partner role? When does your firm engage the talent partner?
- Talent partner-deal team dynamics: better identifying opportunities and risks during diligence
- Uncovering specific and tactical talent partner value creation plans
- Establishing playbooks of evaluation, resources, and support at different stages
- Key success factors in looking at better use of data and ongoing monitoring
Panelists:
Ashley Day, Chief Talent Officer, CI Capital Partners
Merche del Valle, Managing Director and Chief Talent Officer, Grain Management
Alice Mann, Operating Partner, Human Capital, Blue Wolf Capital Partners
Michelle Nasir, Chief Talent Officer, Arsenal Capital Partners
Merche del Valle
Managing Director, Chief Talent Officer & Chief HR Officer, Grain Management
Read bio
14:20 - 15:00
Track 11 | Winning after the deal: the key to smooth post-merger transitions
Adam Sheffield,
Daniel Goetz
- Formulating a successful implementation strategy
- Navigating the nuances of employment transitions and key employee retention
- Considerations for company culture alignment and employee integration
- Ensuring day 1 readiness through effective communication
Moderator:
Adam Sheffield, Chief Revenue Officer, Global Upside
Panelists:
Daniel Goetz, Principal, Operational Excellence, Siris Capital
14:20 - 15:00
Track 12 | The changing lens of the CFO – pre and post pandemic trends
Michael Hennessey,
Howard Reba
- K-shaped recovery impact
- Liquidity focus
- Automation
- Investment planning
- Workforce structure/employee retention
Moderator:
Michael Hennessey, Managing Director, Grant Thornton
Panelist:
Howard Reba, Head of Portfolio Finance, CI Capital Partners
Functional Breakout Series 5
15:00 - 15:40
Track 13 | Addressing diversity and inclusion as a business imperative
Kara Helander,
Kate Migliaro,
Melissa Mounce
- D&I approaches: operationalizing it and interfacing with portfolio company leaders for D&I initiatives
- What best practices can you share regarding advising CEOs and management teams at the portco levels?
- What is holding PE back from achieving diversity?
- Looking at initiatives from different PE firms, what has been successful? What goals do you set for the portfolio companies relative to D&I?
- How would you best describe your firm’s D&I work at the fund and portfolio companies?
- KPIs for diversity: measuring effectiveness
- Diversity and leadership: what can be done better? How are you thinking about diversity of boards?
Panelists:
Kara Helander, Managing Director, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, The Carlyle Group
Natalie Ings, Managing Director, Portfolio Solutions, Lightyear Capital
Kate Migliaro, Principal, Talent Management and Organizational Effectiveness, Apollo Global Management
Melissa Mounce, Managing Director, Leadership Talent and Diversity, GTCR
15:00 - 15:40
Track 14 | Cybersecurity in the modern age: dos and don’ts
Jamey Cummings,
Neil Kimber
- Best practices in communicating cyber risks to boards
- The importance of cybersecurity in acquisition diligence
- The increasing importance of cybersecurity insurance
- Reducing complexity and costs of your cyber tools and services stack
Moderator:
Jamey Cummings, Partner – Cybersecurity and Technology, JM Search
Panelists:
Matt Hollcraft, Group Chief Information Security Officer, Hellman & Friedman
Neil Kimber, Operating Principal, Accel-KKR
15:00 - 15:40
Track 15 | Critical dimensions in pre-deal operational due diligence
Gary Hoover,
Geoffrey Baird,
Michael Monagle,
Lane Wiggers
- How do you really get at what the opportunities are to understand what the value creation plan should be?
- Coming out of the crisis, how do you think PE’s behaviour will change across deal making and the extent of due diligence?
- Uncovering operating partner synergies and best practices in the deal evaluation phase
- Operating partner success factors when partnering with investment teams
- Exposing new challenges in assessing operational risks
- Critical pre-deal diligence elements in cost savings, technology, human capital, sales, operational planning, data, and the investment thesis
Moderator:
Gary Hoover, Vice President, Global Supply Chain Practice, TBM Consulting Group
Panelists:
Geoffrey Baird, Independent Operating Partner
Gilyana Lidzheeva, Director of Portfolio Operations, Frontenac
Michael Monagle, Principal, Portfolio Operations, Providence Equity
Lane Wiggers, Managing Director, Operating Partner Program, Argosy Private Equity
15:40 - 16:00
Networking coffee break
Functional Breakout Series 6
16:00 - 16:40
Track 16 | Accelerating management team performance post transaction
Dan Hawkins,
Bala Ganesan,
Ignacio Giraldo,
Marco Mendes
- Critical factors in top management teams to drive value creation
- What pitfalls to avoid
- What’s the right timeline post transaction?
- How do you spend your time post-transaction?
- What jobs to change out first? What are the most critical jobs?
- What would a quick CEO transition look like?
- How can you conduct talent assessments without hurting the relationship between the management team and the deal team?
- Relationships with the board; what does a high performing team look like?
Moderator:
Dan Hawkins, CEO, Summit Leadership Partners
Panelists:
Bala Ganesan, Managing Director, Special Situations, Oaktree Capital Management
Ignacio Giraldo, Partner, TPG Growth
Marco Mendes, Head of Portfolio Support Group, North America, Advent International
16:00 - 16:40
Track 17 | Digital transformations and innovation to drive investment value
Aswatha Amarnath ,
Jarrad Berman,
Darren Herman,
Raj Kushwaha,
Harrison Lung
- Building a roadmap for technological change
- Digital innovation and operations — going beyond ideation, conception, and analysis and turning strategy into real delivery, particularly in the context of a novel initiative or product
- Digital transformations in the post COVID-19 world: how digital initiatives and innovation have accelerated and what does the future hold
- How can PE firms utilize innovative technologies that return near-term, sustainable investment value without getting stuck in a never-ending cycle of transformation projects?
- Digital workplace transformation and product transformation stories
Moderator:
Aswatha Amarnath (Amar), Senior Vice President, Strategic Engagements and Sales Strategy, Wipro
Panelists:
Jarrad Berman, Vice President, Digital Transformation, TZP Group
Darren Herman, Operating Partner, Bain Capital
Raj Kushwaha, Managing Director, Digital Strategy and Innovation, Operating Partner and Chief Digital Officer, Warburg Pincus
Harrison Lung, Partner, Portfolio Value Creation, Siris Capital
Raj Kushwaha
Managing Director, Digital Strategy and Innovation, Operating Partner and Chief Digital Officer, Warburg Pincus
Read bio
16:00 - 16:40
Track 18 | How is private equity “future-proofing” and building resilience in its portfolios?
- How PE firms successfully pivoted their portfolio companies toward growth
- How to secure portfolio companies’ liquidity and operational savings during a downturn
- The different ways in which PE firms can set up their portfolio for durable success going forward
- How regional specificities played into the design of PE’s portfolio resiliency strategies
Moderator:
Kevin Burke, Director, M&A, Private Equity and Venture Capital, Globalization Partners
Panelists:
Prashanth Bóccasam, Partner, Cota Capital
Pericles Mazarakis, Managing Partner, Trispan Capital
Functional Breakout Series 7
16:40 - 17:10
Track 19 | Leveraging your portfolio’s supply chain to maximize ESG impact
Michael Frain
- Procurement’s role in achieving sustainability goals, while reducing costs, managing risk and improving competitive position
- How to execute a decarbonization and energy efficiency/renewable strategy across your portfolio, including funding solutions that eliminate capital constraints to scale savings
- Exploring solutions for managing Scope 3 emissions throughout the supply chain across portfolio companies
- Delivering on supplier diversity and inclusive procurement practices with an ESG framework
Moderator:
Tommy Greer, Senior Vice President Enterprise Energy Solutions, Insight Sourcing Group
Panelist:
Michael Frain, Senior Vice President, Shared Services, Warburg Pincus
16:40 - 17:10
Track 20 | The return of business travel: discussing approaches and what lies ahead
Adam Cummins,
Michael Farrell
Join a live panel discussion on the business travel landscape in the era of COVID and easing restrictions. Panelists will discuss the approaches their organizations have taken towards business travel, how this has impacted throughout their investment companies and their perspectives on handling employee duty-of-care implications going forward. Through a leveraged procurement lens, we’ll discuss experiences in working with travel related vendors throughout the pandemic, how travel management companies are weathering the storm and what’s top of mind as managed travel re-emerges in major global markets.
Moderator:
Brady Kuhn, Business Development Manager – Global Private Equity, SAP Concur
Panelists:
Adam Cummins, PMO Lead, Global Investment Resources, The Carlyle Group
Michael Farrell, Executive Vice President of Business Development, World Travel, Inc.
16:40 - 17:10
Track 21 | Healthcare costs: managing 2022 surge in consumption
Todd Grove,
Christopher Kim
Learn how portco CHROs and CFOs leverage unbundled plan offerings along with independent healthcare navigation to dramatically improve employee satisfaction, engagement while driving measurable EBITDA through cost avoidance. Challenges to be explored include:
• 6%-8% – Estimated trend growth for self-insured employers due to “COVID Hangover”
• 15% of American consumers with employer-sponsored health insurance said they had deferred some care
• Poor pandemic-era health behaviors are leading to increases in chronic care management
Moderator:
Todd Grove, Vice President, Private Equity, Quantum Health
Panelists:
Christopher Kim, Senior Vice President, Platinum Equity
17:10 - 17:50
Enabling a technology-driven CFO: key success factors in the future of value creation
Jesse Weber,
Bill Klein,
Russ Trpkovski
- Finding data driven CFOs and their role in enterprise performance
- How is the CFO role evolving? What does the CFO of the future look like?
- How to get your portfolio companies from tactical to strategic
- Barriers to automate finance and accounting and how to overcome them
- Sharing value creation insights via data analytics and cloud technology
Moderator:
Jesse Weber, Private Equity Lead, Sage Intacct
Panelists:
Bill Klein, President, Consero Global
Russ Trpkovski, Operating Principal, CVC Capital Partners
Interactive Working Groups Series 1
17:10 - 17:50
Interactive Working Group 1 | Deep dive discussion for operating partners only: Writing the next chapter of the value creation playbook
Dave Noonan
This session will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
- Moving toward high-tech sustainability and creating long-term value for society
- Modernizing assets through practical implementation of ESG principles
- Using predictive analytics and data intelligence to enhance investment strategy and decision-making
- Leveraging automation and business process optimization to streamline, modernize, and transform costs
Facilitator:
Dave Noonan, Principal, National Lead of M&A Strategy Execution and Solution Development, RSM
Dave Noonan
Principal, National Lead of M&A Strategy Execution and Solution Development, RSM
Read bio
17:10 - 17:50
Interactive Working Group 2 | Deep dive discussion for operating partners only: Reinventing the commercial organization through the eyes of customers (invitation-only)
Michael Smith
This session will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators.
- Most (85%) commercial organizations expect sales model transformations this year and next
- Planned transformations seem to focus on “inside-out” perspectives – e.g. getting sales meetings in a hybrid world; using content/knowledge capital to obtain leads/meetings
- A better way might be approaching the transformation from the view of prospects/customers and working back into the company
- Reviewing examples of this “outside-in” commercial transformation approach
Facilitator:
Michael Smith, Senior Managing Director, Technology, Media and Telecom Practice, Blue Ridge Partners
Hosted by:
Michael Smith
Senior Managing Director, Technology, Media and Telecom Practice, Blue Ridge Partners
Read bio
17:50 - 18:50
End of day one chairman’s remarks & cocktail reception
Agenda
Day 2 - Thursday 21st
08:40 - 09:40
Registration and breakfast
08:00 - 08:40
Operating partners portfolio operations breakfast deep dive discussion: The future of workforce (invitation-only)
Marc Iampieri
In this session we will discuss the war for talent, the multi-generational workforce, and its impact on investing in manufacturing and distribution businesses. Topics include:
- New requirements for employers in attracting talent in this time of disruption
- Overcoming the labor shortage in industries with an hourly workforce
- Meeting the expectations and differing values of the four generations in the workplace (Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y, Gen Z)
- Improving operations and building an inclusive culture to retain talent
- Effective change management to optimize operations
Facilitators:
Parmesh Bhaskaran, Managing Director, AlixPartners
Marc Iampieri, Managing Director, AlixPartners
Hosted by:
08:40 - 09:40
Think tanks for full-time operating partners: value creation war room (invitation-only)
Bob Barthelmes,
Cory Eaves,
Anish Batlaw,
Christopher Kim
This closed-door discussion will allow you to learn and share best practices of successful operating partners. The think tank will allow you to submit topics to be introduced by the facilitators and discussed in the room. It will allow you to select one of the two rooms:
Room 1 Digital and Technology Operating Partners
Facilitators:
Bob Barthelmes, Managing Director, Portfolio Operations, Blackstone
Cory Eaves, Operating Partner, General Atlantic
Room 2 Human Capital Operating Partners
Facilitators:
Anish Batlaw, Operating Partner, General Atlantic
Christopher Kim, Senior Vice President, Platinum Equity
09:40 - 09:45
Chairman’s welcome
Plenary Sessions
09:45 - 10:20
The future of technology and digital initiatives in working with your portfolio companies
Spencer T. Farrar,
Cory Eaves,
Misha Logvinov
- Using technology to make your processes and businesses more efficient in the current environment and in the years to come
- Looking at the overlap of tech with other functions in the company (sales, customer support, etc.)
- Approaches to working with portco leadership on technology initiatives
- Understanding the challenges around web-enablement and changes in consumer behavior
- Recent digital transformation and digital disruption stories within specific industries
Moderator:
Spencer Farrar, Private Equity Business Development, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Panelists:
Cory Eaves, Operating Partner, General Atlantic
Misha Logvinov, Managing Director and Head of IT Strategy, EQT Partners
10:20 - 11:00
Uncovering the pricing due diligence playbook
- What does your pricing playbook look like? How to critically evaluate top-line improvements when bidding
- Evaluating potential acquisitions through structured pricing analysis
- Key elements and opportunities where price is a key concern and major aspect of the investment thesis
- First-hand accounts in looking at commercial due diligence and top-up diligence on pricing issues
Moderator:
Adam Echter, Partner, Simon-Kucher & Partners
Panelists:
Amanda Good, Partner and Head of Global Value Creation, Searchlight Capital Partners
11:00 - 11:30
PE partner-CFO dynamics: alignment, expectations, and impact
Nick Leopard,
Evan Lorch,
John Toriello
- Examining the PE sponsor-CFO relationship across three critical dimensions: measuring the business (collecting the data to inform insights), managing the business (reporting, technology infrastructure, KPIs), scaling the business (operational levers to drive accelerated growth)
- Understanding CFO/Partner alignment, or lack thereof, with regard to: the firm-finance dynamic and operating model, expectations for value contribution, key focus areas and objectives
- Measuring operating partner impact and understanding the critical role of technology in achieving operational alpha and accelerating value creation
Moderator:
Nick Leopard, CEO and Founder, Accordion and Co-Founder, Maestro
Panelists:
Susan Clark, Managing Director, Operations, Sun Capital Partners
Evan Lorch, Operating Partner, Francisco Partners Consulting
John Toriello, Operating Partner, General Atlantic
11:30 - 11:50
Networking Break
Interactive Working Group Series 2
11:50 - 12:30
Interactive Working Group 3 | Deep dive discussion for operating partners only: Putting ESG at the heart of your business strategy in the new sustainable economy
Donald Reed
This session will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators.
- How does your firm think about ESG, and what specific areas within E, S, and G are covered?
- ESG due diligence best practices
- What is the role of the operating partner in driving ESG initiatives?
- Mapping out and engaging with all key stakeholders on ESG
- How are ESG based KPIs and metrics being used?
- Private equity’s ESG journey: what comes next?
Facilitator:
Donald Reed, Managing Director, Finance Transformation, PwC
11:50 - 12:30
Interactive Working Group 4 | Deep dive discussion for operating partners only: Implementing price changes in 2021: Essential steps and countermeasures for your portfolio companies during inflationary times (invitation-only)
This session will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators.
- Key steps to offset price inflation: leveraging inflationary times to expand margin
- Price adjustments: deploying multiple tools to create options when input prices fall
- Implementing robust and workable pricing processes and systems
- How to bring reluctant management team along
- Dealing with sustained price volatility: successful elements to protect margins, drive growth and offset the commercial implications of these effects
Facilitator:
Brad Soper, Partner, Simon-Kucher & Partners
Hosted by:
11:50 - 12:30
Interactive Working Group 5 | Deep dive discussion for operating partners only: Working with CEOs: do’s and don’ts
This session will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators focused on:
- Sharing of lessons learned and do overs
- Setting up productive relationships with CEOs across the deal lifecycle
- Managing tension and helping to bridge alignment
- Helping CEOs operate at full power
Randy Street, Managing Partner, ghSMART
Claudio Waller, Co-head of Private Equity, ghSMART
12:30 - 13:30
Networking lunch
Functional Breakout Series 8
13:30 - 14:10
Track 22 | Modernizing your finance function: driving value through evolving capabilities
Greg Carlson,
Steve Cumbow,
Steven Siwinski
Join us to discuss how finance functions are transforming to meet the evolving needs of its stakeholders:
- Drive forward-looking insights and improved performance management with advanced data and analytics
- Improve how work gets done through process and controls automation
- Gain efficiency via integrated systems and information
- Implement a cost-effective organization structure and delivery model
- Upskill and evolve people capabilities to be successful in a modern finance environment
- Increase cross-functional collaboration and business partnering
Moderator:
Greg Carlson, Managing Director, Riveron
Panelists:
Steve Cumbow, Operating Partner, Sentinel Capital Partners
Steven Siwinski, Operating Partner, High Road Capital Partners
13:30 - 14:10
Track 23 | Monitoring and quantifying portfolio performance with data science and analytics
Richard Spencer
- What new tools are you adopting for portfolio management?
- Looking at best methodologies for portfolio company reporting
- Applying growth KPIs and metrics for operational improvement in different stages
- Using data science to measure the success of a company and drive value creation
- Approaches in utilizing data lakes and big data to drive results
- Value creation team approaches in working with heads of data science
Panelists:
Jesko Frommeyer, Managing Director, Portfolio Value Creation, Real Assets, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB)
Richard Spencer, Co-Founder, Chief Operating Officer, Operating Partner, Kamylon Holdings
Functional Breakout Series 9
14:10 - 14:50
Track 24 | Creating value through your technology investment
Adam Cummins
- Showing the value of investment in technology, including finance technology, during a PE ownership cycle
- Building the optimal technology stack
- Highlighting opportunities for future gains through finance technologies for the next owner
- Pragmatic steps to position for exit
Moderator:
Maria Urias, Manager, Strategic Alliances, FloQast
Panelists:
Adam Cummins, PMO Lead, Global Investment Resources, The Carlyle Group
Souvick Paul, Vice President, Cerberus Operations and Advisory Company, Cerberus Capital Management
14:10 - 14:50
Track 25 | Culture and strategy to accelerate growth in the first 100 days
Matt Brubaker,
Andy Caine
A misaligned culture and unclear strategy are two of the most common portfolio company growth barriers. This session is designed to help investors and operators assess, align, and activate both culture and strategy to ensure momentum in the key 100 days post-close.
- Understanding culture: how do you get the most traction post close in working with executive teams?
- How to align around the investment strategy to accelerate momentum into growth
- Establishing clear roadmaps for the organization and help people understand where the company is headed
- Designing environments that support the new strategy and promote high performance in people
Moderator:
Matt Brubaker, CEO, FMG Leading
Panelist:
Andy Caine, Partner, Human Capital, Frazier Healthcare Partners
Functional Breakout Series 10
14:50 - 15:30
Track 26 | Managing the total cost of risk
Todd Miller
Identifying cost drivers and implementing a strategic approach to improve P&C and benefits insurance performance and spend is key. The property/casualty and benefits insurance value streams are opaque by design. This session will explain the traditional model and show how to:
- Leverage risk management controls
- Create underwriting demand
- Achieve best-in-class program structure and pricing
Moderator:
Todd Miller, President and CEO, Risk International
14:50 - 15:30
Track 27 | Value creation in recurring revenue businesses - keys to success
Travis Huch,
Prital Kadakia,
Kunal Mehta
- As we see more and more businesses in software and elsewhere move to a “SaaS” type model, what is the role of the operating partner in driving success?
- How to balance both revenue growth rate and Net Dollar Retention
- The role of pricing in driving growth and NDR
- How does digital commerce contribute to growth rates? Is this visible in data?
- Approaches to measuring and tracking these key performance indicators in portfolio companies
- Experiences – what has worked – what hasn’t
- Repeatable patterns for success
Moderator:
Travis Huch, Vice President Alliances, Private Equity Partners, Zuora
Panelists:
Prital Kadakia, Partner, Serent Capital
Alex Mace, Vice President, Thompson Street Capital Partners
Kunal Mehta, Principal, Portfolio Operations, TCV
Plenary Session
15:30 - 16:00
Unlocking the cloud revolution for portfolio value creation
- Create value through cost optimization and product modernization using Cloud
- Leverage the cloud for scalability and reliability
- Increase revenue through strategic cloud partnerships
Moderator:
Dave Profozich, Senior Vice President – ISV Ecosystem, Oracle
16:00 - 16:00
Closing remarks and end of conference
Venue and hotel
Kimpton Muse Hotel
130 West 46th Street
New York, NY 10036
Please reach out to Lucy.Shulman@kimptonhotels.com directly to book a room pre or post conference days.
COVID-19 vaccination requirements
As part of our commitment to safety at the Operating Partners Forum New York and following New York City and venue COVID-19 vaccination requirements, we are requiring that all attendees must provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination status before checking into the event at Convene, 117 W 46th St, New York.
To expedite this process, PEI Media and Convene will be using Health Pass by CLEAR, which provides secure, digital proof of COVID-related health insights via the CLEAR mobile app. Complete your health screening with Health Pass by CLEAR ahead of time for expedited check-in and entry. We will not be accepting NYC COVID Safe App or Excelsior Pass as a form of record of vaccination at the event. We are only accepting proof via Health Pass by CLEAR.
All attendees will receive the event specific Health Pass registration code before the event.
Questions? Please contact customerservices@peimedia.com.
Frequently asked questions
Will I need to be vaccinated to attend the Operating Partners Forum New York?
Yes. Only individuals who provide full proof of COVID-19 vaccination status via the Health Pass by CLEAR app will be allowed to enter the event.
Do I need to use Health Pass by CLEAR to attend the event? Can I bring my vaccine card or show a negative COVID-19 test result or use another app?
All attendees must use Health Pass by CLEAR to prove vaccination status. Attendees cannot only show a vaccine card upon entry, a negative COVID-19 test result, or the NYC COVID Safe App or Excelsior Pass. Verification via Health Pass by CLEAR must be presented on arrival to prove vaccination status.
What if I don’t download the app and complete Health Pass by CLEAR before arriving to the event?
We strongly encourage all attendees to download the CLEAR app and sign up for Health Pass by CLEAR at least 24 hours prior to the event to ensure your vaccination status is confirmed. If you do not this, please bring your vaccine card and a photo id with you to the venue to verify your information through the app onsite at the event. It can take up to 30 minutes for your vaccination status to be confirmed.
What is Health Pass by CLEAR?
CLEAR Health Pass is a free feature in the CLEAR app that provides an easy way to complete health screenings for a safer, easier return to events. After a quick one-time enrollment, you’ll follow instructions to comply with health requirements for the venue. Upload your CDC vaccine card or link to your vaccine provider.
How do I use Health Pass by CLEAR?
- Download the CLEAR app and tap on the white Health Pass tile.
- Tap “Enroll or verify your in CLEAR” to create your CLEAR member account
- New to CLEAR? When prompted, enter your email address, phone number and have your gov’t issued photo ID ready to complete enrollment.
- Already a CLEAR member? Use the email address associated with your membership and snap a quick selfie to verify your identity
- Continue to follow prompts on the Entry Requirements page to securely confirm your proof of vaccination. Upload a photo of your vaccine card or select your vaccine provider to verify your proof of vaccination.
- After your vaccination upload, two weeks prior to the event, a code is provided by PEI Media specific to the Operating Partners Forum New York to confirm your identity for the event in the app. Open the health pass to get your verification result. Green means you’re good to go!
Please note that once your vaccination record is uploaded to the platform, it can take up to 30 minutes for your status to be verified. All attendees are strongly encouraged to complete this process at least 24 hours before the event.
How does CLEAR protect my personal data?
Privacy is at the center of everything at CLEAR and they are fully committed to protecting members’ information. Personal information is never sold or rented. Personal information is only used to deliver a frictionless and secure experience with CLEAR.
I am already registered for the Operating Partners Forum New York, how do I confirm my vaccination status?
Email communications are being sent to all attendees regarding Health Pass by CLEAR and the CLEAR app can be downloaded right away to start verifying your vaccination. Attendees are strongly encouraged to verify vaccine status at least 24 hours prior to the event. The event specific code needed to confirm your identity will be sent to all attendees two weeks prior to the event.
Any questions regarding the event and vaccination requirements should be sent to customerservices@peimedia.com.
Explore our exclusive operating partner only networking
The Operating Partners Forum New York is packed with an unprecedented amount of opportunities to network with fellow operating partners. Explore the various interactive working groups, think tanks, breakfast sessions and receptions to discuss emerging topics in value creation and private equity with your peers.
Featured networking opportunities
Think Tank sessions
The closed-door rooms will allow you to learn and share
best practices of successful operating partners. The
thinks tanks will allow you to submit topics to be covered in looking at best value creation practices and the toughest challenges operating partners face daily.
Women’s networking lunch
This closed-door lunch discussion will explore what it’s like being a woman in PE and VC portfolio operations.
Interactive Working Groups
These exclusive deep dive discussions only available to operating partners allow you to participate in interactive roundtable discussions with designated facilitators.
Breakfast Deep Dive discussions
Join fellow operating partners for a portfolio operations breakfast deep dive discussion (invitation-only).
Pre-event networking reception
Prior to day 1 of the Operating Partners Forum New York on Tuesday, October 19, join fellow operating partners for a pre-event cocktail reception.
Catch-up with your operating partner peers on the rooftop of the Bryant Park Grill from 5:30-7 PM for cocktails and conversation.
You must be an Operating Partners Forum New York attendee to attend this event.
Bryant Park Grill
25 W 40th St, New York, NY 10018
