International
Operating Partners Forum New York 2022
19 - 20 October 2022,
Convene, 117 W 46th St, New York
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 12th annual event is focused on best practices in private equity portfolio operations and value creation across all functional business areas.
Join the PE operating partner community to discuss and debate the best strategies to deliver maximum portfolio growth 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.
“You have to keep yourself current and our firms are not academies for becoming better operating partners…The PEI International Operating Partners Forum is the only academy that exists for Operating Partners.”
Aaron Miller
Head of Apollo Portfolio Performance Solutions
Apollo Global Management
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.
2022 agenda
The 2022 agenda will feature the most prominent functional areas in value creation for your portfolio companies. Our unique agenda offers interactive working group discussions, think tanks, panels, plus our women in PE lunch. Click the headings below for a snapshot of some of the top features:
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 engagement models: what will the future of value creation look like?
- How 100-day plans are changing in the current environment and years to come
- 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
Sales & Revenue Growth
- The future of sales: virtual sales best practices and the impact of virtual workforces
- Improving pricing strategy during inflationary times
- 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
- Working with CEOs: dos and don’ts
- Big data & workforce analytics
- What will the future role of the human capital operating partner look like?
- Talent acquisition, development, and assessment best practices during challenging times
- 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
- Working with CIOs/CTOs: dos and don’ts
- Digitizing the customer journey: keys to success
- Unlocking the cloud revolution for portfolio value creation
- 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
ESG
- Leveraging your portfolio’s supply chain to maximize ESG impact
- How to execute a decarbonization and energy efficiency/renewable strategy across your portfolio, including funding solutions that eliminate capital constraints to scale savings
- ESG due diligence best practices
- What is the role of the operating partner in driving ESG initiatives?
- How are ESG based KPIs and metrics being used?
- How does your firm think about ESG, and what specific areas within E, S, and G are covered?
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
Marketing
- What it really means to have a shared methodology and common language across Marketing, Sales, and Customer Success
- Marketing as a growth lever in the first 100 days
- How are you tracking your marketing performance and the effectiveness of marketing spend, what channels do you use?
- Digital marketing best practices: operating partners share their thoughts
- How does marketing support sales: what works and what doesn’t?
- Marketing due diligence: understanding what needs to be done pre-acquisition
2022 Speakers
2022 confirmed attendees include:
Meet the largest operating partner network
What our attendees say
Dana Allen
Gauge Capital
Was great to trade ideas with peers across other firms to see how they are tackling similar challenges & to learn areas they are able to drive more value.
Kush Tulsidas
One Rock Capital Partners
It is a fantastic place to network with top talent in PE and learn the cutting edge work that their firms are doing to create value. I highly recommend.
Greg J Pappas
Berkshire Partners
The Operating Partners Forum is the foremost event where the largest ecosystem of operating partners, suppliers and resources gather annually.
2022 Agenda
Download the agenda covering value creation challenges and opportunities for PE and portfolio companies across all functional areas: Human Capital, Finance, Technology/Digital, Sales, Marketing, Revenue Growth, Supply Chain, ESG, and more.
If you are interested in a speaking role please contact Marc Mele at marc.m@peimedia.com.
All times are listed in Eastern Time (ET)
Agenda
Day 1 - Wednesday 19th
Registration and breakfast
Think tanks for full-time operating partners: value creation war room (invitation-only)
This closed-door room discussion will allow you to learn and share best practices of successful operating partners. The think tank will also allow you to submit topics to be covered in looking at best value creation practices and the toughest challenges operating partners face daily.
Room 1 Emerging Operating Partners (1-2 years in PE)
Facilitators:
Matt Hively, Operating Partner, Angeles Equity Partners
Martin Mumford, Operating Partner, Angeles Equity Partners
Room 2 Advanced Operating Partners
Facilitator:
Jon Weber, Global Head of Portfolio Operations, Elliott Management Corporation
PEI’s welcome and chairman’s opening remarks
Seth Kerker, Director of Events, Americas, PEI
Chairman:
Tim Sanders, Vice President, Client Strategy, Upwork

Building agility in the current economy: the next chapter of the value creation playbook
- Value creation playbooks in a recessionary/inflationary environment: how is the recipe changing? How are operating teams addressing this unprecedented turbulent market?
- Developing an agility playbook to navigate through this period of instability and build sustainable EBITDA
- Essential steps/countermeasures for your portfolio companies: how is PE “future-proofing” and building resilience into its portfolios? What levers should be triggered to weather whatever comes next? How important will liquidity become during this downturn/recession?
- Discussing the trends/factors that will have the largest impact on PE — lessons learned from other downturns: what has PE done historically to deal with recessions? What works and what doesn’t?
- How is PE investing its time and resources during these difficult times: what are the real challenges and opportunities? How are portcos taking action to protect EBITDA and liquidity?
- Uncovering longer term investments and operational approaches in looking at valuations as interest rates are rising — estimating the severity of its impact across various industries
- How can PE sponsors help portfolio management navigate issues and disruptions? With hold periods decreasing every year, how do you manage and improve the relationship with your portfolio companies and work together effectively?
- Strengthening operational alignment: improving the linkage between sales, operations, and finance to survive
- Investment and exit strategies in a recession: what are you doing differently to acquire companies and prepare companies for sale?
Moderator:
Markus Lahrkamp, Managing Director, Alvarez & Marsal

PE operating partners: what do your CEOs need from you?
PE investors are placing big bets on CEOs and their management teams. The partnership between the investment team and CEO is one of the most critical levers to get right early in the hold period. When it is off track, the investment is at risk. While much attention is placed on how operating partners drive growth and returns; has anyone ever asked the portfolio CEOs what do they really need? CEOs will make or break your value creation plan and operating partners can benefit from hearing directly on how they can collectively drive returns for all key stakeholders.
This very insightful panel of portfolio company CEOs will share their experiences on ways to best leverage the operating partner alliance in looking at:
- How can your Operating Partners quickly earn your trust and management team’s support?
- What aspects of the 100-day plan work well?
- What does a productive CEO/OP relationship look like?
- How should tough topics and issues be addressed?
- What level of communications and transparency are important?
- As CEOs, where do you need the most help?
- Where can Operating Partners continue to develop their skills and capabilities to be seen as value partners?
- Other advice and tips for Operating Partners to help CEOs drive value creation (in the eyes of the CEO)
Moderator:
Dan Hawkins, Founder and CEO, Summit Leadership Partners

Accelerating the pivot to growth with rapid, tactical commercial effectiveness levers
- Focusing on tactical, quick-hit revenue growth that’s tangible and measurable
- Sustaining a growth trajectory: aligning the organization for longer-term revenue levers across the investment lifecycle
- Maximizing effective use of marketing and trade spend
- Utilizing digital capabilities to automate, improve targeting, and identify and focus on profitable growth
- Re-investing cost savings to fuel growth
- Driving performance visibility, accountability and P&L impact through margin and revenue wins
Moderator:
Joanne Taylor, Director, AlixPartners
Panelists:
Kevin Kerby, Operating Partner, Bain Capital
Beth Neumann, Partner Head of Portfolio Operatons, Kelso & Company
Jorge Rosales, Senior Vice President, Growth Team, Serent Capital
Kush Tulsidas, Operating Partner, One Rock Capital Partners





Tech value creation roadmaps: digitizing across the entire investment lifecycle
- Tech strategy roadmaps across the lifecycle: pre-acquisition, 100 days, hold, and exit
- In what ways are investors identifying opportunities to leverage technology to unlock operational value creation during due diligence given limited time/information/resources?
- Achieving alignment through leadership, strategy, IT teams, and tech capabilities
- Finding gaps in the first 100 days
- Which areas are most often misaligned and how do you address the issues created by these misalignments?
- Tech playbooks and strategic roadmap execution – typical challenges, best practices for execution, and related mitigation strategies? What works and what doesn’t?
- In what ways does your technology/digital value creation change, shift, or evolve over the course of the hold period?
- Sharing best practices in digitizing before the exit
Panelists:
Thomas Fountain, Operating Partner, One Rock Capital Partners

Unlocking the due diligence imperative to rapidly achieve the value creation plan
- How is your due diligence playbook changing in the current economic environment?
- Conducting diligence in a stressed/distressed environment
- Operating partner-deal partner dynamics in understanding a company’s potential pre-acquisition
- Partnering with deal teams for success: how to manage the collaboration between the deal side and value side and integrate both sides effectively
- Where are PE Firms investing time and resources across functional areas in due diligence?
- Refining your due diligence playbook in identifying risks and value creation opportunities: how operating partners are involved in the process to accelerate and determine the value creation levers
- Pre-deal assessments of the leadership team – how to know if/when to switch out members to rapidly achieve the value creation plan
- Understanding how due diligence impacts the holistic cycle and your value creation journey
Moderator:
Sean Mooney, Founder and CEO, BluWave
Panelists:
Mara Edgar, Managing Director, Human Capital, The Riverside Company
Cici Zheng, Partner, ParkerGale Capital
Networking break
Interactive Working Group 1 (for operating partners only) | Operating Partner-Chief Information/Chief Technology Officer dynamics: dos and don’ts
This session will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
- Understanding how the office of the CIO/CTO is becoming more strategic and what to look for in a CIO/CTO?
- What are the challenges? How are operating partners influencing portco CIO/CTO decision making? How is the engagement approach changing in the modern workforce setup?
- Cooperation and collaboration tech value creation partnerships: comparing dynamics
- Looking at best practices in working with different types of companies to deliver value
- What will the future role of the Chief Information/Technology Officer look like?
Facilitators:
Lisa Baldwin, Operating Executive, Evergreen Coast Capital

Interactive Working Group 2 (for operating partners only) | Modernizing your finance function: uncovering the most important elements to drive value for organizations
This session will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
- Financial transformations to support modern organizations: operating partners share their thoughts
- Modern approaches to finance to ensure the organization’s people, processes, data, and technology work in concert
- Uncover stories of how modern CFOs and finance teams are embracing automation and tech integrations as a value-add service: what areas of automation in finance and accounting have been the most successful?
- Drive forward-looking insights and improved performance management with advanced data and analytics
- Data uses to enable predictive financial planning and analysis (FP&A)
- Upskill and evolve people capabilities to be successful in a modern finance environment
Interactive Working Group 3 (for operating partners only) | The future 100-day plan recipe: operating partners share viewpoints
This session will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
- 100-day plans in a recessionary environment: how does your recipe change at this inflection point and what will the future look like?
- Fast start: coming out strong from day one in onboarding new portfolio companies even in the face of recent uncertainty
- Exposing the challenges of getting management to maintain focus in the first 100 days: what does your engagement model look like and how do you go about achieving alignment?
- How to prioritize and identify the most important value creation areas to focus on: what’s key for your first 100 days to convert to execution?
- Best practices for the first 30–100 days vs. 365+
- Day 1-100: structured approaches, pragmatic actions, tools, and resources to bring about rapid alignment and focus
Facilitators:
Neal Cao, Principal, Transaction Advisory Services, RSM US
Lane McDonald, Managing Director, Strategy and Operations, OMERS Private Equity
Interactive Working Group 4 (for operating partners only) | Creating carveouts and greenfields – the new reality to put capital to productive use
This session will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
- PE dry powder needs to be put to good use, but, with limited assets to buy or invest in, PE firms must be creative
- Deal teams and operating teams are confronted with the new challenge of formulating new businesses in the form of creative carveouts and greenfield startups
- Proactivity in identifying sectors, unmet needs, and building a business case and investment thesis will become more critical in the future
- Establishing a playbook to address these new challenges will differentiate one firm over another in the competitive PE space
Facilitator:
Paul Lennick, Senior Vice President M&A Services, ContinuServe

Networking Lunch
Women in PE and VC 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
Facilitators:
Melissa Mounce, Managing Director, Leadership Talent and Diversity, GTCR
Sponsored by:

Track 1 | Operationalizing data analytics playbooks and reporting to augment your decision making
- Using predictive analytics, and data integration for smarter decision making
- Advanced data science and predictive analytics to open up new revenue streams
- Looking at high value use cases per sector
- Managing cross functional data/KPIs and tying it to the company’s strategy
- PE portfolio management new tools: best methodologies for portfolio company reporting and benchmarking
- How do you help a company become more data-oriented? How do you avoid the pitfalls of sitting on data without operationalizing it?
- What has been the biggest challenge in collecting the “right” data? How are you dealing with it?
- Applying growth KPIs and ongoing metrics in different stages to track portco performance
Track 2 | Practical approaches for operating partners to improve the linkage between ESG and value creation
The pandemic, climate change, and both regulatory and LP pressure have combined to make ESG an inescapable item on the agenda of every PE fund. Here we will look at how your ESG efforts can, in this new environment, evolve from a risk mitigation and compliance exercise towards identifying and driving long-term value creation:
- ESG due diligence best practices: How are GPs viewing ESG through the lens of value creation? How is ESG influencing the investment thesis?
- Driving ESG performance across the portfolio: What are common areas of misunderstanding about the purpose of ESG? How are operating partners prioritizing ESG? Where are they finding value creation opportunities in climate, DEI, and talent management?
- Enabling resilience: How does ESG enhance a company’s relevance in turbulent markets and over the long-term?
- Role of ESG data: How are GPs standing up efficient and insightful ESG tracking across the portfolio? How are GPs balancing the needs of portfolio companies and LPs? How is ESG resulting in better decisions?
- ESG considerations for exit: How can ESG enhance a portfolio company’s equity story? Where are GPs focusing ESG efforts ahead of exit?
Moderator:
Tania Carnegie, Global and US Lead for ESG, Private Equity and Asset Management, KPMG
Panelists:
Donna Bebb, Head of ESG, Thoma Bravo
Amisha Parekh, Managing Director, Global Head of ESG for Private Equity, Blackstone

Track 3 | Better leadership: accelerate time to value across the deal cycle
- Custom fit your human capital playbook to optimize each stage of the investment – pre-deal, closing, 100 days, mid-deal, pre-exit, exit
- Practices for bettering executive team due diligence, pre-deal to post-close
- Even more ways to achieve max momentum in the first 100 days
- Drive exceptional outcomes on executive searches in the current business climate
- Using executive assessment as a strategic weapon
Moderator:
Kevin O’Neill, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Acertitude
Panelists:
Jamie Jacobs, Chief Talent Officer, Oak Hill Capital
Geoffrey Lurie, Managing Partner, Traub Capital Partners
Melissa Mounce, Managing Director, Leadership Talent and Diversity, GTCR
Track 4 | The changing lens of the CFO: building a financial survival kit for your portfolio companies
- Recession-proof your portfolio companies: understanding how a recession will impact the role of the CFO and what must be done
- Transforming finance from a cost-center into a value-creation engine
- Operating partners share extensive value creation experiences at portfolio companies in building out finance and accounting to position a company for scale and growth (especially over the last four months)
- Uncovering tools and tactics currently being employed in the market by finance executives and their PE partners to navigate their biggest challenges
- Understanding what a fully optimized F&A function might look like for companies at key inflection points in this environment and why this is critical to prioritizing the value creation plan
- Looking at concrete ways to mitigate risk and plan for best and worst-case recovery scenarios
Moderator:
Nick Leopard, CEO and Founder, Accordion

Track 5 | Delivering faster time to value through service transformation
This session will allow you to learn from companies that implemented service transformation with quick time-to-value and hear insights from key players responsible for sales and service excellence. Key points to be covered include:
- Planning, and project preparation recommended to deliver value quickly
- Service strategies with fast time-to-value
- Case example(s) of project end-to-end and financial impact
Track 6 | Building a culture of innovation: key success factors to transform your companies
- Best practices in driving innovation through people: how do you equip your people to deliver innovation and create an environment that nurtures their efforts?
- Understanding how sustainable innovation requires the right: leadership, processes, capabilities, resourcing, and culture
- Unlocking the right new technologies and tools to deliver value and drive revenue
- Understanding how to improve enterprise planning and automate processes
- Driving continuous innovation and augmented intelligence across the different functions
Track 7 | Critical dimensions in talent due diligence
- Explaining the dynamics of human capital diligence across all talent levels
- How best to partner with investment teams to fully understand human capital risks: how do you identify red flags during diligence?
- What role does human capital assessment/evaluation play in your firms overall due diligence process?
- In our current environment, what particular people dynamics do you pay attention to and track pre-transaction? What are the analytics you are using?
- Refining the toolkit: specifically addressing the broad range of deal dynamics which may dictate your approach in developing a human capital plan
- Can you share any “horror” stories of an investment thesis that went askew due to people issues?
- Can you share how the current environment has re-shaped the way you approach due diligence?
- Understanding turnover costs and right sizing it during diligence
Moderator:
Shannon Gabriel, Managing Director, Leadership Solutions, TBM Consulting Group
Panelists:
Drew Scielzo, Operating Partner, ACON Investments
Track 8 | Winning after the deal: the key to smooth post-acquisition integrations
- Achieving cohesion between the diligence phase and integration planning process to move toward long-term performance
- Effective synergy modelling, value capture and governance throughout the transaction lifecycle
- Effective talent management, communications, and culture alignment through the transaction lifecycle
- Getting the synergies right post acquisition and ensuring day 1 readiness through effective assessments, engagement, and strategy
- Developing 90–100 day integration playbooks: identifying the value drivers
- Mitigating risks through successful integration planning and execution support at the overall transaction level and at the functional levels
Moderator:
Scott McGurl, Principal, Strategy and Transactions, Grant Thornton
Panelists:
Jessica Castillo, Operating Partner, Sovereign’s Capital
Daniel Goetz, Managing Director – Value Creation, Siris Capital
Track 9 | Effectively managing healthcare across the portfolio: a Blackstone story
Healthcare is one of the largest challenges in the US; it’s typically the second biggest expense for companies behind only salaries. Here we will explore components of Blackstone’s platform and lay out six initiatives which do not rely on significant scale or healthcare expertise to drive exceptional outcomes to make healthcare healthier for the portfolio. PE and operating executives have a huge opportunity to make healthcare better when it comes to managing spending and keeping costs flat. Giving the HR leaders what they need for it and tracing the roadmap of what you can do will help you to think about enacting this change through:
- C-suite engagement
- Broker RFP/evaluations
- Carrier (insurer) RFP
- Leveraging pharmacy collectives and stoploss collectives
- Dependent eligibility audit
Presenter:
Andreas Mang, Senior Managing Director, Portfolio Operations, Blackstone

Track 10 | Leveraging technology and data to unlock value
- Identifying, quantifying, and enhancing conviction of digital opportunities during diligence
- Unlocking the value of existing data to drive behaviors and improve performance
- Enhancing the moments that matter in the value chain through digital enhancements to capture value across all stakeholder groups including customers, vendor partners, and talent and labor
Moderator:
Andy Johnson, Partner, Mergers & Acquisitions, West Monroe
Panelists:
Raj Kushwaha, Managing Director, Co-Head Value Creation and Chief Digital Officer, Warburg Pincus
Michael Song, Managing Director, Portfolio Operations, Providence Equity Partners
Track 11 | CFO-PE operating partner dynamics: critical factors in creating a value generating finance function
- Understanding how investor-backed CFOs are optimizing for growth
- Accelerating your finance value creation function through people, processes, and technology
- Sharing how CFOs of investor-backed businesses must adapt their finance and accounting functions to drive operational gains faster
- Creating an impactful portfolio company CFO: how can PE best support portco CFOs?
- Establishing roadmaps for CFOs: expectations vs. reality
- Finance and accounting reporting and assessment best practices
Panelists:
Evan Lorch, Operating Partner, Francisco Partners Consulting

Track 12
Track 13 | Riding the talent wave into 2023 and beyond: an inside look at challenges and opportunities for PE
During economically challenging times, companies find themselves whipsawed from feast to famine when it comes to resourcing their work. In the short term, hiring freezes and layoffs create delivery problems. This leads to more emphasis on operating expense budgeting until the next wave of adding back employees commences.
This panel will discuss how leaders ride this wave, create value through it all and emerge stronger on the other side. Key points to be covered include:
- Hiring freezes, spending limitations, and layoffs: operating partners share lessons learned from previous downturns
- How to deliver speed during times of constraint: how can companies stay fast while operating under constraints?
- Sharing innovative ways companies are solving talent challenges in the current environment: what leadership skills are necessary in this operating context?
Moderator:
Tony Buffum, Vice President of HR Client Strategy, Upwork

Track 14 | Operating partners: what does your tech scorecard look like in a downturn?
- Operating partners share key tech portfolio initiatives being delivered in a downturn
- What can tech and tech operations do to protect EBITDA?
- How the profile of tech-spending changes during a downturn?
- Looking at steps to remedy: how to transform from problem solving to maximizing value in the years to come
Moderator:
Aswatha “Amar” Amarnath, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Sales Operations, Wipro

Track 15 | Optimizing revenue across the full bowtie: driving sustainable growth during a downturn
In order to maximize recurring revenue and increase efficiency and productivity, the most successful companies are employing a full funnel strategy, using a ‘bowtie’ rather than ‘funnel’ and applying a common operating system across Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success.
The panel will cover the current market, and the strategies PE operating partners are applying to drive sustainable growth during turbulence such as:
- How to achieve sustainable growth, rather than growth at all costs
- How to improve revenue productivity per rep, rather than hiring more reps
- What it really means to have a shared methodology and common language across Marketing, Sales, and Customer Success
- How to optimize recurring revenue from existing customers
- Developing an action plan by company stage to drive sustainable growth
Moderator:
Lauren Goldstein, Private Equity Practice Lead, Winning by Design

Track 16 | Navigating supply chain disruptions: a first-hand look at PE responses and initiatives
- Uncovering severe supply chain disruptions that have had significant impacts on timely delivery and product costs
- How is inflation/price inflation affecting distribution costs and your supply chain strategy overall?
- What new/recent strategies have you adopted to enhance resiliency and meet customer demand?
- Are you looking at more solutions in region for your region?
- How have constraints affected your ability to grow and drive innovation in companies?
- What are some innovative examples of supply chain management that worked through the pandemic?
- Supply chain cost optimization in this environment: individual company vs. cross-portfolio programs
Moderator:
Jake Wojcik, Executive Vice President, Insight Sourcing Group and SpendHQ
Panelists:
Rami Cassis, Founder and CEO, Parabellum Investments
Gabriel Mesanza, Partner, Resource Group, Huron Capital
Jud Morrison, Operating Partner, The Sterling Group
Zaid Nesheiwat, Vice President, Portfolio Operations, ORIX Capital Partners





Networking coffee break
Interactive Working Group 5 (for operating partners only) | Uncovering the keys to operational improvement success factors
This session will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
ERP implementation alone does not equate to operational improvement. Operational improvement is far more nuanced and involves the effective balancing of technology, management, and human capital elements. Achieving true operational improvement requires the implementation of a robust ERP ecosystem that serves as a technology backbone to support optimized business processes that are supported by an effective change management strategy, an accountable management team and capable and well-trained users.
This interactive roundtable will explore the keys to operational improvement success in terms of both technology and general operational improvement transformations by looking at:
- Realistic expectation setting and effective change management strategy
- Sound implementation partner and methodology advice
- The importance of data migration strategy and timing
- Successful blueprinting, testing, and training planning approaches
- Cutover planning tips
- Maintenance and support planning best practices
Facilitators:
Alex Olano, CEO and Managing Partner, Trajectory
Kyle Sarausky, Former Operating Partner
Interactive Working Group 6 (for operating partners only) | An inside look at the metaverse and what the future holds for PE operating partners
This session will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
- Understanding what the metaverse means to you in your value creation journey as an operating partner
- Uncovering key elements in looking at the enterprise, consumer, and infrastructure side
- How the metaverse ties in with ongoing IT trends like IoT, AR/VR, and gaming
- Sharing what will be needed from a data and network functionality perspective to meet the consumer side
- Understanding different use cases for the metaverse by industry and customer segment
- Grasping the importance of having the right infrastructure in place to meet the required level of interaction and experience within the metaverse
- In what ways will it impact and influence PE and your future tech roadmap
Facilitators:
Sebastian de Meel, Partner, PwC
Karl Meyer, Managing Director and Head of Portfolio Operations, Digital Alpha
Interactive Working Group 7 (for operating partners only) | Human capital strategies for mitigating risk and driving growth throughout the investment lifecycle
This session will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
- Underwriting and assessing human capital impact during diligence – 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 – and how to identify development opportunities that will have outsized impact on performance
- Leveraging outcomes and human capital excellence to achieve exit premiums – maximizing the return on your development investment
Facilitator:
Matt Brubaker, CEO, FMG Leading

Interactive Working Group 8 (for operating partners only) | When supply chains fail: how to fix them and make them more resilient for the future
This session will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
Operating Partners Forum Grand Reception
Agenda
Day 2 - Thursday 20th
Registration and breakfast
Breakfast deep dive discussion (invitation-only for operating partners) | Working with CEOs: dos and don’ts
- Setting up productive relationships with CEOs across the deal lifecycle: managing tension and helping to bridge alignment
- How to best partner with CEOs in creating value in a recessionary environment
- If you had to hire a new CEO today what profile and characteristics would you prefer?
- Supporting new CEOs as well as CEOs new to PE to help them operate at full power
- How do you do good CEO performance reviews: what is the right process for it
- What does the next generation CEO look like? What can be done to identify that next generation and coach them?
- Sharing of lessons learned and do overs: what works and what doesn’t?
Facilitators:
Ted Bililies, Managing Director and Chief Talent Officer, AlixPartners
Clark Perry, Director, AlixPartners
Hosted by:
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 submit topics to be introduced by the facilitators and discussed in the room. It will allow you to select one of the rooms:
Room 1: Digital and Technology Operating Partners
Facilitators:
Lee McCabe, Operating Partner, AEA Investors
Carsten Weber, Technology Director, The Sterling Group
Room 2: Human Capital/Talent Operating Partners
Facilitator:
Christopher Kim, Principal, Head of Human Capital, Platinum Equity
Room 3: Sales and Revenue Growth Operating Partners
Chairman’s welcome
Chairman:
Tim Sanders, Vice President, Client Strategy, Upwork

The modern use of data analytics in accelerating revenue growth
- Looking at breakthrough use cases such as predictive targeting to more optimally allocate sales time
- Using data to plan cross selling initiatives and to detect behaviors that suggest coming customer attrition
- Building the necessary skill sets and tools to support data analytics and insights
Moderator:
Jim Corey, Managing Partner, Blue Ridge Partners

The evolution of value creation: PE operating partners compare models
- Comparing operating partner models: how are operating partner models evolving in PE and at your firm? How is the operating model different/unique at your firm?
- Comparing team designs/structures from generalists to functional specialists
- How to deploy an operating team throughout the phases of the investment lifecycle
- What types of companies/industries does your model work well in and not work well in?
- Embedding your deal teams in your operating model: bridging the gap between the investment teams’ model and what happens in reality
- Making the “magic quadrant” work: how the deal partner, operating partner, CEO, and board can work together to deliver value creation
- Uncovering where successful operating partner teams focus their attention: value creation team processes, resources, and playbooks
- What does your engagement approach with portfolio companies look like? How is the engagement approach changing? How do you build trust?
Fireside chat: Underwriting for growth in times of economic uncertainty
- How will changes in valuations impact the hurdle for investing in capital projects?
- If hold periods become extended, what opportunities and challenges does this represent?
- With thinner margins for error, what controls can be put in place to monitor costs and transformation outcomes?
- The ability for a portfolio company to react quickly to market conditions is more important than ever but agility is not easily quantified. Discuss successful ways to value and enable business agility.
- Despite the economic slowdown, there is still expected to be a talent gap for the foreseeable future in areas like digital transformation and machine learning. What are some effective strategies that help mitigate this risk? What role does automation play?
- How does the role of partners change in this new climate?
Presenters:
Martin Taylor, Managing Director and President of OneVista, Vista Equity Partners
Paul Zimmerman, Managing Director, Global Private Equity, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
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
- Engaging with companies to successfully execute pricing projects
- Aligning value delivered with willingness-to-pay by using strategic pricing and packaging for longer-term pricing change
- Leveraging segmentation, value positioning, and value communication to improve and sustain price realization in the medium-term
- Using data and other tools for better pricing and adjustments
Networking break
Interactive Working Group 9 (for operating partners only) | Value creation for employee benefits and risk programs: strategies to create sustainable value inside your portfolios across the entire lifecycle
This session will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
- Remove excess costs and waste from employee benefits programs without cost-shifting, plan degradation, or member disruption
- Learn how to take back and maintain control of your benefits program with a best-in-class governance framework
- Discover ways to evaluate commercial insurance programs for coverage enhancements, savings opportunities, and market checks
- See what an optimal sourcing process entails for both risk management and benefits programs
Facilitators:
Todd Miller, CEO, Risk International
John Weaver, Senior Director, Risk International
Interactive Working Group 10 (for operating partners only) | Cybersecurity: operating partners share war stories
This session will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
- How to raise your standards in the current cyber epidemic in working with your portfolio companies and their functional areas of business?
- How do you define good cybersecurity? What is enough security? How prescriptive are you on cybersecurity?
- Cyber assessments and resource allocation: how is security diligence changing?
- How do you engage with portfolio company teams about cyber?
- First-hand stories in dealing with cybersecurity breaches: what to do and what not to do
- What are current implications for PE when it comes to cyber in the changing geopolitical and financial world? How are these challenges being met?
- Cost effective portfolio security measures and risk management
- Addressing cyber liability insurance carrier requirements
Facilitators:
Chris Hueneke, Chief Information Security Officer, RKON
Marcos Marrero, Chief Information Security Officer, H.I.G. Capital

Interactive Working Group 11 (for operating partners only) | Digital transformation dos and don’ts across different industries: operating partners share specific elements
This session will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
- What are the boundaries of Digital, and what does it mean to Digitally transform?
- What are the 2 – 3 plays that drive the most value with regard to Digital in your Industry/Sector?
- How do you approach Digital transformation in the transaction lifecycle…when do you asses, design, implement and how do you sequence this relative to other activities?
- What are the biggest challenges and opportunities in driving Digital (people, process, technology, adoption)
- Where’s the tipping point with regard to value creation vs not worth the effort (i.e. are you up for the tough Tech projects and multi-year efforts)
- What are the examples or stories that really showcase success?
Facilitators:
Ryan Jones, Principal and Private Equity Leader, Deloitte Consulting
Kevin Newman, Principal – Private Equity, Deloitte Consulting
Interactive Working Group 12 (for operating partners only)
This session will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
Networking Lunch
Track 17 | Improving lives and the bottom line: EBITDA growth through healthcare navigation
The next few years will provide significant challenges for companies to manage medical costs while supporting employee health. Learn how a leading technology company provides solutions to questions such as:
- How can CFOs break the cycle of medical spend creep?
- Can your portfolio executives improve employee engagement while simultaneously eliminating wasted spend?
- Healthcare navigation: balancing employee needs with financial realities
- Can CHROs/CFOs change the model of health insurance to improve outcomes & employee satisfaction – while driving EBITDA?
Moderator:
Todd Grove, Vice President, Private Equity, Quantum Health

Track 18 | Maximizing ESG impact across your portfolio’s supply chain
- Procurement’s role in achieving sustainability goals, while reducing costs, managing risk and improving your 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 emissions throughout the supply chain across portfolio companies
- Delivering on supplier diversity and inclusive procurement practices with an ESG framework
- Uncovering data and key metrics in supplier diversity and ESG for the supply chain
Track 19
Track 20 | Leveraging strategic providers and partnerships in driving value creation across the portfolio
- Understanding why partnerships for value creation should not be limited to only procurement/preferred pricing/savings although this is an important benefit of establishing these partnerships
- Vetting vendor partners to identify leaders in what they do as part of the initial alignment before deploying them into the portfolio community
- Creating a framework for how you engage/work with your partner network in identifying opportunities for optimization and value creation
- Setting expectations and communicating effectively to keep your partner network working within the framework and guidelines of your operating strategies
- Monitoring and tracking your successes and impacts to the business
Track 21 | Key considerations in commercial due diligence: operating partners share their thoughts
- Understanding how to make your companies more successful early on in looking at how customers think
- Sharing thoughts on how effective design of commercial due diligence makes you a better PE owner
- Unlocking capabilities in commercial diligence to enable key growth decisions post acquisition
- Uncovering key commercial diligence considerations in looking at your: market, customers, competitors, the resiliency of your target companies, key value generation and integration initiatives
Panelist:
Christopher Young, Managing Director, Operations and Strategy, OMERS Private Equity

Track 22
Track 23 | Building an effective talent function for your PE firms and portfolio companies
- How operating teams are using talent to drive value creation plans: what does your model look like?
- What makes a great PE talent partner/human capital operating partner team? What will the future role of the human capital operating partner look like?
- What does transforming your talent function look like?
- Best practices in finding transformational talent across key functional areas (not just the CEO and CFO)
- Rapid acceleration of the talent value creation plan: sharing what must be done
- Sharing creative practices that talent functions are embarking on with the competitiveness and challenges there are now in looking at talent
Moderator:
Shannon Carlson, Principal, Private Equity, Beecher Reagan
Panelists:
Christopher Grillo, Private Equity Vice President, Partners Group
Jimmy Holloran, Partner, ParkerGale Capital
Track 24 | 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
- Multi-cloud vs. single cloud vs. hybrid cloud
- Understanding the financial aspects of strategic cloud partnerships on revenue and costs
- Looking at the challenges of building and hiring cloud expertise in your companies: how are you dealing with it?
Moderator:
Rohini Williams, Global Head – Private Equity Relations, Infosys

Operating partner-leadership team alignment to rapidly accelerate the value creation plan
- Understanding why it is now essential to rapidly accelerate value creation and transform companies faster
- Fast start: coming out strong from day one in onboarding new portfolio companies (even in the face of recent uncertainty)
- Accelerating management team performance post transaction: how to do it quickly and robustly for it to have an ongoing impact in the lifecycle sooner and sooner
- Aligning value initiatives with management: how do you influence CEOs/management teams? How do you get management teams aligned when shifting management teams?
- Engaging with your portfolio companies throughout the investment lifecycle: how do you get them to let go of the reigns? How do you build trust to be able to scale faster?
- Looking at executing in the four phases: the legacy team, the middle management team to get where needed, the more specialized team, and the exit phase
Panelists:
Kenneth Horne, Director of Portfolio Operations, Spring Lane Capital
Roya Rashtchi, Vice President, Portfolio Operations, Arcline Investment Management

Closing remarks and end of conference
Pre-Event Resources
2022 Speakers
For speaking opportunities, contact Marc Mele at marc.m@peimedia.com or call +1 646 581 9295.

Aswatha "Amar" Amarnath
Senior Vice President and Head of Global Sales Operations, Wipro

Lisa Baldwin
Operating Executive, Evergreen Coast Capital

Ted Bililies
Managing Director and Chief Talent Officer, AlixPartners

Prashanth (PV) Bóccasam
Partner, Cota Capital

Matt Brubaker
CEO, FMG Leading

Tony Buffum
Vice President of HR Client Strategy, Upwork

Neal Cao
Principal, Transaction Advisory Services, RSM US

Rami Cassis
Founder and CEO, Parabellum Investments

Jessica Castillo
Operating Partner, Sovereign's Capital

Jim Corey
Managing Partner, Blue Ridge Partners

Sebastian de Meel
Partner, PwC

David Feierstein
Managing Partner, Ronin Equity Partners

Thomas Fountain
Operating Partner, One Rock Capital Partners

Shannon Gabriel
Managing Director, Leadership Solutions, TBM Consulting Group

Daniel Goetz
Managing Director – Value Creation, Siris Capital

Lauren Goldstein
Private Equity Practice Lead, Winning by Design

Christopher Grillo
Private Equity Vice President, Partners Group

Dan Hawkins
Founder and CEO, Summit Leadership Partners

Jimmy Holloran
Operating Partner, ParkerGale Capital

Kenneth Horne
Director of Portfolio Operations, Spring Lane Capital

Chris Hueneke
Chief Information Security Officer, RKON

Jamie Jacobs
Chief Talent Officer, Oak Hill Capital

Andy Johnson
Partner, Mergers & Acquisitions, West Monroe

Kevin Kerby
Operating Partner, Bain Capital

Christopher Kim
Principal, Head of Human Capital, Platinum Equity

Bobbi Kommineni
Operating Partner, Terminus Capital Partners

Sachin Korantak
Partner, Conditor Capital

Raj Kushwaha
Managing Director, Co-Head Value Creation and Chief Digital Officer, Warburg Pincus

Markus Lahrkamp
Managing Director, Alvarez & Marsal

Paul Lennick
Senior Vice President, M&A Services, ContinuServe

Nick Leopard
CEO and Founder, Accordion

Geoffrey Lurie
Managing Partner, Traub Capital Partners

Andreas Mang
Senior Managing Director, Portfolio Operations, Blackstone

Lee McCabe
Operating Partner, AEA Investors

Lane McDonald
Managing Director, OMERS Private Equity

Scott McGurl
Principal, Strategy and Transactions, Grant Thornton

Gabriel Mesanza
Partner, Resource Group

Karl Meyer
Managing Director and Head of Portfolio Operations, Digital Alpha

Todd Miller
CEO, Risk International

Sean Mooney
Founder and CEO, BluWave

Jud Morrison
Operating Partner, The Sterling Group

Melissa Mounce
Managing Director, Leadership Talent and Diversity, GTCR

Martin Mumford
Operating Partner, Angeles Equity Partners

Zaid Nesheiwat
Vice President, Portfolio Operations, ORIX Capital Partners

Beth Neumann
Partner, Head of Portfolio Operations, Kelso & Company

Alex Olano
CEO and Managing Partner, Trajectory

Kevin O’Neill
Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Acertitude

Amisha Parekh
Managing Director, Global Head of ESG for Private Equity, Blackstone

Clark Perry
Director, AlixPartners

Jessica Pizzo
Resource Partner, Court Square Capital Partners

Jorge Rosales
Senior Vice President, Growth Team, Serent Capital

Tim Sanders
Vice President, Client Strategy, Upwork

Kyle Sarausky
Former Operating Partner , Parthenon Capital

Drew Scielzo
Operating Partner, ACON Investments

Steven Siwinski
Operating Principal, Accel-KKR

Michael Song
Managing Director, Portfolio Operations, Providence Equity Partners

Joanne Taylor
Director, AlixPartners

Martin Taylor
Managing Director and President of OneVista, Vista Equity Partners

Kush Tulsidas
Operating Partner, One Rock Capital Partners

John Weaver
Senior Director, Risk International

Ken Weaver
Managing Director, TVV Capital

Carsten Weber
Technology Director, The Sterling Group

Jon Weber
Global Head of Portfolio Operations, Elliott Management Corporation

Rohini Williams
Global Head - Private Equity Relations, Infosys

Jake Wojcik
Executive Vice President, Insight Sourcing Group and SpendHQ

Christopher Young
Managing Director, Operations and Strategy, OMERS Private Equity

Cici Zheng
Partner, ParkerGale Capital

Paul Zimmerman
Managing Director, Global Private Equity, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
2022 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.
Venue and hotel
Convene
117 West 46th Street
New York, 10036
Kimpton Muse Hotel
130 West 46th Street
New York, 10036
We have reserved a room block at the hotel for all attendees with a discounted rate. To reserve your room at the hotel please use the link above before September 27.
Explore our exclusive operating partner only networking
Operating Partner exclusive networking events are taking place throughout the Forum. The Forum provides operating partners with opportunities each day to network and share thoughts with peers. Explore the various types of activities and sessions provided to discuss value creation and network with your peers:
Pre-event Operating Partners Networking Welcome Reception on October 18
5:30 – 8:00 pm: Operating Partners welcome cocktail reception (invitation-only)
Venue: TBA
Join the PE operating partners attending the Operating Partners Forum New York in a casual gathering to see old friends and meet new operating partners.
Women in PE and VC Portfolio Operations Dinner on October 18
8:00-9:30 pm: Women in PE and VC Portfolio Operations Dinner (invitation-only)
Venue: TBA
Join PEI and RSM as we welcome the women in PE and VC portfolio operations attending the Operating Partners Forum New York for a private sit-down dinner to facilitate networking before the conference.
Operating Partners Forum Grand Reception on October 19
5:40-6:40 pm: Operating Partners Forum Grand Reception
Venue: Convene, 117 W 46th St.
A casual cocktail reception to chat with your operating partner peers. Enjoy the signature cocktails after long discussions on day one.
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 discussion
Join fellow operating partners for a portfolio operations breakfast deep dive discussion (invitation-only).