Private Equity
International
International
Operating Partners Forum New York 2021
20 - 21 October 2021,
Convene, 117 W 46th St, New York
This event is now part of the Operating Partners All Access membership
An Operating Partners All Access membership is a new way to keep a global network of operating partners in the know with high-level content and networking across the year.
The Operating Partners Forum New York is now just one of the many essential updates we’ll give you throughout the year with your Operating Partners All Access membership.
The largest global event for private equity value creation
Now in its eleventh year, Private Equity International’s Operating Partners Forum New York is the world’s largest event dedicated to generalist and specialist operating partners focused on best practices in private equity portfolio operations and value creation.
The operating partner community will come together at a crucial time in history to discuss and debate plans and actions in dealing with reset strategies for growth post-crisis. Join the largest community of operating partners to discuss key initiatives and ideas at a critical time for portfolio valuations in impacting fund returns.
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 450+ top value creators
Meet with the largest community of operational experts in one place over 3 days.
Learn key strategies for cross-portfolio initiatives
Find the right tools and knowledge to create value.
2021 Agenda at a glance
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
Attendees included
Testimonials
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.
Your membership includes:
Operating Partners All Access is a service that connects you to the people and resources that can help guide you through today’s ever-changing nuances of doing your job, year-round.
This Forum is one of the many essential updates we’ll give you throughout the year with your Operating Partners All Access membership. All event attendees must be members.
Please note annual agenda is subject to change
Discover best practices and ideas at a critical time for portfolio valuations at the industry’s first virtual event for private equity value creators
All sessions, idea forums and interactive meetings are uniquely designed to solve your toughest challenges during the covid-19 crisis & beyond.
See for yourself how the Operating Partners Virtual Forum will work.
Available from anywhere & on-demand for 12 months.
Leading thought-provoking operating partner experts — all NEWLY updated!
Without ever leaving the comfort and security of your home, you can enjoy ALL the 100 + value creation experts sharing their practical guidance. Plus, you can participate in audience Q&A, polls, and download content and papers with just a few clicks
You also get:
- Built-in calendar to create your own daily schedule so you don’t miss your favorite sessions
- Automated reminders
- Polling and surveys
- On-demand playback gives you access to select sessions for up to 6 months
Network & build key relationships
Online networking can never replace face-to-face interaction, but done right, it can provide a very effective way for people to build their professional relationships and knowledge. At an in-person event, you get 2 days of engagement. With the Operating Partners Forum New York, you get an active virtual community.
Take advantage of these benefits:
- Attendee and Operating Partner directories: Use our searchable directory of our delegates, solution providers and speakers, so you can quickly find the right people and companies to connect with.
- Private messaging: Reach out privately and directly online (without having to expose email and phone number to “the world”)
- Virtual Meet-ups: Pre-schedule multi-person video conferences or one on one type meetups, allowing you to connect and talk about topics of interest.
Meet with the country’s leading solution providers in our virtual tradeshow
Just like any convention, you have the opportunity to meet with exhibitors and sponsors, browse the trade show, and chat with solution providers. You get all these features without ever stepping outside your front door. A searchable keyword index helps attendees you find the exhibitors and sponsors who are most relevant.
Other features include:
- Virtual tradeshow: See what solutions and ideas exhibitors and sponsors provide to help you better serve your employees and your members.
- Automated reminders
- Online meetings with exhibitors: Easily “request information” from exhibiting companies and share your information similar to having your badge scanned at a live event.
2020 Agenda
For speaking opportunities, contact Marc Mele at marc.m@peimedia.com or call +1 646 581 9295.
View agenda page
Agenda
Day 1 - Wednesday 14th
Invitation-only think tank
09:30 - 10:25
Human capital operating partners think tank (invitation-only)
Kelly Carlson,
Dayton Ogden,
Alice Mann,
Steven Maxwell
Invitation-only think tank for full-time PE and VC operating partners and talent partners. This closed-door virtual room will allow you to learn and share best practices in human capital, talent management and recruiting operations. It will uncover this year’s new challenges in human capital. The think tank will allow you to submit topics to be introduced by the facilitators and discussed in the room.
Room 1
Facilitators:
Kelly Carlson, Managing Director, Head of Talent, STG Partners
Dayton Ogden, Head of Talent and Recruiting, Summit Partners
Room 2
Facilitators:
Alice Mann, Operating Partner, Blue Wolf Capital Partners
Steven Maxwell, Senior Vice President, Portfolio Human Capital, Audax Group
Operating Partners Human Capital Forum: Plenary sessions
10:25 - 10:30
PEI’s welcome and opening remarks
10:30 - 11:10
Talent recruitment best practices in the post COVID-19 world and beyond
Charles Egoville,
Sean Dougherty,
Ben Holzemer,
Melissa Mounce,
Glenn Stevens
- Recruiting talent during and after COVID-19: how companies will recruit talent differently from different parts of the world
- Transitioning to virtual workforce recruitment: utilizing the hottest technology & state of the art resources for talent acquisition, assessment & development
- How AI and big data can help you win the talent war
- Profit through people: what recruiting processes are generating returns
- What is the biggest hinderance to recruiting top tier talent in your portfolio companies nowadays?
- Evaluating and selecting search firms
- What levels in the organization does your PE firm get involved in talent and leadership selection?
Moderator:
Charles Egoville, Partner, JM Search
Panelists:
Sean Dougherty, Vice President, Talent and Operations, Inverness Graham Investments
Ben Holzemer, Partner, Global Head of Human Capital, TPG Global
Melissa Mounce, Managing Director, Leadership Talent, GTCR
Glenn Stevens, Partner, Talent Management, Apollo Global Management
11:10 - 11:50
A spotlight on culture — critical steps for PE firms and their portcos to successfully execute strategy
Ted Bililies,
Doron Grosman,
Kathy Krone,
Ann McCloskey
- Getting smart about cultural assessments: using today’s tools during the due diligence and post deal periods
- Grasping the complex interplay between leadership, talent, corporate culture, and investment strategy
- What beliefs, values, and behaviors should senior leaders embody to transform cultures
- Assessing leaders’ speed and ability in executing strategy defined by the PE sponsor
- Understanding which elements of a company’s culture should be sustained and which must change to support the investment thesis
- Understanding forces and trends that are transforming businesses in a digital and virtual world
Moderator:
Ted Bililies, Managing Director and Chief Talent Officer, AlixPartners
Panelists:
Doron Grosman, President and CEO, Global Container Terminals
Kathy Krone, Managing Director, Thomas H. Lee Partners
Ann McCloskey, Operating Principal, Accel-KKR
Functional breakouts I
11:50 - 12:20
Track 1: Transitioning to a virtual workforce: leveraging unified communications
John Broderick,
Karim Fattal,
Natalie Ings
- What is unified communications and why it is important
- The future of work: understanding how to take an onsite workforce and put them in ideal conditions to work remotely via virtual platforms
- How portfolio company executives are working/communicating in the current environment and what works best
- Operating partner stories: how to help manage your portfolio via cloud communications
- Cloud communications in a global, mobile workplace: integration with core cloud business systems
- How can your PE firm and portfolio companies best leverage these technologies to improve communications and operations while also cutting costs?
Panelists:
John Broderick, Operating Partner, Argosy Private Equity
Karim Fattal, Chief Operating Officer, HOF Capital
Natalie Ings, Managing Director, Portfolio Solutions, Lightyear Capital
11:50 - 12:20
Track 2: Workforce analytics: uncovering initiatives in people data science
Guy Barnes,
Merche del Valle,
Elizabeth Wallace
- Key perspectives in understanding the role of data in a post pandemic world
- Utilizing workforce analytics to quantify performance improvement across the portfolio: what tools have you used to effectively analyse team dynamics and make comparisons of management capability across your assets
- Innovations in “people data science” to uncover hidden patterns in data to make you reconsider how you pay, retain, incentivize, and engage your employees
- People assessment best practices during the due diligence phase
- Leadership assessments: getting leadership right and understanding governance as a key value creation lever
Moderator:
Guy Barnes, Managing Partner, Acertitude
Panelists:
Merche del Valle, Managing Director and Chief Talent Officer, Grain Management
Elizabeth Wallace, Head of Portfolio Talent, Hg
Functional breakouts II
12:20 - 12:50
Track 3: Tackling diversity and inclusion at your portfolio companies
Kerensa Butler,
Kara Helander
- What is holding PE back from achieving diversity?
- What are you doing at your companies to tackle diversity and open dialogue? What specific initiatives/programs have you taken that were successful?
- How are companies leveraging data to augment their efforts with portfolio companies?
- KPIs for diversity: measuring effectiveness
- Diversity and leadership: what can be done better? How are you thinking about diversity of boards?
Presenters:
Kerensa Butler, National Pride Employee Network Group (ENG) Leader, Partner, RSM
Kara Helander, Managing Director, Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer, The Carlyle Group
12:20 - 12:50
Track 4: Exploring talent growth opportunities within carve-out deals internationally
Todd Goffman,
Christopher Kim
- Uncovering the top challenges associated with carve-outs in onboarding and keeping talent on an international scale
- Looking at roadblocks when onboarding new employees in countries where their company does not have an established entity and isn’t registered to run payroll
- How to cut down complexity and notorious lag time while staying compliant
Presenters:
Todd Goffman, General Counsel, Globalization Partners
Christopher Kim, Senior Vice President, Platinum Equity
Operating Partners Human Capital Forum: Plenary session
12:50 - 13:20
How to recruit brilliant CFOs, and unleash the CFO-CEO-OP partnership
Kevin O'Neill,
Chris Kitching,
Kristin Brown Patrick,
Achi Yaffe,
Arthur Zuckerman
- What makes an ideal private equity CFO?
- How has the portfolio company CFO role evolved?
- Identifying and attracting in-demand CFOs
- Setting CFOs up for success
- Succeeding in the matrix: the CFO-CEO-OP partnership
Moderator:
Kevin O’Neill, Managing Partner and Co-Lead, Private Equity Practice, Acertitude
Panelists:
Chris Kitching, Operating Partner, HighBar Partners
Kristin Brown Patrick, Senior Operating Partner, Human Capital, New State Capital Partners
Achi Yaffe, Managing Director, Portfolio Operations, GI Partners
Arthur Zuckerman, Partner, CFO, CCO and Head of Portfolio Operations, Soundcore Capital Partners
Arthur Zuckerman
Partner, CFO, CCO and Head of Portfolio Operations, Soundcore Capital Partners, LLC
Read bio
Invitation-only women’s lunch
12:50 - 13:50
Women in PE & VC portfolio operations lunch (invitation-only)
Tracey Abbott,
Melissa Dickerson,
Leslie Nielson
This closed-door discussion will explore what it’s like being a woman in PE & 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 & VC
Facilitators:
Tracey Abbott, Industry Value Creation, Portfolio Operations, Partners Group
Melissa Dickerson, Chief Financial Officer & Managing Director, Operations, Genstar Capital
Leslie Nielson, Managing Director, Alvarez and Marsal
Sponsored by:
Virtual networking and extended interactive live Q&A
13:20 - 13:50
Virtual networking lunch and extended interactive live Q&A
(Please use this time as an opportunity to connect with conference attendees and sponsors via the video chat function one-on-one or as a small group.)
Please join one of these sessions if interested in a follow-up interactive discussion with extended live Q&A:
Roundtable 1: Talent recruitment best practices in the post COVID-19 world and beyond
Roundtable 2: A spotlight on culture — critical steps for PE firms and their portcos to successfully execute strategy
Roundtable 3: Transitioning to a virtual workforce: leveraging unified communications
Roundtable 4: Tackling diversity and inclusion at your portfolio companies
Roundtable 5: Exploring talent growth opportunities within carve-out deals internationally
Roundtable 6: How to recruit brilliant CFOs, and unleash the CFO-CEO-OP partnership
Operating Partners Forum: Plenary sessions
13:50 - 14:30
The unique challenges of managing revenue growth during the COVID-19 era
Jim Corey,
Geoffrey Baird,
Jim Howland,
Jerry Hughes,
Kate Rubenstein
- Understanding shifts in customer demand caused by COVID-19
- Focusing on customers that will be “winners” since they are most likely to drive volume growth
- Managing and supporting virtual sales organizations
- Rethinking the structure and economics of your go-to-market model
- Retaining and attracting the best talent
- Dissecting the economics and ROI of selling
Moderator:
Jim Corey, Managing Partner, Blue Ridge Partners
Panelists:
Geoffrey Baird, Senior Managing Director of Value Creation, LLR Partners
Jim Howland, Managing Director and Head of Portfolio Operations, Morgan Stanley Capital Partners
Jerry Hughes, Director, Commercial Excellence, American Securities
Kate Rubenstein, Managing Director, Portfolio Operations, Blackstone
Jim Howland
Managing Director and Head of Portfolio Operations, Morgan Stanley Capital Partners
Read bio
14:30 - 15:00
Due diligence done right: uncovering opportunities in a challenging year
John Iwanski,
Andrew Dunn,
Ignacio Giraldo,
Trent Hickman,
Michael Lyons
- New challenges: assessing management teams/opportunities without face to face
- Understanding where the opportunities lie in looking at distressed investments and the future of economic growth
- How are operating teams working effectively with investment teams?
- Cost savings identification practices in due diligence
- Understanding what to expect for valuations and the unique advantages to go after
- Coming out of the crisis, how do you think PE’s behavior will change across strategy/deal making, portfolio diversification, extent of due diligence?
Moderator:
John Iwanski, Executive Managing Director, Riveron
Panelists:
Andrew Dunn, Managing Director, One Equity Partners
Ignacio Giraldo, Partner, TPG Growth
Trent Hickman, Managing Director, Veronis Suhler Stevenson (VSS)
Michael Lyons, President, Lincolnshire Management
Functional breakouts III
15:00 - 15:30
Track 5: Navigating the supply chain in today’s waters
Wendy Buxton,
Scot Duncan,
Stephen Parks
- Sharing supply chain disruption stories and post-COVID best practices
- How will the global supply chains of your portfolio companies change? What are the business implications?
- Supply chain cost optimization: individual company vs. cross-portfolio programs
- What has been the main focus of your companies’ supply chain programs? How have your companies used supply chain cost savings to drive growth?
- Leveraging technology & data to enhance your global supply chain process in today’s fast paced e-commerce world
- Strategic sourcing strategies to be most effective in your sector
Moderator:
Wendy Buxton, President, LynnCo Supply Chain Solutions
Panelists:
Scot Duncan, Partner and Co-Founder, MiddleGround Capital
Stephen Parks, Partner, Topspin Consumer Partners
15:00 - 15:30
Track 6: The family investor’s view: hands-on operators with a long-term horizon
Paul Carbone,
David Gau
- Lessons learned from Pritzker Private Capital’s experience building an operations team for long-duration investing and a family platform
- How family direct investing’s unique approach to flexible capital, hands-on operations expertise and sector-specific focus can deliver long-term value to companies, particularly during times of market volatility
- Honoring the family’s legacy and reputation is critical to success when partnering with family-owned or founder-led businesses
- How do I evaluate if this is the right team for the next 15 years? Strategies for identifying and cultivating operations talent for the long-term
Presenters:
Paul Carbone, President and Managing Partner, Pritzker Private Capital
David Gau, Partner, Head of Operations, Pritzker Private Capital
Operating Partners Forum: Plenary session
15:30 - 16:10
Keynote Panel: Top trends that will shape private equity in the coming years
Andrew Wilson,
Rich Lawson,
T.J. Maloney,
Mark Sotir
- Identifying and discussing the emerging trends and disruptive factors that will have the largest impact on private equity in the coming years
- Estimating when these changes may really begin to take effect and the severity of their impact across various industries
- Providing guidance on how private equity companies can adapt to these imminent changes and utilize unconventional strategies to stay ahead
Moderator:
Andrew Wilson, Vice President, Private Equity and M&A, Global Upside
Panelists:
Rich Lawson, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and Co-Founder, HGGC
T.J. Maloney, Chairman and CEO, Lincolnshire Management
Mark Sotir, President, Equity Group Investments
Deep dive invitation-only discussion
16:10 - 16:50
Deep dive discussion: Pricing strategy (invitation-only)
Brad Soper
Facilitator:
Brad Soper, Partner, Simon-Kucher & Partners
Hosted by:
Virtual networking reception and extended interactive live Q&A
16:10 - 17:10
Virtual networking reception and extended interactive live Q&A
(Please use this time as an opportunity to connect with conference attendees and sponsors via the video chat function one-on-one or as a small group.)
Please join one of these sessions if interested in a follow-up interactive discussion with extended live Q&A:
Roundtable 1: The unique challenges of managing revenue growth during the COVID-19 era
Roundtable 2: Due diligence done right: uncovering opportunities in a challenging year
Roundtable 3: Navigating the supply chain in today’s waters
Roundtable 4: Top trends that will shape private equity in the coming years
17:15 - 18:45
Live Concert
Coming to you from Austin, Texas: The Live Music Capital of the World. At the end of day 1, take in some live entertainment. During this unique event, you will experience three talented artists from Austin. Bring your family, listen while cooking dinner, or just kick up your feet and take in some new tunes. Tune in and tune out!
Hosted by:
Agenda
Day 2 - Thursday 15th
Invitation-only think tanks
10:00 - 11:00
Think tanks for full-time operating partners: value creation war room (invitation-only)
Cory Eaves,
Paul Ilse,
Anthony Ecock,
Steve Larned
This closed-door virtual 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
Facilitators:
Cory Eaves, Operating Partner, General Atlantic
Paul Ilse, Senior Operating Partner, Francisco Partners Consulting
Room 2: Emerging Operating Partners
Facilitators:
Anthony Ecock, Senior Operating Advisor, SVPGlobal
Steve Larned, Senior Principal, New State Capital Partners
Operating Partners Forum: Plenary sessions
11:00 - 11:40
Navigating the crisis and its long-term effects: how PE operating groups are taking on the challenge
Markus Lahrkamp,
Les Brown,
Lily Chang,
Mark Sotir,
Nick Winter
- How are PE firms helping their portfolio companies? How operating partners/PE firms are working with their portfolio companies in the midst of this year’s crisis
- Crisis response strategies — tackling the challenge: global recession, severe liquidity impact, vendor management, and effects on workforce and customers
- What is essential? What is non-essential? What cash levels are needed to run the business?
- New strategies for cost reduction in a post covid-19 world to bolster cash positions
- Understanding how to position your companies for growth taking advantage of the current environment
- What key factors across your portfolio have lessened the damage caused by COVID 19? Has government support been an eligible resource?
- How long do future growth plans need to be put on hold? How can you leverage speed to more effectively make-up for lost time?
- Driving value creation initiatives in the aftermath of the downturn: blueprints/playbooks for downturns and the years following it: comparing this year to 2008
- What sectors will be the winners and losers over the next five years? What is the impact to investments in different industries? How should long-term owners position themselves?
Moderator:
Markus Lahrkamp, Managing Director, Alvarez & Marsal
Panelists:
Les Brown, Managing Partner, Operational Resource Group, HGGC
Lily Chang, Chief Portfolio Services Officer, Leonard Green & Partners
Mark Sotir, President, Equity Group Investments
Nick Winter, Managing Director, Head of North America Portfolio Operations, Värde Partners
11:40 - 12:20
The future of value creation and the operating partner model
Gary Hoover,
Marco Mendes,
Michael Song,
Paul Swaney,
Jon Weber
- Analyzing the operating partner model post-COVID: how will the value creation recipe change? Will the operating partner role in PE grow in numbers/importance? Will operating partners with distressed/turnaround experience become more relevant?
- With the re-set of the current market’s growth curve, how do you generate more benefit from operational capability going forward? Does the focus shift while the market recovers?
- Discussing firms’ different approaches in looking at the movement from generalist to specialists and the growing relevance of technology, digital marketing and ecommerce
- How will the operating partner role evolve as more opportunities exist on both diligence and value creation with regard to turnaround/distressed business
- Looking at where growth is to be achieved and how we better link operational capability and growth
Moderator:
Bob Brennan, Managing Director, US Private Equity Practice, TBM Consulting Group
Panelists:
Marco Mendes, Head of Portfolio Support Group, North America, Advent International
Michael Song, Managing Director, Portfolio Operations, Providence Equity
Paul Swaney, Head of Industrials Americas, Industry Value Creation, Partners Group
Jon Weber, Head of Global Portfolio Operations Group, Elliott Management Corporation
12:20 - 12:50
What makes an effective portfolio company CEO?
Dan Hawkins,
Michael Foisy,
Curtis Glovier,
Laura Ipsen,
Greg Pappas
- CEOs: what to look for, how much control is given to them, what are the qualities and characteristics needed from them
- Elevating successful CEOs and their management teams who lead businesses
- How are CEOs dealing with this year’s crisis? What will be needed from CEOs in the aftermath of COVID 19 and the years to come?
- Leading organizations and people through significant change
- Operating partner-CEO alignment best practices
Moderator:
Dan Hawkins, CEO, Summit Leadership Partners
Panelists:
Michael Foisy, Lead Operations Partner, Hammond, Kennedy, Whitney & Company
Curtis Glovier, Senior Advisor, Star Mountain Capital
Laura Ipsen, President and CEO, Ellucian
Greg Pappas, Managing Director, Portfolio Support, Berkshire Partners
Deep dive invitation-only discussion
12:20 - 13:00
Deep dive discussion: Climbing back up the revenue ladder — structuring a more effective revenue recovery plan (invitation-only)
Hank Boye,
Jim Corey
Virtual networking and extended interactive live Q&A
12:50 - 13:30
Virtual networking and extended interactive live Q&A
(Please use this time as an opportunity to connect with conference attendees and sponsors via the video chat function one-on-one or as a small group.)
Please join one of these sessions if interested in a follow-up interactive discussion with extended live Q&A:
Roundtable 1: Navigating the crisis and its long-term effects: how PE operating groups are taking on the challenge
Roundtable 2: The future of value creation and the operating partner model
Roundtable 3: What makes an effective portfolio company CEO?
Functional breakouts IV
13:30 - 14:00
Track 7: Developing a successful ecommerce and digital marketing strategy in an increasingly digital world
Syed Hoda,
Kingchih Fan,
Keith Jensen,
Rachel Spasser,
Jay Sung
- Focusing on digital sales transformations and profit driven digital marketing channels to drive topline growth and scale your business
- Data-driven digital marketing strategies to maximize brand growth
- Key insights in demand generation, voice of customer, messaging, and content creation
- Understanding your digital marketing effectiveness in looking at the consumer and customer interaction via technology
- Pivoting your strategy with ecommerce: shifting product lines, achieving direct profitability across digital channels
- Driving value through digital B2B and B2C
Moderator:
Syed Hoda, Principal, Digital Innovation, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Panelists:
Kingchih Fan, Operating Partner, The Riverside Company
Keith Jensen, Chief Marketing Officer – WCP Healthcare, Waud Capital Partners
Rachel Spasser, Managing Director and Chief Marketing Officer, Accel-KKR Consulting Group
Jay Sung, Operating Partner and Chief Marketing Officer, Brentwood Associates
13:30 - 14:00
Track 8: Key success factors in turnarounds to go from distressed to transformation
Ben YoKell,
Brian Cohen,
Jesse Hermann,
Stephen Noe,
Marc Stoneham
- Understanding warning signs and weaknesses early on to develop your strategy
- Sharing successful turnaround war stories: dos and don’ts in troubled situations
- How can operating partners work with management teams to enact an effective turnaround plan?
- Focusing on a viable business with growth potential and the workforce of the future
- Utilizing data-driven analysis in your turnaround strategy
Moderator:
Ben YoKell, Managing Director, Transformation, Grant Thornton
Panelists:
Brian Cohen, Operating Partner, Altamont Capital Partners
Jesse Hermann, Operating Partner, Court Square Capital Partners
Stephen Noe, Operating Partner, Validor Capital
Marc Stoneham, Portfolio Manager, Development Partners International (DPI)
Functional breakouts V
14:00 - 14:30
Track 9: Advanced data science and analytics: turning data into revenue & EBITDA
Connor McGauley,
Brian Sharp
- Portfolio management new tools: best methodologies for portfolio company reporting
- How do you help a company become more data-oriented?
- Using predictive analytics, data integration, and supplemental data lakes to augment decision making
- Applying growth KPIs and ongoing metrics in different stages
- What has been the biggest challenge in collecting the “right” data? How are you dealing with it?
- How is the data team set up and how closely does it work with the management team and investment team?
- Monetizing data: how best to impact the performance management & operational improvement processes
Presenters:
Connor McGauley, Vice President, Portfolio Operations, GI Partners
Brian Sharp, Chief Revenue Officer, Profit Velocity
14:00 - 14:30
Track 10: Fast start: coming out strong from day one in onboarding new portfolio companies (even in the face of recent COVID-induced uncertainty)
Don Miller,
Preston McKenzie,
Jud Morrison,
Colin Smith
- Scoping diligence for both risk mitigation and value creation in a world where historical performance may not be the best predictor of future direction
- Day 1-100: structured approaches, pragmatic actions, and tools to bring about rapid alignment and focus
- Transparent portco monitoring: constructive techniques to monitor value creation progress in the current dynamic environment, and allow for informed course-correction as necessary
- Building for lasting success: engaging the myriad of PE ecosystem resources in a way that complements management and reinforces their role as value creation leaders
Moderator:
Don Miller, Senior Managing Director, Private Equity Value Creation, PwC
Panelists:
Preston McKenzie, Operating Partner, General Atlantic
Jud Morrison, Operating Partner, The Sterling Group
Colin Smith, Managing Director and Head of Portfolio Transformation Team, Oaktree Capital
Functional breakouts VI
14:30 - 15:00
Track 11: Digital value creation: getting back to the basics
Aswatha Amarnath ,
Sean Epstein,
Andrew Hampshire,
Paul Zuber
- Buying stuff: In what ways can technology improve a company or entire portfolio’s way of procuring what it needs to operate their business
- Making stuff: The combination of the pandemic and the maturing of next generation technology creates an opportunity to reimagine how things are built. Where should PE executives place their bets given the climate of uncertainty and the need to mitigate risk?
- Selling stuff: Combining operational and experiential data and insights is helping companies maximize their share of wallet, improve overall performance, increase brand sentiment, and deliver a world class experience to their customers and partners
Moderator:
Aswatha Amarnath (Amar), Senior Vice President, Strategic Engagements and Sales Strategy, Wipro
Panelists:
Sean Epstein, Global Head of Private Equity, SAP
Andrew Hampshire, Chief Technology Officer, Gresham House
Paul Zuber, Operating Partner, Thoma Bravo
14:30 - 15:00
Track 12: Building a financial survival kit for your portfolio companies
Scott Tynes,
Steven Cumbow,
Ben Humphreys,
Todd Phillips
In these unprecedented times, no CFO or institutional investor could have had the forethought to build COVID-19 into their financial model. Join a peer discussion with a group of operating partners with extensive value creation experience at portfolio companies and domain knowledge building out finance and accounting as to position a company for scale and growth. Our agenda will include a discussion around tools and tactics currently being employed in the market by finance executives and their PE partners to navigate their biggest challenges. Observations will also be shared around what a fully optimized F&A function might look like for companies at various inflection points in their growth. Operating partners will come away with concrete ways to mitigate risk and plan for best and worst-case recovery scenarios across their portfolio.
Moderator:
Scott Tynes, CEO, Consero
Panelists:
Steven Cumbow, Operating Partner, Sentinel Capital Partners
Benjamin Humphreys, Senior Operating Executive, Monomoy Capital Partners
Todd Phillips, Operating Partner, Beckway Group
Functional breakouts VII
15:00 - 15:30
Track 13: GTM strategies to drive revenue resiliency across your portfolio
Mark Petruzzi,
Kevin Kerby,
Alex Lizcano,
Paul Melchiorre,
Michael Monagle
- Shift from legacy, high-cost field sales, to more efficient and reliable inside sales teams
- Growth of web/digital for customer engagement
- Leveraging customer success initiatives for growth
- The importance of building high-value alliances, channels and corporate partnerships
- The power of effective segmentation
- Digital sales and marketing transformation opportunities that are being accelerated by COVID-19
- COVID-driven acceleration and shift to virtual sales and marketing
- Significance of recurring revenue/subscription models
Moderator:
Mark Petruzzi, Vice President PE/VC Go-To-Market and Corporate Partnerships, N3
Panelists:
Kevin Kerby, Operating Partner, Bain Capital
Alex Lizcano, Senior Lead Operator (Senior Vice President), Industry Value Creation, Partners Group
Paul Melchiorre, Operating Partner, Stripes
Michael Monagle, Vice President, Portfolio Operations, Providence Equity
Alex Lizcano
Senior Lead Operator (Senior Vice President), Industry Value Creation, Partners Group
Read bio
15:00 - 15:30
Track 14: Uncovering hidden value of digital: developing a more rigorous value creation hypothesis in due diligence
Sugath Warnakulasuriya,
Randy Randleman,
Kiran Rao
- How typical due diligence exercises fall short in identifying digital value creation opportunities
- How new tech (e.g., IoT/advanced data analytics) create novel opportunities, especially in more traditional industries
- How various target business/market configurations give rise to a multitude of digital value options
- How to quickly recognize common patterns of value creation opportunities across businesses, industries
- Typical underappreciated sources of digital value
- How to quickly stress test assumptions and validate
Moderator:
Sugath Warnakulasuriya, Managing Director, Thalamus Labs
Panelists:
Randy Randleman, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, Sumeru Equity Partners
Kiran Rao, Operating Partner, TPG Capital
Operating Partners Forum: Plenary session
15:30 - 16:10
Moving business from transaction to recurring revenue models
Adam Echter,
Marc Herdegen,
Prital Kadakia,
Jeff Nathan
COVID-19 is accelerating recurring models as the multiples on businesses with recurring revenue are becoming more attractive to private equity. Here we will uncover:
- Best practices in moving businesses from transactional to recurring models
- Keeping your recurring revenue stream: understanding what your future product will look like and how to price it
- Building recurring relationships: key strategies for pricing, getting the sales organization involved, utilizing software, cross-selling and up-selling
Moderator:
Adam Echter, Partner, Simon-Kucher & Partners
Panelists:
Marc Herdegen, Senior Operating Partner, Strategy, New State Capital Partners
Prital Kadakia, General Partner, Serent Capital
Jeff Nathan, Principal, Portfolio Operations, L Catterton
Deep dive invitation-only discussion
15:30 - 16:10
Deep dive discussion: Core operations are still the foundation for rapidly improving businesses (invitation-only)
Foster Finley,
Steven Hilgendorf
No business stands still and survives – rather there are: new product/service introductions or discontinuations, acquisitions and divestitures, geographic expansion, and ever-escalating customer expectations. What your customers and prospects expect (read: demand) is reliable and competitive operations to meet their evolving needs amid and in spite of times of disruption.
Facilitators:
Foster Finley, Managing Director, AlixPartners
Steve Hilgendorf, Managing Director, AlixPartners
Hosted by:
Virtual networking and extended interactive live Q&A
16:10 - 17:10
Virtual networking and extended interactive live Q&A
(Please use this time as an opportunity to connect with conference attendees and sponsors via the video chat function one-on-one or as a small group.)
Please join one of these sessions if interested in a follow-up interactive discussion with extended live Q&A:
Roundtable 1: Key success factors in turnarounds to go from distressed to transformation
Roundtable 2: Advanced data science and analytics: turning data into revenue & EBITDA
Roundtable 3: Fast start: coming out strong from day one in onboarding new portfolio companies (even in the face of recent COVID-induced uncertainty)
Roundtable 4: Digital value creation: getting back to the basics
Roundtable 5: Building a financial survival kit for your portfolio companies
Roundtable 6: GTM strategies to drive revenue resiliency across your portfolio
Roundtable 7: Uncovering hidden value of digital: developing a more rigorous value creation hypothesis in due diligence
Roundtable 8: Moving business from transaction to recurring revenue models
Agenda
Day 3 - Friday 16th
Invitation-only think tanks
10:00 - 11:00
Think tanks for full-time operating partners: value creation war room (invitation-only)
Thomas Fountain,
Kiran Rao,
Andrew Bronstein,
Steven Siwinski
This closed-door virtual 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 introduced by the facilitators and discussed in the room. It will allow you to select one of the two rooms:
Room 1 Digital & Technology Operating Partners
Facilitators:
Thomas Fountain, Operating Partner, One Rock Capital Partners
Kiran Rao, Operating Partner, TPG Capital
Room 2 Finance Operating Partners
Facilitators:
Andrew Bronstein, Operating Partner, Vector Capital
Steven Siwinski, Operating Partner, High Road Capital Partners
Operating partners portfolio operations breakfast deep dive discussion: PE in a downturn (invitation-only)
10:00 - 11:00
Operating partners portfolio operations breakfast deep dive discussion: PE in a downturn (invitation-only)
Graham Bippart,
William Bundy,
Aaron Miller
The number of asset sales and acquisitions related to distress in the economy is on the rise. Through rigorous preparation, including building an early understanding of a target’s operations, PE firms interested in seizing distressed-investment opportunities can best manage the risks inherent in such deals, but that’s just the beginning. Investors need to execute an operational restructuring to boost their value-creation odds. To craft the right restructuring strategy, AlixPartners’ Private Equity & Investors experts recommend paying close attention to:
- Working capital: What will you require in the way of working capital to secure the asset’s future, and how might these requirements vary over time? How can you ensure you have adequate liquidity?
- Talent: What must you do to ensure that you have enough people, with the right skills, to rebuild and stabilize the asset?
- Technology: How can you best correct shortfalls and modernize the asset’s IT systems? What systems are required for a stand-alone entity?
- Brand strength: If the asset’s brand strength eroded during the period of stress or distress, what options (repositioning, relaunching, rebranding) would best help you restore brand strength and rebuild customer loyalty?
- Impaired revenue: Are there operational options or reorganization strategies that enable acquisition of the asset with a scalable, but low-cost structure until anticipated revenue growth or recovery?
- TSAs and 3rd Party contracts: Who’s responsible for providing which services? For how long? How should TSAs be viewed if the parent company is stressed and could enter the zone of insolvency?
Moderator:
Graham Bippart, Editor, Private Funds CFO, Private Equity International
Panelists:
William Bundy, Director, AlixPartners
Aaron Miller, Partner, Head of Portfolio Performance Solutions, Apollo Global Management
Hosted by:
Functional breakouts VIII
11:00 - 11:40
Track 15: Leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning for value creation
Allie Nava,
Loren Larsen,
Andy Pickens
- Highlights of value creation journeys leveraging analytics and AI/ML to drive business outcomes
- Best practices for identifying opportunities inside the private equity portfolio to leverage AI/ML
- Examining opportunities to adopt AI/ML to support value creation
Moderator:
Allie Nava, Advisor, Amazon AWS Private Equity
Panelists:
Loren Larsen, CTO, Hirevue
Andy Pickens, Principal, Apollo Portfolio Performance Solutions, Apollo Global Management
11:00 - 11:40
Track 16: How to build value through finance
Jesse Weber,
Scott Tynes,
Andrew Walshe
- Outsourced finance as a service (FaaS) vs. in-house model
- Compressing time to value when upgrading ERP systems and common mistakes
- Playbook approach to value creation in finance vs. more flexible/collaborative approaches
Moderator:
Jesse Weber, Private Equity Lead, Sage Intacct
Panelists:
Scott Tynes, CEO, Consero
Andrew Walshe, Head of Portfolio Operations, Sightway Capital
Functional breakouts IX
11:40 - 12:20
Track 17: Accelerating digital transformations to drive investment value
Richard Davis,
Cory Eaves,
Neil Kimber,
Raj Kushwaha
- Digital transformations in the time of COVID-19: how transformations have accelerated and what does the future hold
- Digital transformation: what to do in the first 60-100 days
- Digital workplace transformation and product transformation stories in the time of corona
- Leveraging intelligent automation to optimize process efficiency and improve operating margins
- Building new digital and technology solutions to drive out costs, improve performance and drive EBITDA growth
- 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?
Moderator:
Richard Davis, Partner, RSM
Panelists:
Cory Eaves, Operating Partner, General Atlantic
Neil Kimber, Operating Principal, Accel-KKR
Raj Kushwaha, Managing Director, Operating Partner and Chief Digital Officer, Warburg Pincus
11:40 - 12:20
Track 18: Case Study — EBITDA growth through healthcare cost reduction
Todd Grove,
Roanne Daniels,
Judd Nystrom
The next few years will provide significant challenges for companies to manage medical costs while supporting employee health. Learn how the leading PE firms in the country provide solutions to questions such as:
- Can your portcos improve employee engagement while simultaneously eliminating wasted spend?
- How can your HR/CFO execs break the cycle of medical spend creep?
- Can portcos change the model of health insurance to improve outcomes, employee satisfaction and drive EBITDA?
Moderator:
Todd Grove, Vice President, Private Equity, Quantum Health
Panelists:
Roanne Daniels, Partner, Hellman & Friedman
Judd Nystrom, Chief Financial Officer, Caliber
Operating Partners Forum: Plenary session
12:20 - 13:00
Optimizing private equity carve-outs: key steps to achieve full potential
Nate Medoff,
Emily Golenberg,
Tyrone Johnson,
David Muhlenkamp,
Matt Thompson
Carve-out transactions can be very rewarding for private equity firms, but they require special skillsets and key steps to execute efficiently in minimizing risk. The panel will discuss key practices and pitfalls to avoid when doing carveouts:
- Negotiating and structuring faster transitional services agreements (TSA)
- Determining the back-office requirements for the business: hiring key IT and finance back office services
- Performing a gap analysis of what is included/excluded from the transaction
- Developing 100-day plans outlining detailed steps to execute the transaction
- Leveraging internal resources and third-party advisors for smooth and profitable execution
- Finalizing the stabilization of the business to operate as a standalone and generate returns
Moderator:
Nate Medoff, Managing Director, ContinuServe
Panelists:
Emily Golenberg, Vice President, M&A Operations, Platinum Equity
Tyrone Johnson, Operating Partner, Trive Capital
David Muhlenkamp, Managing Director, Head of Portfolio Operations, Lindsay Goldberg
Matt Thompson, Senior Vice President, Portfolio Operations, Skyview Capital
Deep dive invitation-only discussion
12:20 - 13:00
Deep dive discussion: Conducting diligence in a stressed/distressed environment (invitation-only)
Jeffrey Klein
Facilitator:
Jeffrey Klein, Managing Director, Alvarez & Marsal
Hosted by:
Virtual networking lunch and extended interactive live Q&A
13:00 - 14:00
Virtual networking lunch and extended interactive live Q&A
(Please use this time as an opportunity to connect with conference attendees and sponsors via the video chat function one-on-one or as a small group.)
Please join one of these sessions if interested in a follow-up interactive discussion with extended live Q&A:
Roundtable 1: Leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning for value creation
Roundtable 2: How to build value through finance
Roundtable 3: Accelerating digital transformations to drive investment value
Roundtable 4: EBITDA growth through healthcare cost reduction
Roundtable 5: Optimizing private equity carve-outs: key steps to achieve full potential
End of Conference
14:00 - 14:00
End of Conference
2021 Speakers
Geoffrey Baird
Senior Operating Advisor, LLR Partners
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
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
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
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
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
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
Michael Kohlsdorf
President, Francisco Partners Consulting
Mike Kohlsdorf joined Francisco Partners as an Operating Partner in March of 2011 and is a member of the Operations Committee. Mike’s primary responsibilities include the management of Francisco Partners Consulting (FPC), the development of operating… 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
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
Michael Monagle
Principal, Portfolio Operations, Providence Equity
Mike Monagle is a vice president 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 includin… 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
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
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
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.
