Private Equity
International
International
Operating Partners Forum New York 2023
17 - 18 October 2023,
Downtown Convene, 225 Liberty St, New York
The largest global event for private equity value creation
Drive value creation across all functional business areas with strategies learned at Private Equity International’s 13th annual Operating Partners Forum New York.
Join the largest global PE operating partner community to discuss and debate the best methods to deliver maximum portfolio optimization at a critical time.
Take part in extensive networking opportunities, compare best practices, build new relationships, and influence future models at the operating partners event of the year, now at a brand-new venue.
Fireside chat:
Spotlight on an operating partner’s journey
Join Dan Glaser of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in a casual conversation about what it means to be an operating partner today.
Dan joined Clayton Dubilier & Rice after spending most of his 40-year career at Marsh McLennan, where he most recently served as President and CEO from 2012 to 2022.
Hear Dan’s perspective on what makes the operating partner role unique, what CD&R is doing to add value to their portfolio companies, and much more.
Dan Glaser, Operating Partner
Clayton Dubilier & Rice
“This is where I learnt to become an operating partner. Now, 10 years later, I have over half my team here with me.”
Aaron Miller
Head of Apollo Portfolio Performance Solutions
Apollo Global Management
Create operationally efficient portfolio companies
Hear first-hand perspectives on how to further develop your operational efficiencies.
Network with top value creators
Meet with the largest global community of private equity operating partners in one place over 2 days.
Learn key strategies for cross-portfolio initiatives
Find the right tools and knowledge to create value.
2023 Agenda
Our unique agenda offers interactive working groups, think tanks, panels, breakfast and lunch discussions. The 2023 expanded agenda is carefully curated to feature the most prominent functional areas in value creation:
- Sales & Revenue Growth
- Human Capital
- Technology/Digital
- ESG
- Supply Chain & Procurement
- Finance
- Marketing
- And much more…
2023 Speakers
Meet the largest operating partner network
“It is a fantastic place to network with top operating talent in PE and learn the cutting edge work that their firms are doing to create value. I highly recommend.”
Kush Tulsidas
One Rock Capital Partners
“The Operating Partners Forum is the foremost
event where the largest ecosystem of
operating partners, suppliers and resources gather annually.”
Greg J Pappas
Berkshire Partners
2023 Agenda
Our unique agenda offers interactive working groups, think tanks, panels, breakfast and lunch discussions. The 2023 expanded agenda is carefully curated to feature the most prominent functional areas of value creation.
If you are interested in a speaking role please contact Marc Mele at marc.m@pei.group.
View agenda page
Agenda
Day 1 - Tuesday 17th
07:30 - 08:50
Registration and breakfast
Breakfast hosted by:
Registration hosted by:
THINK TANK SERIES 1
07:50 - 08:50
Think tanks for full-time operating partners: value creation war rooms (invitation-only for operating partners)
Misha Logvinov,
Milo Sprague,
Jimmy Holloran,
Kristin Brown Patrick,
Daniel Perry,
Zorian Rotenberg ,
Steven Siwinski,
Chris Westington
These closed-door discussions will allow you to learn and share best practices of successful operating partners. The think tanks 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
Facilitator:
Misha Logvinov, Director, Mubadala Performance Partners, Mubadala
Milo Sprague, Chief Technology Advisor, FTV Capital
Room 2 Human Capital/Talent Operating Partners
Facilitators:
Jimmy Holloran, Partner, Head of Talent, American Industrial Partners
Kristin Brown Patrick, Senior Operating Partner, Human Capital, New State Capital Partners
Room 3 GTM, Sales and Revenue Growth Operating Partners
Facilitators:
Daniel Perry, Director, Sales and Commercial Excellence, Parthenon Capital
Zorian Rotenberg, Operating Partner, GTM & Revenue Growth, Charlesbank Capital Partners
Room 4 Finance Operating Partners
Facilitators:
Steven Siwinski, Operating Principal, Accel-KKR
Chris Westington, Director, Value Creation, Private Equity, BCI
Zorian Rotenberg
GTM, Sales and Revenue Growth Operating Partner, Charlesbank Capital Partners
Read bio
08:50 - 09:10
PEI’s welcome and chairman’s opening remarks
Tim Sanders
Chairman:
Tim Sanders, Vice President, Client Strategy, Upwork
PLENARY SESSIONS
09:10 - 09:50
The behaviors of highly effective operating partners
Jim Corey,
Lane McDonald,
Aaron Miller,
Greg Pappas
- Revealing the findings from interviews with over 30 of the world’s most successful operating partners
- Sharing a summary of what they do that makes them so effective
- How operating partners create trust with CEOs, how to build relationships with the deal team, and how to set priorities for operating teams
- Discussion of the key issues impacting operating partner contributions to value creation
- Takeaways for current operating partners, new operating partners, operating partner team leaders, investment partners and CEOs
Moderator:
Jim Corey, Managing Partner, Blue Ridge Partners
Panelists:
Lane McDonald, Managing Director, Strategy and Operations, OMERS Private Equity
Aaron Miller, Partner, Head of Apollo Portfolio Performance Solutions, Apollo Global Management
Greg Pappas, Managing Director, Portfolio Support, Berkshire Partners
Ken Schwartz, Director, KKR Capstone
09:50 - 10:30
What deal teams now need from operating partners: value creation during times of uncertainty
Dan Hawkins,
Courtney della Cava,
Achi Yaffe
- Where do investors need operating partners to pivot and focus – what is the new or changed mandate
- Discussing how value creation has changed given higher cost of capital, less transactions, and longer hold periods
- How can operating partners better align and influence deal teams?
- Bridging the gap between the investment team’s model and what actually happens in reality
- What is most critical now in talent and human capital for value creation during uncertain times?
- What are the pros and cons of having the operating partner on the board
- Learn about best practices in operating and deal partner value creation shared strategies
Moderator:
Dan Hawkins, Founder and CEO, Summit Leadership Partners
Panelists:
Courtney della Cava, Senior Managing Director, Global Head of Portfolio Talent and Organizational Performance, Blackstone
Amr Kronfol, Managing Director, Warburg Pincus
Ricardo Rodriguez, Managing Director, Investments and Head of Portfolio Dynamics, Grain Management
Achi Yaffe, Managing Director, Portfolio Operations, GI Partners
10:30 - 11:00
Networking Break
11:00 - 11:40
The new paradigm of performance improvement: new vs. old levers and the future of value creation
Jeffrey Klein,
Markus Lahrkamp,
Michael Leamer,
Jeffrey Nagel,
Jill Wight,
Paul Zuber
- New vs. old levers: comparing perspectives on what will change and will stay in the value creation recipe
- Uncovering the fundamentals in performance improvement to remain intact (leadership, focus on profitable businesses, speed to execution)
- Grasping new paradigms to come in performance improvement (analytics, AI, option modeling, better data/foundation for decision making)
- How will things change in looking at the execution of the value creation recipe?
- Assessing the continuum by focusing on risks and opportunities: what needs to stay and what needs to change in a challenging market environment
Moderators:
Jeffrey Klein, Managing Director, Alvarez & Marsal
Markus Lahrkamp, Managing Director, Alvarez & Marsal
Panelists:
Michael Leamer, Managing Director, Resources Group, American Securities
Jeff Nagel, Operating Partner, AEA Investors
Jill Wight, Managing Director and Operating Partner, Morgan Stanley Capital Partners
Paul Zuber, Operating Partner, North American Lead, Hg
11:40 - 12:20
Operating partner-CEO alliances to optimize performance with agility
Darin Facer,
Tracey Abbott,
J.P. Fingado,
Kyle Roemer
- Innovative things that CEOs are relying on OPs to assist portcos with during this phase of the economic lifecycle
- Examining how CEOs work effectively with private equity to deliver value across the investment lifecycle
- How has the profile of a modern portco CEO evolved over the past few years?
- CEO and operating partner perspectives on thinking about what works and what doesn’t in terms of PE/portco partnerships
- Operating partner-CEO alignment and synergies: what are ways that OPs are helping CEOs to evaluate and execute value creation programs using key digital and commercial levers for the business in the current environment
Moderator:
Darin Facer, Partner and Managing Director, AlixPartners
Panelists:
Tracey Abbott, Director, Mubadala Performance Partners, Mubadala
J.P. Fingado, Operating Partner, The Riverside Company
Kyle Roemer, Managing Director, Head of Catalyst Group, Incline Equity Partners
INTERACTIVE WORKING GROUPS SERIES I
12:20 - 13:00
Interactive Working Group 1 (for operating partners only) | Accelerating cross-functional integrations for value creation
Omar Alismail,
Jawad Hussain
This session designed solely for operating partners will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
- Understanding how to accelerate 100-day cross functional integrations
- Uncovering how operating partners assist with integration management and execution
- Looking at synergies for cross functional integration
- Add-on integrations: sharing cross functional integration strategies when it comes to add-on acquisitions
Facilitators:
Omar Alismail, Head of Mubadala Performance Partners, Mubadala
Jawad Hussain, Managing Director, MorganFranklin Consulting
12:20 - 13:00
Interactive Working Group 2 (for operating partners only) | Finance in the current landscape: operating partners share challenges and opportunities
Germain Louie
This session designed solely for operating partners will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
- Cutting costs, not capacity: transforming finance from a cost-center into a value-creation engine in today’s climate
- How to gain financial and operational flexibility to bounce back faster
- How does the current economy impact the role of the CFO? What tools and initiatives are most important in looking at the role of the CFO in this environment?
- Sharing examples and war stories of financial best practices during previous downturns
- What are the biggest challenges your finance function has faced over the last 18 months?
- What are the biggest opportunities in looking at how to best position your finance function for the next 12 months?
Facilitators:
Spencer Khoury, Director, Value Creation Team, Shamrock Capital
Germain Louie, Senior Private Equity Alliances Manager, Sage
12:20 - 13:00
Interactive Working Group 3 (for operating partners only) | Operating partner-deal team dynamics
Ryan Jones,
Achi Yaffe
This session designed solely for operating partners will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
- Discussing what your deal team wants and needs from you: what do your investors value most in your role as an operating partner?
- How to build trust and grow your relationship with deal teams: what does a successful partnership look like?
- Looking at the evolution of the operating partner role and growing importance internally
- Uncovering operating partner frictions with deal teams
- Showcasing best practices in the due diligence phase and across the investment cycle
- How does the current climate affect your partnership and what is most important when it comes to synergy in this environment?
Facilitators:
Ryan Jones, Private Equity Leader, Deloitte Consulting
Achi Yaffe, Managing Director, Portfolio Operations, GI Partners
12:20 - 13:00
Interactive Working Group 4 (for operating partners only) | AI operating partner workshop: practical approaches beyond the hype
Manish Goyal,
Paul Lennick,
Jessica Pizzo
This session designed solely for operating partners will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
- AI/ML beyond the hype: what delivers profit enhancement today; not in the future
- Machine Learning vs. Generative AI
- AI use cases that resonate with portfolio companies; what can actually get done
- Leveraging AI into the back office: automation, RPA, and tools to improve processes
- How to deliver ROI with real recommendations: what operating partners need to know
Facilitators:
Manish Goyal, Operating Director, Portfolio Support, Berkshire Partners
Paul Lennick, Senior Vice President and M&A Practice Leader, ContinuServe
Jessica Pizzo, Resource Partner, Court Square Capital Partners
12:20 - 13:00
Interactive Working Group 5 (for operating partners only) | Value creation playbooks in the current economy
Gary Hoover
This session designed solely for operating partners will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
- With slowdowns in deal making, what is different in value creation and how are PE firms addressing it?
- What are the value creation barriers in this new environment that you are experiencing in your portcos?
- What are you doing when it comes to selecting the right talent/leaders, manging the cost of capital, and eliminating waste
- What does your recipe look like when it comes to add-on integrations and consolidation in the current environment?
Facilitators:
Gary Hoover, Vice President, Global Private Equity Practice, TBM Consulting Group
Ranjith Rajendran, Managing Director – US Private Equity Practice, TBM Consulting Group
13:00 - 14:00
Networking Lunch
13:00 - 14:00
Women in PE portfolio operations lunch (invitation-only for operating partners)
Toya Asbury ,
Jessica Castillo ,
Jamie Jacobs
This closed-door lunch discussion will explore what it’s like being a woman in PE portfolio operations:
- What being a woman in value creation 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
Facilitators:
Toya Asbury, Managing Director, Alvarez & Marsal
Jessica Castillo, Operating Partner, Sovereign’s Capital
Jamie Jacobs, Chief Talent Officer, Oak Hill Capital
Hosted by:
FUNCTIONAL BREAKOUT SERIES 1
14:00 - 14:40
Track 1 | Advanced pricing strategies: the most effective lever in revenue growth
Adam Echter,
Chris Ahearn,
Jonathan Konkoly,
Jorge Rosales
- What’s happening right now when it comes to pricing? How are you engaging with your companies to successfully execute pricing projects?
- How does the current inflationary environment affect how you think about and execute pricing and how will it play out in future?
- What are companies doing in terms of pricing looking forward: are you pushing or slowing down on it?
- Having a cohesive pricing strategy as a key sales & revenue growth lever in focusing on expansions and renewals
- Using data and KPIs to achieve out-performing net retention
- Aligning sales teams and your GTM strategy with pricing to strengthen your execution
- Looking at how different companies/sectors require different pricing models
Moderator:
Adam Echter, Partner, Simon-Kucher
Panelists:
Chris Ahearn, Operating Partner, Commercial, The Sterling Group
Jonathan Konkoly, Vice President of Portfolio Operations, HCI Equity Partners
Jorge Rosales, Senior Vice President, Onsite, Insight Partners
14:00 - 14:40
Track 2 | The evolution of the finance operating partner
Nick Leopard,
Joe April
- What makes a great finance operating partner today?
- How has the role changed in the last 3 years? How will it continue to change/evolve in the next 5 years?
- As a finance operating partner, how do you work best with management teams to accelerate finance value creation initiatives?
- How can finance operating partners drive more efficiency across functions in your companies?
- Comparing ecosystems, models, networks, and team structures
Moderator:
Nick Leopard, CEO and Founder, Accordion
Panelists:
Joe April, Senior Operating Partner, Finance, Graham Partners
David Allen, Operating Advisor, BC Partners
Roanne Daniels, Managing Director, Roark Capital
Travis Krueger, Managing Director, GTCR
Subhi Sherwell, Field Operations Senior Advisor, TPG
14:00 - 14:40
Track 3 | Operating partner digital success stories: converging AI, Data, and CRM
Vikram Mahidhar,
Scott McKenzie,
Angelique Slagle
- First 100 days of digital transformation – team and tech readiness stages
- Value creation through data across all business units
- How to digitally scale marketing and sales across your portfolio
- AI’s impact on transformations: what does the perfect AI launch journey look like
- How the convergence of CRM, Data, and AI is applied into a winning combination for value creation
Moderator:
Sarah Walker, Global Head of Private Equity Practice, Salesforce
Panelists:
Vikram Mahidhar, Data and Digital Transformation Operating Partner, Apollo Global Management
Scott McKenzie, Operating Partner, Bain Capital
Angelique Slagle, Managing Director, Head of GTM, Sales and Networks, Blackstone
14:00 - 14:40
Track 4 | Blackstone and North’s partnership: an exclusive on the ongoing value creation success story
Kevin O'Neill,
Todd Hirsch
- Determining success, rolling sleeves up, fixing teams, tackling ops & opps
- Making operations the single biggest differentiator for your PE firm
- Leadership stories from the business battlefield: winning, failing, and lessons learned
- Constructing insanely successful Deal Partner-CEO-Executive Recruiter partnerships
- Picking winning CEOs to achieve objectives in times of stability or volatility
- Building exceptional Executive Teams to power change and growth
Moderator:
Kevin O’Neill, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Acertitude
Panelists:
Marc Gardner, Founder, President and CEO, North
Todd Hirsch, Senior Managing Director, Tactical Opportunities Group, Blackstone
14:00 - 14:40
Track 5 | Procurement: a no regrets value creation lever to quickly create cash and EBITDA impact
Steven Browning,
Arvind Anantharaman,
Johnathon Baker,
Brian Slobodow,
John Wang
- A year one imperative; how to generate measurable, portable value quickly
- Aligning with the CEO and deals teams is the secret to speed to value
- Understanding supply market tailwinds: how leading companies are posting big procurement wins given macro trends
- Strengthening the commercial/procurement link to protect margins as commodity markets fluctuate
- Building capabilities (organizational and analytical) is key to delivering value throughout the investment lifecycle
Moderator:
Steven Browning, Vice President, Insight Sourcing Group
Panelists:
Arvind Anantharaman, Operating Partner, Mubadala Performance Partners, Mubadala
Johnathon Baker, Managing Director, Head of Strategic Sourcing and Procurement, Apollo Global Management
Brian Slobodow, Operating Partner, HGGC
John Wang, Principal, Portfolio Operations, L Catterton
Johnathon Baker
Managing Director, Head of Strategic Sourcing and Procurement, Apollo Global Management
Read bio
FUNCTIONAL BREAKOUT SERIES 2
14:40 - 15:20
Track 6 | How do PE firms leverage different operating resource models to maximize value creation?
Sean Epstein,
Jon Weber
- What are the key resourcing operating models that PE firms use to drive value creation?
- How do these resourcing models vary based on geography, PE firm size, line of business and industry/sector focus?
- What correlations exist between these resourcing models and firm and portfolio performance?
Moderator:
Sean Epstein, Partner, Tenzing Consulting
Panelists:
Terrence Hahn, Senior Operating Executive, Cerberus Capital Management
Jon Weber, Operating Partner – Special Situations
14:40 - 15:20
Track 7 | Human capital resiliency: accelerate value creation with flexible talent
Pat Petitti,
Mara Edgar,
Hakim Ghanem ,
Natalie Leone
Talent strategy and management is a key driver of value creation, so how do leading private equity firms approach these topics in challenging markets? This panel discussion will cover:
- How private equity firms have adapted their talent models in response to macro sentiment changes
- What kinds of talent models enable flexibility and resiliency
- The ecosystem of tools and talent strategies that operating partners can use to shape winning playbooks and gain an advantage
Moderator:
Patrick Petitti, Co-Founder, CEO, Catalant Technologies
Panelists:
Katie Czerepak, Operating Partner and Head of Talent, Bain Capital Tech Opportunities
Mara Edgar, Managing Director, Human Capital, The Riverside Company
Hakim Ghanem, Director, Portfolio Support Group, Advent International
Natalie Leone, Managing Director, Portfolio Talent, Centerbridge Partners
14:40 - 15:20
Track 8 | Value creation planning: uncovering roadmaps from diligence to execution
Alex Arata,
Alessandro Moretti,
Eric Wilson,
Michael Song
- Timing and key steps to building a successful value-creation plan
- Bridge alignment on investment/deal thesis into post-close value levers
- Establish governance and adoption that includes both management and investors
- Understand challenges to prioritize a roadmap of change, synergies, and initiatives
- Drive accountability with right-sized metrics and regular Board awareness
Moderator:
Alex Arata, Key Account Executive, Private Equity, Grant Thornton
Panelists:
Alessandro Moretti, Head of Operational Value Creation, Public Investment Fund
Michael Song, Managing Director, Portfolio Operations, Providence Equity Partners
Eric Wilson, Principal, Portfolio Operations, NextGen Growth Partners
14:40 - 15:20
Track 9 | Commercial operations excellence: leveraging AI tools to power revenue growth across sales and marketing
Slade Kobran,
Seckin Ozdamar,
Ercan Ucak
- Identifying and using the right technology to improve sales & marketing efficiency and serve customers more effectively
- Beyond the theory: operating partners share firsthand uses cases in how to get started and what works in leveraging AI to accelerate revenue growth
- Observations on the future of sales and marketing in an AI driven world
Moderator:
Slade Kobran, Managing Partner, Private Equity, Chief Outsiders
Panelists:
Travis Cameron, Operating Partner, Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe
Seckin Ozdamar, Principal, General Atlantic
Ercan Ucak, Vice President, Cerberus Capital Management
14:40 - 15:20
Track 10 | Harnessing the power of data science and advanced analytics in value creation
Nick Newby ,
Vanessa DeGennaro,
Sajjad Jaffer,
Adam Nahari
- What is the state of your data? How to go about developing a data strategy and data governance? What does good look like and how are you getting good data?
- Establishing data first playbooks for private equity portfolio operations
- What is the quantified benefit of the data science being utilized for your portfolio companies? Where is the most value being delivered from data/analytics initiatives for your companies in different phases of the lifecycle?
- How are you driving more rapid data driven decisions as part of the value creation plan?
- How are you working with management teams to adopt analytics and data science? Are you working with data scientists? How are your companies evolving toward a data-driven culture to drive tangible results?
- What are some mistakes/lessons learned that you can share when implementing analytics/data science with portfolio companies?
- What do you see as the most influential change in data and analytics in the PE value creation space?
Moderator:
Nicholas Newby, Managing Partner, NuView Analytics
Panelists:
Vanessa DeGennaro, Vice President, BayPine
Tye Howell, Managing Director, Data and Digital, Blue Point Capital Partners
Sajjad Jaffer, Head of Data, Analytics and Machine Learning, GrowthCurve Capital
Adam Nahari, Vice President, Data and Analytics, Berkshire Partners
FUNCTIONAL BREAKOUT SERIES 3
15:20 - 16:00
Track 11 | 100-day plan expectations vs. reality: comparing short term and long-term objectives and strategies
Lou Brothers,
Bob Isaman,
Asheesh Gupta
- What is the true value of the first 100 days and what should be prioritized?
- How do you really achieve long-term success tied to prioritization and activation of initiatives?
- Does the first 100 days have a big impact on the long-term value creation plan across the full investment lifecycle?
- Pros and cons: comparing approaches/views in what needs to be accelerated in the first 100 days vs. long term
- How do your portfolio company management teams view the first 100 days? What works for them and what doesn’t?
Moderator:
Lou Brothers, Private Equity & Corporate M&A Diligence and Operations Transformation, RSM US
Panelists:
Asheesh Gupta, Managing Director, Portfolio Support, Audax Private Equity
Bob Isaman, Chief Operating Partner, Graham Partners
Susan Scutt, Managing Director, Operating Directors and Entrepreneurial Governance, Partners Group
15:20 - 16:00
Track 12 | Financial operations to optimize performance in uncertain times
Damon Kade,
David Italiano ,
Javier Justiniano,
Kathleen Reilly
- Shifting priorities of funds, portfolio companies, operating partners, and management teams in the current climate
- Implications for investment theses, value realization, and actions required during the hold period
- Enhanced importance of financial visibility for strategic decision making and challenges surrounding achievement
Moderator:
Damon Kade, Managing Director, Riveron Consulting
Panelists:
David Italiano, Senior Associate, Portfolio Excellence, Paine Schwartz Partners
Javier Justiniano, Principal, KKR Capstone
Zain Kaj, Executive, Field Operations, TPG
Kathleen Reilly, Director, The Catalyst Group, Incline Equity Partners
15:20 - 16:00
Track 13 | Tech value creation roadmaps across the investment lifecycle
Alex Bello,
Lee McCabe
- Operating partners share strategic IT roadmaps in pre-acquisition, 100 days, hold, and exit
- Finding gaps and synergies to achieve alignment on IT execution
- What tech levers do you pull at specific stages of the investment lifecycle?
- In what ways does your tech strategy shift, or evolve over the course of the hold period?
- Thinking big picture, while digitizing and delivering value along the way
Moderator:
Joe Zappala, Vice President of Business Development, RKON
Panelists:
Alex Bello, Director, Product and Technology Strategy, EQT Group
Steve Mayotte, Operating Partner, Technology Enablement, New State Capital Partners
Lee McCabe, Operating Partner, AEA Investors
Brit Yonge, Operating Partner, Corsair Capital
15:20 - 16:00
Track 14 | Driving revenue with data: unlocking the power of data monetization
Brad Ptasienski ,
Patrick Donegan,
Chris Satchell ,
Shivani Tejuja
- Defining data monetization: understand the concept and significance of data monetization in today’s business landscape
- Valuing your data and identifying the EBIDTA impact: discover methods to assess the true value of your data and its potential impact on earnings
- From business case to building data products: learn from experiences and expertise as we share insights on transforming data into innovative and profitable products
- Lessons learned: benefit from real-world lessons and best practices gathered from successful data monetization endeavors
- Case studies and examples across industries: explore case studies and practical examples from diverse industries that have successfully monetized their data
Moderator:
Brad Ptasienski, Senior Partner, West Monroe
Panelists:
Patrick Donegan, Senior Managing Director, Sales Excellence, The Riverside Company
Regina Penn, Senior Vice President, Digital Strategy and Innovation, Warburg Pincus
Chris Satchell, Managing Director Technology and Digital, Clayton Dubilier & Rice
Shivani Tejuja, Advisory Director, Charlesbank Capital Partners
Brad Ptasienski
Senior Partner – Technology (Data and Analytics Leader), West Monroe Partners
Read bio
15:20 - 16:00
Track 15 | Human capital strategies across the entire investment lifecycle
Jan Jamrich,
Courtney Hagen,
John Knapp,
Kate Migliaro,
Karina Sobieski
- Playbooks in developing human capital strategies throughout the various stages
- When, how, and to what extent do talent partners get involved in the lifecycle
- Pre-deal best practices and talent due diligence: operating partner lessons learned
- Team alignment on strategic direction to execute the investment thesis
- How to think about creating value through human capital in the first 100 days
- Operating during the hold period in the current market
- Talent management best practices for the exit
- Comparing differences and approaches in sectors and industries
Moderator:
Jan Jamrich, CEO and Founder, Entromy
Panelists:
Courtney Hagen, Chief Talent Officer, Littlejohn & Co.
John Knapp, Operating Director, Portfolio Talent, Berkshire Partners
Kate Migliaro, Global Head of Portfolio Talent, Searchlight Capital Partners
Karina Sobieski, Co-Head, Portfolio Human Capital Practice, Advent International
FUNCTIONAL BREAKOUT SERIES 4
16:00 - 16:40
Track 16 | CFO perspectives: what does an impactful alliance with PE look like?
- CFO-PE dynamics, initiatives, and engagement models
- How can operating partners earn your trust and support? What does a productive CFO-OP relationship look like?
- As CFOs, where do you need the most help? How can PE best support portco CFOs to drive initiatives?
- How can PE best partner with CFOs during current times?
- How is the role of the portco CFO changing and how does that impact the partnership?
- Challenges, opportunities, and frictions: dos and don’ts across the value creation journey
Panelists:
Jason Comer, Chief Financial Officer, Health Recovery Solutions
Iser Cukierman, Chief Financial Officer, Hero Digital
Shane Kern, Managing Director, Operational Performance, Erie Street Growth Partners
Jim Murphy, Senior Managing Director, Value Creation, LLR Partners
16:00 - 16:40
Track 17 | People, processes, & technology: value creation for the first 12 months and beyond
Doug Schrock,
Lisa Baldwin,
Daniel Goetz,
Bobbi Kommineni,
Andrea Peiro
- Building a foundation for growth in year one through investments in people, processes, and technology
- Leveraging digital transformation in the first phase of the lifecycle as a foundation for accelerating growth
- Working with management teams to execute identified performance improvement initiatives
- Prioritizing investments in foundational systems such as ERP with innovative applications such as mobile apps and generative AI
Moderator:
Doug Schrock, Principal, Advisory Services, Crowe
Panelists:
Lisa Baldwin, Operating Executive, Evergreen Coast Capital, Elliott Investment Management
Daniel Goetz, Managing Director – Value Creation, Siris Capital
Bobbi Kommineni, Operating Partner, Terminus Capital Partners
Andrea Peiro, Operating Principal, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice
16:00 - 16:40
Track 18 | Value creation for the exit: operating partner perspectives
Alistair Lester,
Brian Barnum,
Raz Khan,
Drew Scielzo
- Developing strategic exit plans: at what stage do you define the exit?
- Portfolio company risk management and resource allocation strategies for exit readiness
- Understanding what must be done in the final year pre exit: how operating partners think about risk mitigation, cost in preparation for a sale, driving value, and making sure the nuts and bolts are effective and efficient
- How is the current environment affecting the exit phase?
- Preparing and showcasing your companies for exit with sound business processes, intelligent data, transparency, and functional management teams
Moderator:
Alistair Lester, Global Co-CEO of M&A and Transaction Solutions, Aon
Panelists:
Brian Barnum, Operating Partner, Head of Private Equity Value Creation Team, Shamrock Capital
Pamela Hendrickson, Vice Chairman, The Riverside Company
Raz Khan, Principal, Permira
Drew Scielzo, Operating Partner, ACON Investments
16:00 - 16:40
Track 19 | Building a successful PE portfolio-wide cyber program: a practitioner's perspective
Akshay Grover,
Rich Adduci ,
Benjamin Eason,
Amar Ghai,
Adam Mattina,
Benny Melumad
- Why is there a need for a portfolio wide cyber program?
- Where does one start? How to build a portfolio-wide cyber program?
- What are the success criteria for portfolio-wide cyber programs? What to avoid?
- How do you effectively communicate cyber impact to the boards?
- How can PE backed companies use their cyber program as a strategic lever? How can it enable digital transformation and EBITDA improvement?
Moderator:
Akshay Grover, Global Private Equity Practice Lead, Zscaler
Panelists:
Rich Adduci, Operating Executive, Berkshire Partners
Benjamin Eason, Managing Director, Cyber, Apollo Global Management
Amar Ghai, Head of Digital Value Creation (Americas), KKR
Adam Mattina, Managing Director and Deputy CISO, Blackstone
Benny Melumad, Managing Director, Digital Strategy and Innovation, Warburg Pincus
16:00 - 16:40
Track 20 | Innovative commercial & revenue growth strategies for operating partners
David Reid,
Megan Galvin,
Mujteba Haidri,
George Mashini,
Kush Tulsidas
- Proposition development – how to expand your TAM by entering new segments
- Discussion around the trend towards vendor consolidation
- How to move from a “product strategy” to a “portfolio strategy”
- The role of packaging strategy in segment expansion
- How to expand into adjacent segments through product development
- How to develop the product roadmap
Moderator:
David Reid, Senior Managing Director, Teneo
Panelists:
Megan Galvin, Senior Operating Partner, Revenue, New State Capital Partners
Mujteba Haidri, Operating Partner, Blue Point Capital Partners
George Mashini, Operating Partner, Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe
Kush Tulsidas, Operating Partner, One Rock Capital Partners
16:40 - 17:00
Networking coffee break
INTERACTIVE WORKING GROUP SERIES 2
17:00 - 17:40
Interactive Working Group 6 (for operating partners only) | Taking a deeper dive into the metrics that matter
Angela Cinefro,
Elliot Fuhr
This session designed solely for operating partners will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators.
Join experts for a conversation on leading practices for managing portco performance, including differentiating key measures from noise; what you may be missing by only looking at lagging indicators; common pitfalls in rolling up results; leveraging automation; discerning what the metrics are really showing; and measuring levers for action. Operating partners will leave the discussion with insights on approaching financial, operational, risk, governance and talent measurement and reporting tactics to get a true picture of performance that will guide your portco team to actions that achieve growth goals and your investment thesis.
Facilitators:
Angela Cinefro, President and Co-Head of Transformation, Talent & Transactions, Ankura
Elliot Fuhr, Senior Managing Director, Co-Head of Transformation, Talent & Transactions, Ankura
17:00 - 17:40
Interactive Working Group 7 (for operating partners only) | Procurement value creation from due diligence to the first 100 days
Noah Adair ,
Chris Cummins
This session designed solely for operating partners will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
- Sharing best practices to identify/mitigate hidden supply chain risks in due diligence
- Utilizing data effectively in due diligence for procurement roadmaps and implementation planning
- Navigating procurement’s role in due diligence and 100-day plans – prioritizing amidst competing levers, change management, etc.
- Discussing effective strategies for accelerating procurement/supply chain value in the first 100-days post close
- Exploring operating partners’ priorities beyond cost optimization – what’s shifting and why
Facilitators:
Noah Adair, Founder and CEO, Adair & Company
Chris Cummins, Operating Partner, Vance Street Capital
17:00 - 17:40
Interactive Working Group 8 (for operating partners only) | Tech execution workshop: working with portfolio management teams to deliver tech transformations
This session designed solely for operating partners will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
- Best ways to convince portfolio management teams on how to leverage tech transformations to accelerate outcomes
- What has happened in the last 12 months and what comes next in terms of working with management teams to implement new technologies
- Reducing the cost of speed in driving transformations: how best to add value while reducing your pain points
- How is the C-suite evolving to deliver transformations?
- Managing frictions, objections, and growth expectations with your management teams
Facilitator:
Abhay Chaturvedi, Executive Vice President, Tech Industries, HCLTech
17:00 - 17:40
Interactive Working Group 9 (for operating partners only) | The future of work: war for global tech talents, digitization, and key trends
Ben Cao
This session designed solely for operating partners will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
- Winning the war for tech talent: leveling up tech know-how in today’s market
- Uncovering best practices as it relates to tech talent and tech solutions for global talent across different stages
- Access and strategy to top tech talents outside of the US
- Building/accelerating software solutions in house vs. outsourcing; what are the tradeoffs?
- Can outsourced employees be made into full time roles? What can be leveraged in outsourced relationships?
- Do you currently have a hybrid model, and will that be sustainable?
- What newly created digital roles have you created at your companies? What tech skill sets will be required in the digital future?
- How will AI and emerging technologies affect the future of work?
Facilitator:
Ben Cao, Technology Advisor, Seacoast Capital and Vice President, Head of PE & VC, Symphony
17:00 - 17:40
Interactive Working Group 10 (for operating partners only) | Optimizing your sales & revenue growth strategy in the current economy
Bruce Chesebrough
This session designed solely for operating partners will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
- What are the most effective sales, GTM, and revenue growth levers in the current economy?
- Lessons learned from current and previous downturns: what works and what doesn’t?
- What does a capital efficient growth strategy look like and how do you drive sustainable and recurring revenues in this environment?
- What are the biggest opportunities in looking at what comes next in 2024 and how should you position your sales strategy to be ready for it?
- Sharing playbooks across companies in different stages: what are key similarities and differences across industry sectors?
Facilitators:
Bruce Chesebrough, Operating Partner, New Mountain Capital
17:40 - 18:40
End of day one and networking cocktail reception
Hosted by:
Agenda
Day 2 - Wednesday 18th
07:45 - 08:30
Registration and breakfast
Breakfast hosted by:
Registration hosted by:
07:45 - 08:30
Breakfast deep dive discussion (invitation-only for operating partners) — A spotlight on social and governance in your ESG playbooks
Ted Bililies,
Joanne Taylor
- How are E, S, and G aligned and interlocked?
- What are the most important social issues that your companies face?
- How to develop a planful, deliberate, and mindful approach to prioritizing DE&I initiatives
- How important are equity, inclusion, and belonging practices to attract, develop, and retain employees?
- How are you thinking about social and governance planning and roadmaps in the due diligence and post deal phase?
- What are the top areas of concern with your portcos’ governance?
- How are you thinking about quality of the board leadership and composition?
- How do you view the role of the CEO in driving social and governance initiatives?
- How are you utilizing social and governance metrics for improvement?
- How are you looking at the long-term goals of your investment in ESG initiatives?
Hosted by:
Facilitators:
Ted Bililies, Partner and Managing Director, AlixPartners
Joanne Taylor, Partner and Managing Director, AlixPartners
THINK TANK SERIES 2
08:30 - 09:20
Think tanks for full-time operating partners: value creation war rooms (invitation-only)
Zaid Nesheiwat ,
Chris Tanner,
Russell Findlay,
John Sander,
Prital Kadakia,
Aaron Miller
These closed-door discussions will allow you to learn and share best practices of successful operating partners. The think tanks 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 Emerging Operating Partners (1-2 years in PE) Facilitators:
Zaid Nesheiwat, Vice President, Portfolio Operations, ORIX Capital Partners
Chris Tanner, Vice President, Portfolio Operations, Kelso & Company
Room 2 Advanced Operating Partners
Facilitators:
Russell Findlay, Operating Partner, H.I.G. Capital
John Sander, Principal, Portfolio Solutions, Lightyear Capital
Room 3 Heads of Portfolio Operations: Team Leaders Think Tank
Facilitators:
Prital Kadakia, Partner and Head, Portfolio Operations Team, Serent Capital
Aaron Miller, Partner, Head of Apollo Portfolio Performance Solutions, Apollo Global Management
09:20 - 09:30
Chairman’s welcome
Tim Sanders
Chairman:
Tim Sanders, Vice President, Client Strategy, Upwork
PLENARY SESSIONS
09:30 - 10:10
Economic predictions for PE: functional specialist playbooks moving into 2024
Sean Mooney,
Sebastien Bilodeau,
Melissa Mounce,
Nick Winter
An economic and macro outlook will be revealed in looking at how it will shape and influence PE strategies across functions. How are operating partners currently navigating the waters and what are the biggest barriers in this climate? What comes next, where is the economy going and how are you thinking about it as an operating partner? Our panel will explore the next chapter of specialist playbooks:
- Value creation in the current economy focusing on key functional and cross-functional initiatives
- How operating partners in different functions work best with management teams in the current economy
- Looking at what happens next year as we enter a presidential election year: how are you positioned to pull the right levers moving forward?
- Turning risk into opportunity: what are the biggest challenges and opportunities across functions in looking at 2024?
Moderator:
Sean Mooney, Founder and CEO, BluWave
Panelists:
Sebastien Bilodeau, President, Cerberus Technology Solutions, Cerberus Capital Management
David Feierstein, Managing Partner, Ronin Equity Partners
Melissa Mounce, Managing Director, Leadership Talent and Diversity, GTCR
Nick Winter, Managing Director, Head of North America Portfolio Operations, Värde Partners
10:10 - 10:50
Comparing operating partner models: an inside look across private equity
Nick Maglaris,
Jeff Goodman,
Bob Isaman
- What are the most significant operating model differences across different PE firm sizes?
- What are key differences when it comes to sizes of the deals and post deal execution?
- What are the main similarities across firms in looking at different sizes of operating models?
- How is the operating model different/unique specifically at your firm?
- Comparing horizontal/functional models vs. industry sector/vertical models vs. hybrid
- How will value creation models evolve and change in future in looking at different PE firms?
Moderator:
Nick Maglaris, Vice President – Midmarket Strategic Initiatives, SAP
Panelists:
Jim Coleman, Operating Partner, AEA Investors
Jeffrey Goodman, Senior Operating Partner, The Riverside Company
Bob Isaman, Chief Operating Partner, Graham Partners
10:50 - 11:10
Networking break
PLENARY SESSIONS
11:10 - 11:50
Applying Gen AI as a key value creation element in the new PE landscape
Declan Morris,
Sajjad Jaffer
- Sharing specific references and use cases of Gen AI for your portfolio companies and what comes next
- Looking at Gen AI through the data lens: focusing on a comprehensive data strategy before moving into Gen AI optimization for your business
- How will Gen AI fundamentally change the PE value creation landscape? What are the real risks and opportunities?
- Delivering Gen AI across different functions and capabilities
Moderator:
Declan Morris, Private Equity Transformation Advisor, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Panelists:
Ganesh Bell, Managing Director, Insight Partners
Sajjad Jaffer, Head of Data, Analytics and Machine Learning, GrowthCurve Capital
Jeffrey Malcolm, Value Accelerator Operating Advisor, Technology, Goldman Sachs Asset Management
11:50 - 12:30
Heads of portfolio operations viewpoints: understanding what your value creation team leaders need from you
Richard Elder,
Rachel Spasser
- Understanding what it’s like being an operating team leader and what the future holds
- Comparing team sizes: how large is your team? How much have you grown in recent years?
- How do you build, structure, and assemble an operating group/team? What parameters do you use?
- What type of backgrounds and skill sets do you look for in bringing operating members onboard? How is the current environment shaping how you are structuring your team?
- What makes a great operating partner? What do you value most in your operating team?
- Sharing best practices in managing an operating team across the investment lifecycle
- How will your team grow and evolve over the next few years? How are you looking at the next generation of operating partners to come?
Moderator:
Amy Daly, Americas Private Equity Consulting Leader, EY
Panelists:
Richard Elder, Managing Director, Head of Global Portfolio Solutions, The Carlyle Group
Jim Howland, Managing Director, Head of Portfolio Operations, Morgan Stanley Capital Partners
Rachel Spasser, Managing Director, Head, Accel-KKR Consulting Group, Accel-KKR
INTERACTIVE WORKING GROUP SERIES 3
12:30 - 13:10
Interactive Working Group 11 (for operating partners only) | ESG action and sustainability roadmaps for your supply chains
This session designed solely for operating partners will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
- Building your reputation in moving towards more sustainable supply chain and procurement across the investment lifecycle
- Delivering on ESG carbon targets: mobilizing your supply chain to open up to more carbon friendly suppliers
- Taking action: overcoming challenges to execute your energy efficient strategy
- Building tools and adopting technologies to create a more sustainable supply chain
- Comparing solutions for managing emissions throughout the supply chain across portfolio companies
- Showcasing relevant and attainable metrics: measuring and managing progress against ESG targets and improvements; ESG reporting and data in supplier diversity
- Achieving supply chain sustainability and resiliency while reducing costs in an unpredictable global environment
Facilitators:
Ben Lambert, Principal, Efficio
Jose Oliveira, Vice President, Efficio
12:30 - 13:10
Interactive Working Group 12 (for operating partners only) | The future of digital and tech operating partner models
Nate Barnes
This session designed solely for operating partners will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
- What will the future of digital and tech operating partner teams look like in an increasingly digital world? What does great look like today and what will it look like in future?
- How has it rapidly evolved over the last 18 months and how will it continue to evolve?
- How will AI and other key emerging technologies affect the future role of the digital operating partner?
- Best practices in building out tech operating teams in looking at structures, staffing, and the overall digital value creation ecosystem
- Dissecting how tech operating partners have an even greater impact across other functions at your companies now and in future
Facilitator:
Nate Barnes, US Deals Chief Data Scientist, PwC
12:30 - 13:10
Interactive Working Group 13 (for operating partners only) | Accelerating 100-day finance value creation plans
Ryan Comes,
Mauricio Sanchez
This session designed solely for operating partners will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
- Reporting and FP&A optimization in the first 100 days to accelerate cross-functional, forward-looking decisions
- How CFOs and finance leaders establish actionable roadmaps in conjunction with operating partner guidance to drive efficiency, scale, and growth
- Comparing PE finance operating partner models and functions in delivering post close transformations
Facilitators:
Ryan Comes, Partner, Private Equity, CrossCountry Consulting
Mauricio Sanchez, Managing Director, Portfolio Office of the CFO, Audax Private Equity
12:30 - 13:10
Interactive Working Group 14 (for operating partners only) | Advanced strategies in talent recruitment, retention, and development
Steven Berman,
Matthew Goldstein
This session designed solely for operating partners will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
- Optimization in recruiting: advanced strategies in talent search and acquisition
- What is your greatest challenge when it comes to recruiting in this environment?
- Assessing and matching leaders/talent to the current environment
- How has the remote/hybrid world impacted your hiring plans?
- What are you doing when it comes to retention: what works and what doesn’t
- How to spot and develop high-potential talent in your organizations
Facilitators:
Steven Berman, Executive Search Director, Accel-KKR
Matthew Goldstein, Managing Director, True Search
12:30 - 13:10
Interactive Working Group 15 (for operating partners only) | The role of the operating partner in the due diligence phase
This session designed solely for operating partners will allow the audience to join an interactive roundtable discussion with designated facilitators:
- Looking at how and why operating partners should play a greater role in due diligence
- Uncovering key areas of focus across functional areas in diligence
- How are operating partners investing time and resources in the due diligence phase?
- Sharing operating partner dos and don’ts in diligence
- How is your due diligence playbook changing in the current economic environment?
- How does the due diligence phase impact your value creation journey and the entire lifecycle?
- How do you approach pre-deal assessments of the leadership team to rapidly achieve the value creation plan
13:10 - 14:00
Networking Lunch
13:10 - 14:00
Technology and digital operating partners cybersecurity lunch discussion (invitation-only for operating partners)
This closed-door deep dive lunch discussion solely for tech operating partners will explore key strategies in cybersecurity and digital value creation to protect and enhance value.
Facilitators:
Bill Cornog, Senior Advisor, Principal Investors and Private Equity, Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
Clark O’Niell, Managing Director and Partner, Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
Hosted by:
FUNCTIONAL BREAKOUT SERIES 5
14:00 - 14:40
Track 21 | The challenges operating partners face in tracking value creation
Amy Newlan,
Steven Siwinski,
David Venker
- Tracking value creation throughout the investment lifecycle: measuring impact for operating partners, deal teams, investors, and stakeholders
- Understanding how operating partner performance is measured/tracked and incentivized/compensated effectively
- Defining and measuring your progress to achieve better alignment and reduce frictions with deal teams and management teams
- Articulating, showcasing, and attributing outcomes: sharing strategies that have worked
- Utilizing transparent portfolio performance management to ensure the right levers are being pulled across functional areas
Moderator:
Amy Newlan, Senior Vice President, Head of Client Development, Maestro
Panelists:
Casey Myers, Partner, Edison Edge, Edison Partners
Steven Siwinski, Operating Principal, Accel-KKR
David Venker, Vice President of Portfolio Operations, HCI Equity Partners
14:00 - 14:40
Track 22 | Aligning with PE to deliver supply chain and procurement transformations
Chirag Shah,
Adam Cummins,
Curt Miller,
Jana Wayne
- Showcasing portco case studies of procurement transformation
- PE-CPO/Chief Supply Chain Officer alignment, engagement, and dynamics to deliver transformation
- Working with PE in the current environment: advanced strategies for supply chain and procurement resiliency
- Advances in AI and ML to transform spend data into actionable items across portfolios
Moderator:
Chirag Shah, Executive Chairman, Simfoni
Panelists:
Adam Cummins, Principal, Director of Portfolio Procurement, The Carlyle Group
Curt Miller, Operations Consultant, Littlejohn & Co.
Jana Wayne, Head of Procurement, Hunter Point Capital
14:00 - 14:40
Track 23 | Tech value creation playbooks in the current economy
Ravi Narayanan,
Souvick Paul,
Carsten Weber
- What does your tech scorecard look like in a downturn? How is your tech value creation playbook changing/evolving in the current economic climate?
- IT cost optimization and bringing down your tech debt with better processes and new technologies
- What can tech and tech operations do to protect EBITDA? What measures and initiatives are most effective? How can tech drive more efficiency across functions in your companies?
- Sharing tech war stories in the current downturn as well as previous downturns to maximize value in the years to come
Moderator:
Ravi Narayanan, Americas Head, Strategic Engagement, Wipro
Panelists:
Raj Kushwaha, Co-Head of Value Creation and Chief Digital Officer, Warburg Pincus
Ajaykumar Kutty, Technology Operating Principal, KKR Capstone
Souvick Paul, Vice President, Private Equity, Brookfield Asset Management
Carsten Weber, Technology Director, The Sterling Group
14:00 - 14:40
Track 24 | Driving ESG as a key part of the value creation plan
Arthy Kumar,
Monika Nachyla,
Carletta Ooton,
Scott Phillips
- Practical ESG integration programs across your portfolio companies
- ESG reporting and requirements: how are ESG based KPIs/metrics being used effectively?
- What are LPs looking for?
- Leading your businesses to carbon neutrality
- ESG due diligence, planning, and roadmaps
- Evaluating ESG risks and opportunities: how is ESG influencing the investment thesis?
- Driving ESG and engaging with all key stakeholders across the investment lifecycle
Moderator:
Arthy Kumar, Industry Principal, Workiva
Panelists:
Allison Hernandez Gosselin, Director, Environmental Social & Governance, Graham Partners
Monika Nachyla, Partner, Abris Capital Partners
Carletta Ooton, Head of ESG – Operating Partner, Apollo Global Management
Scott Phillips, Managing Director, Portfolio Operations, ORIX Capital Partners
FUNCTIONAL BREAKOUT SERIES 6
14:40 - 15:20
Track 25 | Comparing digital and tech operating partner models
Rohini Williams,
Cory Eaves,
Amar Ghai,
Kevin Jones,
Andy Pickens
- Discussing the breadth and depth of your roles as digital/tech operating partners today and what the role/model will look like in future
- Sharing how tech operating partners drive value creation by comparing models, networks, teams, structures, and technologies
- How can you improve your value creation process in looking at the overall ecosystem?
Moderator:
Rohini Williams, Global Head – Private Equity, Infosys
Panelists:
Cory Eaves, Operating Partner, General Atlantic
Amar Ghai, Head of Digital Value Creation (Americas), KKR
Kevin Jones, Principal, The Catalyst Group, Incline Equity Partners
Andy Pickens, Managing Director, Apollo Portfolio Performance Solutions
14:40 - 15:20
Track 26 | Value creation for industrial/manufacturing businesses: keys to success
Kevin Hauser,
Benjamin Humphreys,
Ori Ben-Moshe ,
Ken Weaver
- Uncovering ops heavy, horizontal oriented, macroeconomic trends in industrials
- Sharing best practices and firsthand execution strategies for operations transformation within the sector
- Applying AI to create value in industrial/manufacturing businesses
Moderator:
Kevin Hauser, Partner, Oliver Wyman
Panelists:
Benjamin Humphreys, Senior Operating Executive, Monomoy Capital Partners
Ori Ben-Moshe, Director of Portfolio Operations, ORIX Capital Partners
Brett Schneider, Operating Partner, Arsenal Capital Partners
Ken Weaver, Managing Director, TVV Capital
14:40 - 15:20
Track 27 | Controlling healthcare costs while enhancing user experience: a Platinum Equity case study featuring Valpak
Melissa Cassidy,
Todd Grove
- What are some creative and innovative things HR leaders are doing when it comes to healthcare and employee engagement?
- Balancing benefit optimization with increased support to employees
- Engaging CHRO, Benefits Manager, CEO, and CFO: collaboration on healthcare value creation initiatives
- How to identify value-add point solutions vs “bad actors”
- Rehanging the baseline: how to combat the current high inflationary environment through sustainably mitigating excessive medical inflation
Moderator:
Rob Edmonds, Senior Director, Risk International
Panelists:
Melissa Cassidy, Human Resources Benefits Manager, Valpak
Todd Grove, Vice President, Private Equity, Quantum Health
Brian McGoldrick, Senior Vice President, M&A Operations, Platinum Equity
FUNCTIONAL BREAKOUT SERIES 7
15:20 - 16:00
Track 28 | Harnessing data assets to drive valuations at exit
Anush Newman,
Greg Kegeles,
Sajjad Jaffer
Increasingly, a data-backed equity story, partnered with a data-competent management team utilizing data operationally, achieves higher valuations at exit. As scrutiny on data is increasingly demanded during diligence, data science and engineering capabilities with a tight commercial focus are essential to deliver in an increasingly complex data landscape. Therefore, the ability to leverage more sophisticated data assets during exit will lead to higher valuations.
- How should you use data analytics and reporting during exit preparation to maximize return?
- Understanding the importance of having robust and granular data during equity story development and diligence
- Showcasing a better data-driven management team and a data-enabled business
- Qualifying the impact of earlier stage best data practices on the equity story and exit phase
Moderator:
Anush Newman, Managing Director, JMAN Group
Panelists:
Gerard Ashmore, Senior Vice President – Reporting and Insights, Grain Management
Sajjad Jaffer, Head of Data, Analytics and Machine Learning, GrowthCurve Capital
Greg Kegeles, Operating Partner, Digital Transformation, Newlight Partners
15:20 - 16:00
Track 29 | Comparing sales and GTM operating partner models and playbooks: integrating commercial value creation across functions
Elizabeth Dresdale,
Zorian Rotenberg
- What does a successful commercial/sales operating partner model look like?
- Building and scaling effective commercial teams
- Integrating tech and talent value creation levers as part of your cross functional commercial strategy
- GTM, sales, and marketing alignment across the investment lifecycle
- Mobilizing and partnering with management teams on GTM
Panelists:
Elizabeth Dresdale, Principal, The Catalyst Group, Incline Equity Partners
Zorian Rotenberg, Operating Partner, GTM & Revenue Growth, Charlesbank Capital Partners
Russ Trpkovski, Operating Partner, CVC Capital Partners
15:20 - 16:00
Track 30 | Leveraging Cloud to improve gross margins and portfolio valuations in a market focused on making assets efficient
16:00 - 16:30
Fireside chat with Dan Glaser at CD&R: spotlight on an operating partner’s journey
Dan Glaser,
Tim Sanders
- What factors led you to join CD&R?
- Why is the Operating Partner role and opportunity exciting to you?
- You joined CD&R after spending most of your 40-year career at Marsh McLennan, where you most recently served as President and CEO from 2012 to 2022; what have been the most important lessons you have learned?
- What is your impression of the diligence process at CD&R?
- What unique actions are you taking to add value to CD&R portfolio companies from an operational standpoint?
Interviewee:
Dan Glaser, Operating Partner, Clayton Dubilier & Rice
Interviewer:
Tim Sanders, Vice President of Client Strategy, Upwork
16:30 - 16:40
Closing remarks and end of conference
Explore our exclusive operating partner only networking
Expand your relationships and build your network with our operating partner exclusive networking events throughout the Forum.
Join our community of the brightest leaders in value creation to meet and exchange ideas that will help you in your day-to-day operations. Attendees engage with an agenda packed with social activities, interactive roundtables, think tanks, dinners, a women’s lunch discussion, and two evening receptions.
Pre-conference reception
Monday, October 16
Operating Partners Forum New York Welcome Reception (invitation-only)
5:30 – 7:45 pm
Manhatta, 28 Liberty St, 60th floor
Join the operating partners attending the New York Forum at our opening reception. Exchange valuable insights with your peers in a relaxed setting and build your connections before the conference kicks off.
Hosted by:
Pre-conference dinners
Monday, October 16
Heads of Portfolio Operations – Team Leaders Dinner (invitation-only)
7:45 – 9:00 pm
Manhatta, 28 Liberty St, 60th floor
Join us for a VIP private sit-down dinner designed exclusively for the leaders of the value creation teams attending the NY Forum. Exchange ideas and expand your connections with the heads of the operating partner teams in a relaxed setting on the evening before the event kicks off.
Sales and Revenue Growth Operating Partners Dinner (invitation-only)
7:45 – 9:00 pm
Manhatta, 28 Liberty St, 60th floor
Join us as we welcome the sales, revenue growth, marketing, and GTM operating partners attending the Forum for a private sit-down dinner to facilitate networking before the conference starts. Increase your connections and exchange ideas with leaders in commercial value creation.
Hosted by:
Women in PE Portfolio Operations Dinner (invitation-only)
7:45 – 9:00 pm
Manhatta, 28 Liberty St, 60th floor
Join us as we welcome the women in PE portfolio operations attending the New York Forum for a private sit-down dinner to facilitate networking before the conference. Increase your connections and exchange ideas with women leaders in value creation.
Hosted by:
Technology and Digital Operating Partners Dinner (invitation-only)
7:45 – 9:00 pm
Manhatta, 28 Liberty St, 60th floor
Join us as we welcome the digital and tech operating partners attending the Forum for a private sit-down dinner to facilitate networking before the conference starts. Increase your connections and exchange ideas with tech leaders in value creation.
Hosted by:
Day 1 lunch and reception
Tuesday, October 17
Women in PE Portfolio Operations Lunch (invitation-only for operating partners)
1:00 – 2:00 pm
This closed-door lunch discussion will explore what it’s like being a woman in Private Equity portfolio operations. Explore career paths, development, and how to position yourself as operating partner leaders.
Hosted by:
Operating Partners Forum New York Day 1 Grand Reception
5:40 – 6:40 pm
Our grand reception will allow you to chat and get to know your operating partner peers at the end of the first day of the Forum. Hear what is on everyone’s mind after a full day of valuable insights.
Hosted by:
Day 2 breakfast and lunch
Wednesday, October 18
Breakfast Deep Dive Discussion (operating partners only)
7:45 – 8:30 am
This breakfast deep dive discussion, designed solely for operating partners, will focus on key strategies in value creation and allow you to share your views and learn key insights from peers.
Hosted by:
Technology and Digital Operating Partners Cybersecurity Lunch Discussion (operating partners only)
1:10 – 2:00 pm
This closed-door deep dive lunch discussion solely for tech operating partners will explore key strategies in cybersecurity and digital value creation to protect and enhance value.
Hosted by:
Featured interactive discussions & networking opportunities
Think Tanks (operating partners only)
These closed-door morning sessions led by operating partners for operating partners only will allow you to engage in lively discussions with your peers. The thinks tanks will also allow you to suggest topics to be covered in looking at the best value creation practices.
Interactive Working Groups (operating partners only)
These exclusive deep dive discussions only available to operating partners allow you to participate in interactive roundtable discussions with designated facilitators to learn from experts in different functional areas of value creation.
Pre-Event Resources
2023 Speakers
For speaking opportunities, contact Marc Mele at marc.m@pei.group or call +1 646 581 9295.
Tracey Abbott
Director, Mubadala Performance Partners, Mubadala
Tracey Abbott is a Director (Senior Operating Partner) on the Mubadala Performance Partners team, based in New York City. Mubadala is a sovereign investor with $284 Billion AUM. Her operating responsibilities include consumer/retail and health and li… Read full bio
Noah Adair
Founder and CEO, Adair and Company
Noah Adair is the Founder and CEO of Adair & Company – a consulting firm focused solely on creating procurement-related value for PE sponsors and their portfolio companies. Grounded in values and experience gained at Toyota and decentralized cong… Read full bio
Rich Adduci
Operating Executive, Berkshire Partners
Rich joined the Operations Advisor program at Advent International in 2020, adding more than 30 years of IT leadership working with Manufacturing, High Tech, Utilities, and Life Science industries to the program. Rich has more than 13 years of CIO ex… Read full bio
Chris Ahearn
Operating Partner, Commercial, The Sterling Group
Chris is a Commercial Operating Partner for the Sterling-Group; a mid-market private equity firm based in Houston, TX. Chris is focused on helping portfolio companies achieve organic growth objectives. Prior to Sterling, Chris served as CEO for Oakwo… Read full bio
Omar Alismail
Head of Mubadala Performance Partners, Mubadala
Omar Alismail leads the Mubadala Performance Partners team, a group of senior specialized operating partners who partner with boards and management teams to deliver holistic transformation which maximize the value creation potential of portfolio comp… Read full bio
Arvind Anantharaman
Operating Partner, Mubadala Investment Company
Arvind leads Supply Chain & Procurement for Mubadala Performance Partners (a dedicated team of senior specialized operating partners who deliver holistic transformation which maximizes the value creation potential of our portfolio companies). Arv… Read full bio
Joe April
Senior Operating Partner, Finance, Graham Partners
Joe is a seasoned executive with over 16 years of experience in dynamic roles within private equity, turnaround management consulting and investment banking with a proven track record of partnering and delivering financial and strategic change leader… Read full bio
Alex Arata
Key Account Executive, Private Equity, Grant Thornton
Alex is a Key Account Executive in Grant Thornton’s Strategy & Transactions practice, focusing on Value Creation Planning (VCP) for private equity clients and their portfolio companies. Alex works closely with PE Operating Partners and their port… Read full bio
Toya Asbury
Managing Director, Alvarez & Marsal
Toya Asbury is a Managing Director specializing in driving operational process and performance improvement and business transformation through A&M’s Rapid Results Program™. With over 15 years of experience, she has driven performance and process… Read full bio
Gerard Ashmore
SVP of Reporting & Insights, Grain Management LLC
Mr. Ashmore is Senior Vice President – Reporting & Insights in Portfolio Dynamics Group, a team dedicated to supporting Grain’s due diligence processes and portfolio company integration and operations to create value through sustained operational… Read full bio
Johnathon Baker
Managing Director, Head of Strategic Sourcing and Procurement, Apollo Global Management
Mr. Baker joined Apollo in 2021 and is a Managing Director leading Strategic Sourcing and Procurement. Prior to joining Apollo, Mr. Baker was Senior Vice President Strategic Sourcing at Gap Inc. Before joining Gap Inc., Mr. Baker served in leadership… Read full bio
Lisa Baldwin
Operating Executive, Evergreen Coast Capital
Lisa Baldwin is an Operating Executive at Evergreen Coast Capital, the private equity affiliate of Elliott Investment Management L.P. Ms. Baldwin assists the Evergreen investment team in the areas of IT systems, services, and cloud operations in dili… Read full bio
Brian Barnum
Operating Partner, Head of Private Equity Value Creation Team, Shamrock Capital
Brian Barnum is the Operating Partner at Shamrock Capital Advisors and works with Shamrock's portfolio companies to improve operations and increase value. He currently serves as a director of Skillable, Ad Results Media, and Maple Media and has worke… Read full bio
Ganesh Bell
Managing Director, Insight Partners
Ganesh Bell joined Insight Partners as a Managing Director to invest in and help entrepreneurs build great software & data companies that will define modern enterprise and digital business. He is a profound student of the enterprise software mark… Read full bio
Alex Bello
Director, Product and Technology Strategy, EQT Group
Alex Bello is a Director, Technology Strategy at EQT where he provides strategic support and advice to EQTs investment teams and portfolio companies with a focus on product, technology and cyber security. EQT is a purpose-driven global investment org… Read full bio
Ori Ben-Moshe
Director of Portfolio Operations, ORIX Capital Partners
Ori Ben-Moshe is a Director, Portfolio Operations at ORIX Capital Partners (“OCP”). Mr. Ben-Moshe is responsible for leading operational improvement and growth initiatives at portfolio companies, in the technology, industrial and business services sp… Read full bio
Steven Berman
Executive Search Director, Accel-KKR
Steven Berman leads the Accel-KKR’s executive search function. Working with deal teams and portfolio companies to drive value by having the right people in the right seats. For over two decades, Accel-KKR has leveraged our vast pool of resources and… Read full bio
Ted Bililies
Partner and Managing Director, AlixPartners
Ted is an internationally-recognized expert on leadership and organization development. He advises investors, CEOs, and boards globally to help them position the right leaders for key roles and to support those leaders and teams for maximal value cre… Read full bio
Sebastien Bilodeau
President, Cerberus Technology Solutions, Cerberus Capital Management
Sebastien Bilodeau is the President of the Cerberus Technology Solutions (CTS) group at Cerberus. He is a highly qualified and driven executive with leadership and value-added skills. He has extensive experience in digital, eCommerce, data, offline c… Read full bio
Lou Brothers
Private Equity & Corporate M&A Diligence and Operations Transformation, RSM US
Lou serves private equity and acquisitive corporate clients in their IT/Cyber, HR, and ESG diligence, post-close transformation, and exit processes. With more than 1,000 transactions diligenced and backed by 20+ years of operations and technical cons… Read full bio
Kristin Brown Patrick
Senior Operating Partner, Human Capital, New State Capital Partners
Kristin joined New State Capital Partners four years ago as Senior Operating Partner, Human Capital with more than 25 years of hands-on growth strategy, executive search, talent acquisition and talent development experience. New State takes a hands-o… Read full bio
Steven Browning
Vice President, Insight Sourcing Group
Steven leads ISG’s Private Equity practice which partners with Private Equity firms and their portfolio companies to deliver EBITDA impact and operational improvement through procurement value creation initiatives. Prior to leading the Private Equity… Read full bio
Travis Cameron
Operating Partner, WCAS
Mr. Cameron is an Operating Partner on the Technology team, having joined WCAS in 2022. He has extensive experience optimizing digital marketing channels and lead generation in the technology space. Mr. Cameron works with the technology portfolio foc… Read full bio
Ben Cao
Technology Advisor, Seacoast Capital and Vice President, Head of PE & VC, Symphony
Ben is currently a technology advisor at Seacoast Capital and the Head of PE and VC at Symphony. Previously, he was a private equity investor and operator at various growth stage companies and a product and engineering leader at Rokt, Google and IBM… Read full bio
Melissa Cassidy
Benefits Manager, Valpak
Melissa is the Benefits Manager for V.P. Holdings, Inc., better known as Valpak. Responsible for the management of Valpak’s strategy and design of the employee health, retirement, and well-being offerings, as well as the development of educational ma… Read full bio
Jessica Castillo
Operating Partner, Sovereign's Capital
Jessica Castillo is the Operating Partner at Sovereign’s Capital focused on growth investments across their Lower Middle Market Private Equity Funds. In her role, Jessica partners with investment and executive teams on their comprehensive value creat… Read full bio
Abhay Chaturvedi
Executive Vice President, HCL America Inc.
Abhay Chaturvedi, leads the Hi-Tech industry vertical for HCL America, which includes internet platform, semiconductor, OEM, ISV, and consumer electronics industries. In this role, Abhay is directly responsible for increasing HCL’s mindshare and mark… Read full bio
Richard Chen
Principal, U.S. Private Equity Lead, Strategy, KPMG LLP
Richard Chen is a Principal in the KPMG Strategy Practice, where he leads Strategy’s U.S. Private Equity team. He has over 20 years of industry and consulting experience with multi-national clients in energy and industrials. He specializes in assisti… Read full bio
Bruce Chesebrough
Operating Partner, New Mountain Capital
Mr. Chesebrough, Operating Partner, joined New Mountain in 2022. Mr. Chesebrough has spent his entire career as a Growth Officer and Commercial Excellence executive, and he has worked in many industries in the B2B arena including: technology, discret… Read full bio
Angela Cinefro
President and Co-Head of Transformation, Talent & Transactions, Ankura Consulting Group
Angela L. Cinefro is the President of Ankura and Co-Head of the Transformation, Talent, & Transactions group. She combines business and strategy with employee development and advocacy to foster the culture that supports client success. Angela is… Read full bio
Ryan Comes
Partner, Private Equity, CrossCountry Consulting
Ryan is a Partner for CrossCountry Consulting, based in Boston, supporting the firm’s national Private Equity practice. He has over 20 years of experience providing financial, strategic and accounting advisory support to private equity and corporate… Read full bio
Jim Corey
Managing Partner, Blue Ridge Partners
Jim is a co-founder of Blue Ridge Partners and serves as the firm’s Managing Partner. For 35 years he has assisted companies in North America, Europe and Asia accelerate profitable revenue growth. Jim has advised over 300 companies on revenue-related… Read full bio
Adam Cummins
Principal, Director of Portfolio Procurement, The Carlyle Group
Adam Cummins is a Director with West Monroe, a Management Consulting firm that helps organizations build agile operations that maximize results. For the past several years Adam has served as the PMO lead for The Carlyle Group’s Global Investment Reso… Read full bio
Chris Cummins
Operating Partner, Vance Street Capital
Chris Cummins joined the Vance Street Capital in April 2020. With 25+ years in the global manufacturing industry, his focus has been to drive value creation across three portfolio companies for Vance Street including Micronics Engineered Filtration G… Read full bio
Roanne Daniels
Managing Director, Roark Capital
Roanne joined Roark in 2021 and is a member of Roark’s investment committee. She serves on the board of directors of and is actively involved in Roark’s investments in Quatrro Business Support Services, ContinuServe, Mathnasium and Asset Living and i… Read full bio
Vanessa DeGennaro
Vice President, BayPine
Vanessa DeGennaro joined BayPine in 2022 as a Vice President in the Digital Operations group where she provides strategic support and advice to BayPine's investment teams and portfolio companies with a focus on technology, product, and ESG. Vanessa i… Read full bio
Courtney della Cava
Senior Managing Director, Global Head of Portfolio Talent and Organizational Performance, Blackstone
Courtney della Cava is a Senior Managing Director and Global Head of Portfolio Talent & Organizational Performance. She is involved with improving organizational and leadership effectiveness across the portfolio, including building and enhancing… Read full bio
Patrick Donegan
Senior Managing Director, Sales Excellence, The Riverside Company
Patrick Donegan serves as Senior Managing Director, Sales Excellence, of The Riverside Company (Riverside) - a global investment firm focused on being one of the leading private capital options for investors, business owners and employees at the smal… Read full bio
Elizabeth Dresdale
Principal, The Catalyst Group, Incline Equity Partners
Elizabeth Dresdale is a Principal at Incline Equity Partners. She is responsible for identifying, assessing, and recommending sales and go to market strategies and improvements for portfolio companies. Elizabeth is based in the firm’s New York office… Read full bio
Benjamin Eason
Managing Director, Apollo Global Management
Mr. Eason is a Managing Director at Apollo Global Management, supporting Apollo’s deal teams and fund portfolio companies on cyber security. Mr. Eason joined Apollo in 2021 from The Carlyle Group where he was the Investor Services Business Partner an… 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
Mara Edgar
Managing Director, Human Capital, The Riverside Company
Mara Lamoureux Edgar is the Managing Director, Human Capital at The Riverside Company where she leads portfolio talent strategy and company value creation on behalf of the Riverside Capital Appreciation Fund. Mara has lead HR and Talent functions for… Read full bio
Richard Elder
Partner and Managing Director, Head of Global Portfolio Solutions, The Carlyle Group
Prior to joining Carlyle, Mr. Elder served as Executive Vice President, Strategy & Growth and Chief Transformation Officer at Nouryon. He was responsible for helping to develop and integrate Nouryon’s Global Transformation program, with a focus o… Read full bio
Adam Echter
Partner, Simon-Kucher
Adam Echter is a Partner based in Simon-Kucher’s Silicon Valley office. He brings two decades of B2B sales and pricing experience across manufactured goods, industrial equipment and technology industries. Adam has built pricing and sales organization… Read full bio
Tony Esposito
Director, Private Equity and Venture Capital, Consero Global
Tony Esposito serves as Director, Private Equity and Venture Capital at Consero Global. Established in 2006, Consero disrupts the way businesses build and maintain their finance and accounting functions. Through a cloud-based platform, Consero delive… Read full bio
Darin Facer
Partner and Managing Director, AlixPartners
Darin is the Global Co-leader of AlixPartrners Private Equity Practice. He is an accomplished advisor and operator with nearly 30 years of experience leading large-scale transformations spanning merger integration, carve-out/divestiture and whole-com… Read full bio
David Feierstein
Managing Partner, Ronin Equity Partners
David is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Ronin Equity Partners. Before he formed Ronin, David was the Head of the Transformation Office at Diversey, the second largest industrial cleaning business in the world, joining the team as part of its pu… Read full bio
Russell Findlay
Operating Partner, H.I.G. Capital
Russ Findlay is a sales and marketing executive currently serving as a Senior Executive Director and Operating Partner for H.I.G Capital. where he focuses on marketing due diligence, value creation planning and portfolio company operations. Russ is r… Read full bio
J.P. Fingado
Operating Partner, The Riverside Company
J.P. Fingado has more than 30 years of senior-level healthcare information technology, pharmaceutical services and education software experience. For the past 15 years, J.P. has operated in the private equity environment as a Chairman, Operating Part… Read full bio
Elliot Fuhr
Senior Managing Director & Co-Head of Transformation, Talent & Transactions, Ankura Consulting Group
Elliot Fuhr is a Senior Managing Director at Ankura and the Global Leader of the Ankura Office of the CFO® practice. He has pioneered “finance-led” business transformation services while developing innovative, holistic, strategic finance and corporat… Read full bio
Megan Galvin
Senior Operating Partner, Revenue, New State Capital Partners
Megan joined New State in 2023 with 25 years of experience in marketing, sales, and executive leadership. Megan has strategic and operational experience in bringing new products, services, and commercial models to market, in segmentation and targetin… Read full bio
Amar Ghai
Head of Digital Value Creation (Americas), KKR
Member of the Global Innovation and Technology leadership team. Mr. Ghai partners with Americas Private Equity investment teams, focusing on technology-related investment diligence and portfolio company value creation via digital transformation and t… Read full bio
Hakim Ghanem
Director, Portfolio Support Group, Advent International
Hakim Ghanem joined Advent in 2021 as part of the firm’s global Portfolio Support Group focusing on Business and Financial Services sector. He works with management teams across North America to improve performance and realize the underlying investme… Read full bio
Dan Glaser
Operating Partner, Clayton Dubilier & Rice
Mr. Glaser joined Clayton Dubilier & Rice in 2023 after holding senior positions in commercial insurance and insurance brokerage across the United States, Europe, and the Middle East for more than four decades, most recently as President and CEO… Read full bio
Daniel Goetz
Managing Director – Value Creation, Siris Capital
Mr. Goetz joined Siris Capital in 2013 and is a Managing Director, leading the firm’s Operational Excellence practice. Mr. Goetz works with management teams and operating advisors to identify, drive, and manage value creation initiatives at Siris por… Read full bio
Matthew Goldstein
Managing Director, Private Equity, True Search
Matt has more than 20 years of search, business development and marketing experience for high-growth technology companies across the U.S. and Europe. Matt is a recognized leader in CFO and board recruitment for public and private companies across mul… Read full bio
Amanda Good
Partner, Global Head of Value Creation, Searchlight Capital Partners
Ms. Good is a Partner and Global Head of Value Creation. Prior to joining Searchlight in 2021, Ms. Good worked as a Partner at Hg for 7 years where she led the portfolio and operations team of over 30 executives. While at Hg, she was also an active m… Read full bio
Jeff Goodman
Senior Operating Partner, The Riverside Company
Jeff leads the Riverside Capital Appreciation Fund operating team, which drives value creation activities across the portfolio. Jeff previously led the Riverside Micro-Cap Fund operating team and served as Chair of the Board of seven Riverside portfo… Read full bio
Allison Gosselin
Director, Environmental Social and Governance, Graham Partners
Allison leads the firm’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) program that seeks to create shared value for Graham Partners’ investors and other stakeholders working across its investment portfolio and internally within Graham Partners. In thi… Read full bio
Manish Goyal
Operating Director, Portfolio Support, Berkshire Partners
Manish Goyal is an Operating Director in the Portfolio Support Group at Berkshire Partners. Prior to joining Berkshire in 2020, Manish was the Group Chief Strategy Officer at Singtel in Singapore. He was also previously a Partner at McKinsey and Comp… Read full bio
Todd Grove
Vice President, Private Equity, Quantum Health
As Vice President of Private Equity, Todd serves as the liaison between Private Equity firms, their portfolio companies, and Quantum Health. He works to educate the senior leadership teams on independent navigation and identifies opportunities for pa… Read full bio
Akshay Grover
Managing Director - Global Private Equity Practice, Zscaler
Akshay Grover serves as the Global Private Equity practice leader at Zscaler. Akshay has 20+ years of results-driven and forward-thinking transformational leadership experience in Private Equity, M&A, Divestitures consulting, SaaS GTM strategies,… Read full bio
Asheesh Gupta
Managing Director, Portfolio Support, Audax Private Equity
Asheesh is a Managing Director for Audax Private Equity, based in Boston. Prior to joining Audax in 2008, Asheesh worked as the Director of Performance Improvement and Supply Chain Management at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Prior to that,… Read full bio
Courtney Hagen
Chief Talent Officer, Littlejohn & Co.
Courtney Hagen is Chief Talent Officer for Littlejohn & Co., a firm that makes private equity and debt investments primarily in middle market companies. In this role, she partners with investment and management teams to ensure the talent strategi… Read full bio
Mujteba Haidri
Operating Partner, Blue Point Capital
Mujteba is an accomplished, global business leader with over 15 years of broad functional experience ranging from general management, global sales and marketing, manufacturing operations and finance. He has built extensive experience in the industria… Read full bio
Kevin Hauser
Partner, Oliver Wyman
Kevin is a Detroit-based Partner with 30 years of manufacturing industry experience (20 in consulting) and serves on Oliver Wyman’s Operations Practice Management Committee. In that role, he is responsible for the firm’s post-transaction value creati… Read full bio
Dan Hawkins
Founder and CEO, Summit Leadership Partners
Dan is the CEO and Founder of Summit Leadership Partners. He advises boards, CEO's, investors and business leaders on strategy execution and value creation through leadership and organizationperformance. After a successful corporate career, Dan found… Read full bio
Todd Hirsch
Senior Managing Director, The Blackstone Group
Todd Hirsch is a Senior Managing Director in the Tactical Opportunities Group. He has led a number of TacOpp’s current and past investments including Aqua Financial, InComm Payments, North American Bancard, PayPal Credit, Global Supply Chain Finance,… Read full bio
Jimmy Holloran
Partner – Talent, American Industrial Partners
Jimmy joined American Industrial Partners in 2023. He most recently served as Operating Partner at ParkerGale Capital where he led the the firm's talent strategy. Previously, he spent time driving talent strategy at Home Chef, an L Catterton-backed m… Read full bio
Gary Hoover
Vice President, Global Private Equity Practice, TBM Consulting Group
Gary has over 30 years of experience working as a senior operations executive, a management consultant and military officer. He currently leads TBM’s Global Private Equity practice and works closely with over 50 private equity clients and their portf… Read full bio
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
Jawad Hussain
Managing Director, Private Equity Services Lead, MorganFranklin Consulting
Jawad Hussain leads MorganFranklin’s Private Equity Services practice and has extensive experience leading global M/A integrations and identifying synergies to achieve value realization for private equity firms, their partners, and portfolio companie… Read full bio
Bob Isaman
Chief Operating Partner, Graham Partners
Robert (Bob) Isaman is the Chief Operating Partner at Graham Partners, Inc., where he leads private equity portfolio operations for the firm across Graham’s flagship and growth funds. In this role, he works closely with the investment teams, external… Read full bio
David Italiano
Senior Associate, Portfolio Excellence Platform, Paine Schwartz Partners
David Italiano was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. As one of five children, he was raised in a highly competitive environment. From a young age, David gravitated towards competitive ice hockey to fulfill his athletic desires. Throughout his adole… Read full bio
Jan Jamrich
CEO and Founder, Entromy
Jan is CEO & Founder of Entromy, the leading organizational assessment platform that enables private equity firms to rapidly understand organizational network dynamics and critical business areas that affect portfolio company performance. As a ke… Read full bio
Jamie Jacobs
Chief Talent Officer, Oak Hill Capital
Jamie Jacobs serves as the Chief Talent Officer of Oak Hill Capital. Working across the entire portfolio of Oak Hill funds focusing on all aspects of Human Capital with specialties in Talent Management, Talent Acquisition, Organization design and ass… Read full bio
Sajjad Jaffer
Head of Data, Analytics and Machine Learning, GrowthCurve Capital
Sajjad is the Head of Data Analytics and Machine Learning and a member of the Investment Committee at GrowthCurve Capital. He joined GrowthCurve at its inception in 2021 as part of the founding Senior Leadership Team. GrowthCurve Capital is a private… Read full bio
Kevin Jones
Principal, Incline Equity Partners
Kevin Jones is a Principal at Incline Equity Partners where he is a member of the Catalyst Group, Incline’s value creation team. He is focused on accelerating the growth of their portfolio companies through improvements in technology and product. Kev… Read full bio
Ryan Jones
Private Equity Leader, Deloitte Consulting
Ryan Jones is the Private Equity Global and US Consulting leader at Deloitte Consulting, and US India Board member. He and his team work with the world's leading private capital firms to maximize the value of their investments and make a positive imp… Read full bio
Javier Justiniano
Principal, KKR Capstone
Javier Justiniano (New York) joined KKR in 2018 as a member of KKR Capstone. Mr. Justiniano supports the firm’s value creation efforts in the Financial Services & Financial Technology sector. He has been involved with a number of KKR portfolio co… Read full bio
Prital Kadakia
Partner, Serent Capital
Prital is a Partner at Serent Capital. He leads the portfolio operations team for Serent Capital, working closely with the management teams at Serent portfolio companies on value-creation initiatives to drive measurable and sustained revenue and earn… Read full bio
Damon Kade
Managing Director, Riveron Consulting
As a Managing Director at Riveron, Damon is responsible for leading exceptional client service in the business transformation practice. With 25 years of experience in advisory and industry, he drives impactful solutions in the areas of operational pe… Read full bio
Greg Kegeles
Operating Partners, Digital Transformation, Newlight Partners
Greg has been with Newlight Partners since 2021. He has over 15 years of technology and operational leadership experience in both start-ups and publicly traded companies. He is responsible for supporting portfolio companies in their data & techno… Read full bio
Raz Khan
Principal, Permira
Raz is a member of the Portfolio Group and is focused on value creation alongside Management Teams and Boards in Healthcare, Services and Consumer sectors. He has deep expertise in operations (procurement, manufacturing, distribution, supply chain),… Read full bio
John Knapp
Operating Director, Talent, Berkshire Partners
John Knapp is an Operating Director and Talent Specialist in Berkshire Partners’ Portfolio Support Group, where he focuses on talent leadership and human capital best practices across the portfolio. Prior to joining Berkshire, John was a Partner with… Read full bio
Slade Kobran
Managing Partner, Private Equity, Chief Outsiders
Slade is Chief Outsiders’ Managing Partner focused exclusively on the Private Equity sector. Based in the Greater NYC area, he works closely with Private Equity Operating Partners and other value creators to quickly identify and engage the Chief Outs… Read full bio
Bobbi Kommineni
Operating Partner, Terminus Capital Partners
Bobbi Kommineni is the Operating Partner at Terminus Capital Partners (TCP), a growth-oriented private equity firm focused exclusively on majority investments in B2B software companies. At TCP, she leads a team of experts in sales, marketing, enginee… Read full bio
Jonathan Konkoly
Vice President of Portfolio Operations, HCI Equity Partners
Jonathan Konkoly joined HCI Equity Partners in 2022 as Vice President of Portfolio Operations, with a focus on identifying and accelerating profitable revenue growth at our portfolio companies. Jonathan brings to the position deep experience in go-to… Read full bio
Amr Kronfol
Managing Director, Warburg Pincus
Amr Kronfol joined Warburg Pincus in 2009. Based in New York, he focuses on investments in healthcare services and healthcare IT. Amr has been involved in the firm’s investments in Norstella, Ensemble, Aetion, Global Health Exchange, WebPT, Qualifact… Read full bio
Arthy Kumar
Industry Principal, Workiva
Arthy Kumar is an Industry Principal at Workiva. She drives the go-to-market strategy, execution, and success of reporting and compliance solutions for banking, investment, and insurance companies. Arthy’s previous roles at Workiva include Director o… Read full bio
Raj Kushwaha
Managing Director ＆ Partner, Co-Head Value Creation and Chief Digital Officer, Warburg Pincus
Raj Kushwaha joined Warburg Pincus in 2012 and serves as Co-Head of the value creation function. In addition to providing oversight for the value creation function, as the firm’s Chief Digital Officer, Raj is also responsible for product and technolo… Read full bio
Ajaykumar Kutty
Technology Operating Principal, KKR
Ajay Kutty (New York) is a member of the KKR Capstone team. Mr. Kutty partners with Americas Private Equity investment teams, focusing on technology-related investment diligence and portfolio company value creation via digital transformation and tech… Read full bio
Markus Lahrkamp
Managing Director, Alvarez & Marsal
Markus Lahrkamp is a Managing Director with Alvarez & Marsal Private Equity Performance Improvement in New York. He is one of the head developers of A&M’s proprietary Rapid Results Program™, which he continues to lead. Mr. Lahrkamp is also ex… Read full bio
Michael Leamer
Managing Director, American Securities
Mike Leamer originally joined American Securities in 2011 and is a Managing Director in our Resources Group. He partners closely with CEOs and management teams to set and achieve ambitious value-creation plans and EBITDA targets and implement transfo… Read full bio
Paul Lennick
Senior Vice President, M&A Services, ContinuServe
Leader of ContinuServe's M&A practice, focused on serving Private Equity firms in delivering back office outsource solutions and consulting services to drive deal value. Prior to ContinuServe, Paul served in leadership positions at Apollo Global… Read full bio
Nick Leopard
CEO and Founder, Accordion
Nick Leopard is the CEO and Founder of Accordion, the private equity-focused financial and technology consulting firm. Under Nick’s leadership, Accordion has grown significantly since its founding in 2009. The firm now boasts more than 200 of the wor… Read full bio
Alistair Lester
Global Co-CEO of M&A and Transaction Solutions, Aon
As Global Co-CEO of Aon’s M&A and Transaction Solutions, Alistair is responsible for shaping the strategy for the business and working with the whole team on the execution of the strategy. As one of the earliest practitioners in the risk and insu… Read full bio
Misha Logvinov
Director, Mubadala Performance Partners, Mubadala
Misha Logvinov is a Director (Senior Operating Partner) on the Mubadala Performance Partner team, based in New York City. Mubadala is a sovereign investor with $284 Billion AUM. Misha’s responsibilities include advising the Mubadala’s investment team… Read full bio
Germain Louie
Senior Private Equity Alliances Manager, Sage
Germain Louie runs Sage Intacct’s Private Equity Program. He advises hundreds of leading firms and their portfolio companies to build more profitable businesses through world class financial management, subscription automation, and service. As part o… Read full bio
Nick Maglaris
Vice President - Midmarket Strategic Initiatives, SAP
As head of the Midmarket Strategic Initiatives team, Nick is responsible for managing innovative strategic routes to market by developing new business models across the North America Midmarket influencer ecosystem. Along with leading the North Americ… Read full bio
Vikram Mahidhar
Data and Digital Transformation Operating Partner, Apollo Global Management
Vikram Mahidhar is Private Equity Operating Partner at Apollo Global Management. He focuses on investments and creating value for the funds and portfolio companies at the intersection of Data, AI and Digital. Vikram is also a Board member. Prior to A… Read full bio
Jeffrey Malcolm
Value Accelerator Operating Advisor, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Goldman Sachs
A former CIO with a passion for driving next-generation vision and strategy by leveraging technology to make meaningful contributions to organizations on issues that drive revenue. His experience focuses on Cloud Migration, Digital Transformation, Un… Read full bio
George Mashini
Operating Partner, Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe
Currently an Operating Partner at WCAS, a top-quartile private equity firm specializing in healthcare and technology. Previously CEO, CTO and CRO at B2B software companies with a track record of success in technology innovation and revenue growth. Pr… Read full bio
Adam Mattina
Managing Director and Deputy CISO, Blackstone
Adam Mattina is the Deputy Chief Information Security Officer at Blackstone and leads the Portfolio Cybersecurity function. Blackstone is the world’s largest alternative asset manager. We seek to create positive economic impact and long-term value fo… Read full bio
Steve Mayotte
Operating Partner, Technology Enablement, New State Capital Partners
Steve joined New State Capital Partners in 2022 with 15 years of experience in executive management and high-tech consulting. Steve has operational experience developing strategy and executing transformational solutions using modern technology across… Read full bio
Lee McCabe
Operating Partner, AEA Investors
Lee joined AEA Investors in 2019 and serves as an Operating Partner. In addition to providing oversight for the digital value creation function, Lee is also responsible for digital diligence with prospective investments as well as ongoing work with t… Read full bio
Scott McKenzie
Operating Partner, Bain Capital
Mr. McKenzie joined Bain Capital in 2019. He is an Operating Partner on the Bain Capital Tech Opportunities team. Focused on enterprise software, he partners with management teams to support their value creation initiatives. Prior to joining Bain Cap… Read full bio
Benny Melumad
Managing Director, Digital Strategy and Innovation, Warburg Pincus
Benny Melumad is based in New York, joined Warburg Pincus in 2020 and is a Managing Director in the Digital Strategy and Innovation group. Benny is supporting Warburg portfolio companies in their Technology, Engineering, Cloud and Cyber Security need… Read full bio
Kate Migliaro
Global Head of Portfolio Talent, Searchlight Capital Partners
Prior to joining Searchlight in 2022, Ms. Migliaro worked as a principal in talent management and organizational effectiveness at Apollo. Previously, Ms. Migliaro was the head of compensation and veteran affairs at UBS and worked in human resources a… Read full bio
Aaron Miller
Partner, Head of Portfolio Performance Solutions, Apollo Global Management
Mr. Miller joined Apollo in 2019 in Private Equity as Head of Apollo Consulting. Immediately preceding Apollo, Mr. Miller was an Operating Director at Berkshire Partners and Chief Operating Officer of Catalina Marketing, a Berkshire Portfolio company… Read full bio
Curt Miller
Operations Consultant, Littlejohn & Co.
Curt has been an innovator and leader in global private equity operations for the past 19 years. In his current role as an Operating Consultant with Littlejohn & Co, Curt has partnered with the firm to create a portfolio wide platform leveraging… Read full bio
Sean Mooney
Founder and CEO, BluWave
Sean is a former NY-based private equity partner turned entrepreneur, founder and CEO. While in private equity, Sean and his peers in the PE industry experienced significant and growing pressures to devise new ways to more effectively assess opportun… Read full bio
Declan Morris
Private Equity Transformation Advisor, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Declan Morris is a Transformation Advisor to Private Equity firms and their portfolio companies. Prior to joining AWS, Mr. Morris spent six years at Splunk where he served as CIO during an intensive hyper-growth period that saw revenues soar tenfold.… Read full bio
Alessandro Moretti
Head of Operational Value Creation, Public Investment Fund
Mr. Alessandro Moretti is currently leading the Operational Value Creation Team at the Public Investment Fund since December 2019, Executive Committee member in Noon since 2021 and Board Member in HPDC investment fund since 2022. Prior to his work at… Read full bio
Melissa Mounce
Managing Director, Leadership Talent and Diversity, GTCR
Melissa joined GTCR in 2019 as a Managing Director, Leadership Talent ＆ Diversity. She advises GTCR portfolio companies on human resources initiatives and leads DEI initiatives across the portfolio companies, at the Board level and within the firm. M… Read full bio
Monika Nachyla
Partner, Abris Capital Partners
Monika is a Partner at Abris, bringing 24 years of international, C-suite experience in finance, private equity, banking, investor relations, management, strategy and development. She is a member of the Abris Management Committee. Her areas of respon… Read full bio
Jeffrey Nagel
Operating Partner, AEA Investors
Jeff is an Operating Partner on AEA's Middle Market Private Equity team. In his role, he is primarily focused on working with portfolio companies to maximize value creation through improved operating performance and cross-portfolio best practice deve… Read full bio
Adam Nahari
Vice President, Data and Analytics, Berkshire Partners
Adam leads Berkshire Partners’ innovative data science group. In this capacity, Adam harnesses alternative data in public and private equity investing and drives data related initiatives across the investment lifecycle: algorithmic sourcing, due dili… Read full bio
Ravi Narayanan
Head Americas, Market Development, Wipro
Ravi Narayanan heads Market Development for Wipro’s Americas business. In this capacity he engages with key partners including Strategy consultants, Sourcing advisors and Private Equity firms. Prior to Wipro, Ravi was led PortCo Ops Transformation at… Read full bio
Zaid Nesheiwat
Vice President, Portfolio Operations, ORIX Capital Partners
Zaid Nesheiwat is a Vice President at ORIX Capital Partners (“OCP”). In this role, he is responsible for operational improvement initiatives at portfolio companies and operations due diligence for new investment opportunities. Prior to joining OCP, M… Read full bio
Nick Newby
Managing Partner, NuView Analytics
Nick is a Managing Partner of NuView Analytics with over 15 years of experience in the field of data analytics and data science. He consistently delivers impactful insights and accelerated analytics solutions to drive optimization and business growth… Read full bio
Amy Newlan
Senior Vice President, Head of Client Development, Maestro
Amy Newlan is a Senior Vice President, Head of Client Development, with over 15 years of experience helping private equity professionals optimize the performance of their investments by leveraging technology solutions. Amy spent the early part of her… Read full bio
Anush Newman
CEO & Co-Founder, JMAN Group
Anush is CEO and co-founder of JMAN Group, leading the business across the UK, North America & Europe. Having driven their entry into Private Equity, Anush holds many of JMAN's relationships with funds and operating partners, leveraging data anal… Read full bio
Jose Oliveira
Vice President, Efficio
Jose Oliveira is a Vice President in Efficio’s New York office and joined the company in 2011. He has worked as a Procurement Consultant in four different continents with Efficio, A.T. Kearney and Roland Berger. He is predominantly focused on Procure… Read full bio
Clark O’Niell
Managing Director and Partner, BCG
Clark O’Niell is a core member of Boston Consulting Group's Principal Investors & Private Equity (PIPE) and Technology, Media and Telecom practice areas. He leads efforts for Cyber Security and Infrastructure with both investing and Technology cl… Read full bio
Kevin O'Neill
Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Acertitude
Kevin is a mold-breaking entrepreneur, executive search leader, Forbes contributor, and co-founder and managing partner of Acertitude, the executive search firm unleashing human potential for global investment firms and their portfolio companies. Kev… Read full bio
Carletta Ooton
Head of ESG - Operating Partner, Apollo Global Management
Ms. Ooton is head of ESG for Private Equity and an Operating Partner with the private equity group, Apollo Global Management, where she is responsible for advancing the firm’s ESG integration and operational performance across its private equity port… Read full bio
Seckin Ozdamar
Principal, General Atlantic
Seckin Ozdamar is a Principal in General Atlantic’s Growth Acceleration Group where he leads the Marketing and Sales practice. He works closely with investment professionals through the deal lifecycle from diligence to value creation. He partners wit… Read full bio
Greg Pappas
Managing Director, Portfolio Support, Berkshire Partners
Greg joined Berkshire Partners in 2010. Greg is primarily responsible for overseeing the firm’s portfolio support activities. He serve on a number of Berkshire Partners, portfolio company boards. Prior to Berkshire, Greg was a Senior Partner at The P… Read full bio
Souvick Paul
Vice President, Private Equity, Brookfield Asset Management
Souvick Paul is a Vice President with Brookfield Asset Management, Private Equity Business Operations team and brings over 18 years of operating and consulting experience to his role. In his current role, he focuses on enterprise software industry wh… Read full bio
Andrea Peiro
Operating Principal, Clayton, Dubilier and Rice
Mr. Peiro joined CD&R in 2022 after more than 20 years as a technology executive. His experience includes the role of president at CUJO AI, focusing on artificial intelligence-powered cybersecurity, and co-founder and CTO at PowerCloud, pioneer i… Read full bio
Daniel Perry
Director, Sales and Commercial Excellence, Parthenon Capital
Dan Perry joined Parthenon Capital in 2022 as Director, Sales and Commercial Excellence. He has over 30 years of experience in Sales, Sales Leadership and Sales & Marketing Consulting working with private equity, public, small-middle and enterpri… Read full bio
Pat Petitti
Co-Founder, CEO, Catalant Technologies
Pat Petitti is the co-founder and CEO of Catalant, which he started in 2013 as a class project at Harvard Business School and has since grown into the premier provider of agile consulting services to the Fortune 500. Petitti is also co-author of a bo… Read full bio
Scott Phillips
Managing Director, Portfolio Operations, ORIX Capital Partners
Scott Phillips is a Managing Director at ORIX Capital Partners (“OCP”) and serves as Head of Portfolio Operations. He focuses on strategic and operational improvement initiatives at portfolio companies and operations due diligence for new investment… Read full bio
Andy Pickens
Managing Director, Apollo Portfolio Performance Solutions
Mr. Pickens joined Apollo in 2018 and serves as Managing Director, Data and Digital Transformation within the Apollo Portfolio Performance Solutions team. In this capacity, Mr. Pickens works closely with investment teams and management teams to defin… Read full bio
Jessica Pizzo
Resource Partner, Court Square Capital Partners
Jessica joined Court Square Capital Partners in 2015 as a Technology Resource Partner. She works with Court Square deal teams and portfolio company executives on technology strategy, digital transformation, technology buy and sell-side due diligence,… Read full bio
Brad Ptasienski
Senior Partner – Technology (Data and Analytics Leader), West Monroe Partners
Brad Ptasienski has spent his career delivering sustainable and transformational data solutions for nearly 17 years. From performing data assessments in support of mergers and acquisitions to running enterprise data strategy initiatives to implementi… Read full bio
David Reid
Senior Managing Director, Teneo
David is a Senior Managing Director with Teneo’s Management Consulting business and serves as the leader of the Global Private Equity Growth Practice. David has 12+ years’ experience in management consulting and has lived across the UK, Continental E… Read full bio
Kathleen Reilly
Director, Catalyst, Incline Equity Partners
Kathleen Reilly is a Director at Incline Equity Partners where he is a member of the Catalyst Group, Incline’s value creation team. She is responsible for supporting management teams with financial and management reporting, planning and budgeting, ad… Read full bio
Kyle Roemer
Managing Director, Head of Catalyst Group, Incline Equity Partners
Kyle Roemer is a Managing Director and Head of Catalyst Group at Incline Equity Partners. Kyle started and leads the Catalyst Group, Incline’s value creation team. He is focused on accelerating the growth of their portfolio companies through improvem… Read full bio
Jorge Rosales
Senior Vice President, Insight Partners
Jorge joined Insight in 2022. He works closely with portfolio companies to drive growth, maximize value capture, and optimize their go-to-market strategy through pricing and packaging, positioning, and sales and marketing effectiveness. Prior to join… Read full bio
Zorian Rotenberg
GTM, Sales and Revenue Growth Operating Partner, Charlesbank Capital Partners
Zorian is a PE Operating Partner at Charlesbank Capital and specializes in tech GTM, Sales Strategy & Revenue Growth. He has been a CRO at several mid-market SaaS companies, driving profitable growth from $20M to $100M+ ARR. He began his career a… Read full bio
Mauricio Sanchez
Managing Director, Portfolio Office of the CFO, Audax Private Equity
Mauricio is a Managing Director at Audax Private Equity, based in Boston, where he focuses on the Office of the CFO. In his role, Mauricio provides executive guidance to portfolio companies to help implement best practices in financial systems and pr… Read full bio
John Sander
Principal, Portfolio Solutions, Lightyear Capital
John Sander is a Principal at Lightyear Capital joining in 2022. Previously, Mr. Sander was with McKinsey & Company for 7 years. Mr. Sander holds a B.A. in Computer Science from Pomona College and was a Fulbright Scholar in machine learning in Ge… Read full bio
Tim Sanders
Vice President of Client Strategy, Upwork
Tim leads client strategy at Upwork where he helps leaders transform their businesses through the adoption of on demand talent solutions. He began his career as an early stage member of Mark Cuban's broadcast.com and, once acquired, he became the chi… Read full bio
Chris Satchell
Operating Principal Technology and Digital, Clayton Dubilier ＆ Rice
Mr Satchell joined CD＆R in 2020. Prior to CD＆R, he spent twenty-five years in software and technology industries spanning five different CXO roles. Most recently, Mr Satchell served as CTO of Zume Inc., building AI, logistics and robotic systems to i… Read full bio
Doug Schrock
Principal, Advisory Services, Crowe
Mr. Schrock is a principal at Crowe who leads the firm’s Information Technology Advisory practice for private equity owned clients and also serves on Crowe’s Board of Directors. He has over 30 years of experience working with C-level executives, inve… Read full bio
Drew Scielzo
Operating Partner, ACON Investments
Drew Scielzo leads the Operating Group at ACON Investments, which he joined 9 years ago. He is responsible for overseeing ACON’s portfolio in Europe, North America, and South America. In addition, he works directly with a multitude of portfolio compa… Read full bio
Susan Scutt
Managing Director, Operating Directors & Entrepreneurial Governance, Partners Group
Susan Scutt is part of the Operating Directors and Entrepreneurial Governance business unit, based in New York. She has 20+ years of transformative experience across consulting, corporate, and investment firms. She spent the last 9 years in Private E… Read full bio
Chirag Shah
Executive Chairman, Simfoni
Chirag Shah is a distinguished serial entrepreneur specializing in B2B supply chains, renowned for his expertise in scaling businesses globally through diverse commercial models. With a remarkable history of harnessing innovation and technology for t… Read full bio
Steven Siwinski
Operating Principal, Accel-KKR
Steve Siwinski is an Operating Principal at Accel-KKR, where he focuses on driving finance, operational and strategic initiatives across the investment cycle and AKKR portfolio. Steve brings a unique combination of private equity, corporate finance,… Read full bio
Angelique Slagle
Managing Director, Head of GTM, Sales and Networks, Blackstone
Angelique Slagle is Managing Director and Head of GTM, Sales and Networks, in the Portfolio Operations group at Blackstone. In this role she and her team advise and support investment teams and portfolio companies through assessment of GTM effectiven… Read full bio
Brian Slobodow
Operating Partner, HGGC
Brian Slobodow is an Operating Partner of Operational Resource Group, LLC ("ORG")*. Brian advises the firm and portfolio companies in a broad range of supply chain and procurement issues. Prior to joining ORG, Brian was an Operating Executive with Go… Read full bio
Milo Sprague
Chief Technology Advisor, FTV Capital
Milo Sprague is the Chief Technology Advisor at FTV Capital based in San Francisco. He is an experienced PE Technology Advisor, Silicon Valley CTO, technology executive, and Board Advisor with over twenty-five years leadership experience focused in E… Read full bio
Karina Sobieski
Co-head, Portfolio Human Capital Practice, Advent International
Karina Sobieski joined Advent in 2021 and focuses on Human Capital Management across Advent’s portfolio companies, including leadership assessment, and growing and cultivating network of top senior executives for CXO, Board and Operating Advisor role… Read full bio
Michael Song
Managing Director, Portfolio Operations, Providence Equity Partners
Michael Song is a managing director focused on portfolio operations and is based in our Boston office. Prior to joining Providence in 2010, Mr. Song worked at RSA, the security division of Dell EMC. Prior to joining Dell EMC, Mr. Song was a consultan… Read full bio
Rachel Spasser
Managing Director, Head, Accel-KKR Consulting Group, Accel-KKR
Rachel Spasser is a Managing Director leading the Operating Team at Accel-KKR. She also provides strategic guidance as well as commercial leadership across Accel-KKR’s portfolio. Prior to joining Accel-KKR, Rachel was the Senior Vice President and Ch… Read full bio
Chris Tanner
Vice President, Portfolio Operations, Kelso and Company
Chris joined Kelso in 2019. As a Vice President in Portfolio Operations, Chris partners with portfolio management teams to help them scale their business by facilitating value creation plans, implementing business intelligence capabilities, and suppo… Read full bio
Joanne Taylor
Partner and Managing Director, AlixPartners
Joanne offers a unique combination of hands-on strategic, operational, and sales and marketing skills to the businesses and clients she has worked with during her career. She specializes in overall strategic direction for businesses, focusing specifi… Read full bio
Shivani Tejuja
Advisory Director, Charlesbank Capital Partners
Shivani joined Charlesbank as an advisory director in 2018 to partner with portfolio company CEOs. Her mission is simple -- to accelerate growth and drive digital transformation. Shivani focuses on four key areas: eCommerce, digital marketing, analyt… 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
Ercan Ucak
Vice President, Cerberus Capital Management
Ercan Ucak is a Vice President at Cerberus Technology Solutions (“CTS”), the Tech Operating group within Cerberus Capital Management. Mr. Ucak began his career as a Data Scientist serving various US Government agencies within the Defense / Counter-In… Read full bio
David Venker
Vice President of Portfolio Operations, HCI Equity Partners
Dave Venker is a Vice President of Portfolio Operations at HCI Equity Partners, having joined the firm in 2019. He is involved in identifying and executing strategic and operational initiatives at portfolio companies and reviewing new investment oppo… Read full bio
Jana Wayne
Head of Procurement, Hunter Point Capital
Ms. Wayne works as the Head of Procurement at Hunter Point Capital. Ms. Wayne has worked in procurement for over 15 years. Prior to joining HPC, Ms. Wayne was the Director of Portfolio Procurement at SK Capital Partners, a global private investment f… Read full bio
Ken Weaver
Managing Director, TVV Capital
Mr. Weaver is responsible for operations growth and value creation in portfolio companies. Prior to joining TVV, Ken spent over 30 years in a series of increasingly responsible leadership positions with Bridgestone Corporation. His last three assignm… Read full bio
Carsten Weber
Technology Director, The Sterling Group
Carsten joined Sterling in 2021, bringing over 20 years of technology experience in various leadership roles in both industry and consulting. In his role as Technology Director, he is leading Sterling’s Technology Lever and value creation across the… Read full bio
Jon Weber
Operating Partner - Special Situations
Jon Weber has led operating partner groups for over 20 years at institutional investors, including Goldman Sachs, Icahn Enterprises and Elliott Investment Management. He enhanced the value of portfolio companies in a broad range of industries through… Read full bio
Chris Westington
Director of Portfolio Management and Value Creation, BCI
Joining BCI in 2022 and based out of New York City, Chris leads the Value Creation program for the Private Equity asset class. BCI’s Value Creation strategy focuses on alpha generation across our private equity portfolio by partnering with management… Read full bio
Jill Wight
Managing Director, Operating Partner, Morgan Stanley Capital Partners
Jill Wight is a Managing Director of Morgan Stanley, an Operating Partner of Morgan Stanley Capital Partners (MSCP) and is based in New York. Ms. Wight joined Morgan Stanley in 2019 and was previously a Principal at The Carlyle Group where she led po… Read full bio
Rohini Williams
Global Head of Private Equity, Infosys
Rohini has a Global responsibility to manage partnerships and relationships with key influencers – Private Equity Firms and Top Consulting firms for Infosys to enable best in class consulting and execution at scale for clients across all Infosys Indu… Read full bio
Eric Wilson
Principal, Portfolio Operations, NextGen Growth Partners
Eric leads NGP’s Portfolio Operations Function and oversees the development and execution of Value Creation Plans and best practices implementation across the portfolio. He has over 15 years of operational and growth consulting experience across a va… 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 responsible for value creation in Värde private equity investments. He is also responsible for Asset Management globally for Värde’s Financial Services investing strat… Read full bio
Achi Yaffe
Managing Director, Portfolio Operations, GI Partners
Achi Yaffe is Managing Director, Portfolio Operations at GI Partners. Mr. Yaffe currently serves on the boards of Patriot Growth Services, American Residential Services, and Flexential . He previously served on the board of Consilio. Prior to joining… Read full bio
Paul Zuber
Operating Partner, North American Lead, Hg
Paul Zuber is an Operating Partner, North American Lead at HG Capital. Prior to HG, Paul was an Operating Partner at Thoma Bravo, where he Chaired companies across multiple funds and also founded and led their Technology Group. He brings 30 years of… Read full bio
Engage with the largest operating partner community
Private Equity International’s Operating Partners Forums are a unique blend of networking, collaboration, and thought leadership between private equity operating partners, portfolio operations teams, and sponsors.
Each event is custom designed to encourage conversation about value creation best practices, relationship building, and knowledge sharing across functional areas on the most pressing issues facing investment and portfolio companies. Access to the Forum is limited to value creation experts from private equity firms and sponsors.
For more information on ways to engage with PEI’s Operating Partners community, please contact Lawrence Dvorchik at lawrence.d@pei.group or call on +1 (646) 545-4429
