Private Equity
International
International
Operating Partners Technology Forum Virtual Experience 2020
1 - 2 December 2020,
Eastern Standard Time (EST) - Virtual Event
Driving technology as a key value creation lever in PE & VC
For ten years, Private Equity International has been the leading organizer of events dedicated to PE and VC value creators, with Forums across the globe in New York, San Francisco, London and Singapore gathering over 500 operating partners annually. PEI is now pleased to bring the Operating Partners Technology Forum to uncover deep dive discussions, strategies and initiatives to achieve value creation through technology.
In an increasingly digital world, the Forum will gather an elite crowd of technology value creators in PE & VC portfolio operations. Our community of operating partners will discuss and debate plans and actions at a crucial time in history to deal with this year’s downturn and reset strategies for growth through technology.
It is the place to meet and get a firm grasp on transformation and innovation initiatives with a concentration of tech & digital operating partners, C-level executives, suppliers & resources all in one setting to discuss strategies in impacting returns at a critical time for portfolio valuations.
Experience the Forum on our virtual platform!
Watch our guided video for a preview of what you can expect at this year’s virtual conference.
Features include:
» Watch anytime, anywhere
» Schedule 1-to-1 or private group meetings
» On-Demand access for 12 months
» Live Q&A, polling and surveys
» And so much more!
2020 Forum highlights:
- Grasping key technology and digitalization initiatives in working with your portfolio companies through a downturn
- Deep dive invitation-only think tanks in the most important technology focused value creation areas: designed exclusively for PE and VC Operating Partners
- Women in technology operations lunch discussion (invitation-only)
- AI/ML for value creation
- Finding and activating brilliant digital leaders across the operating team and portco leadership team
- Tech due diligence done right
- Advanced analytics – measuring the success of a company, increasing revenue, and scaling the business
- First hand operating partner digital transformation stories and perspectives
- Cost reduction & optimization for technology enabled companies
- How software and AI are changing the future of finance
- Utilizing big data, AI, and workforce analytics for talent acquisition, development, and performance improvement
- Developing a network of third-party tech support to enhance the value creation process
- Agenda track selections tailored exclusively for VC operating partners
- Cybersecurity best practices: do’s and don’ts
Why attend?
Carve your niche in
technology operations
Hear first-hand perspectives on how to further develop your operational skill set by looking at successful PE and VC models.
Learn key technology strategies to create value
Find the right tools and knowledge to deliver successful cross-portfolio initiatives.
Network with top PE
and VC tech value creators
Meet with the largest community of technology operational experts all in one place.
2020 Featured speakers
Download the 2020 digital brochure
- Virtual networking
- Think tanks
- Private Equity sessions
- Venture Capital sessions
- And much more!
2020 attendees included
What our attendees say about the Forum
VP, Operations
Private Equity Fund
Great conference, excellent organization. I recommend this for every experienced, emerging and aspiring Operating Partner in Private Equity and Venture Capital…
Partner and Operational Resource Group Managing Partner
Private Equity Fund
The invite-only think tank provided candid insights into the inner workings of operating partner models across a variety of GPs, from small to mega.
Operating Partner
Venture Capital Fund
This was a great conference and I enjoyed networking with everyone at the event
VP, Operations
Private Equity Fund
Great conference, excellent organization. I recommend this for every experienced, emerging and aspiring Operating Partner in Private Equity and Venture Capital companies.
Discover best practices and ideas at a critical time for portfolio valuations at the industry’s best virtual event for private equity value creators
All sessions, idea forums and interactive meetings are uniquely designed to solve your toughest challenges during the covid-19 crisis & beyond.
See for yourself how the Operating Partners Technology Forum will work with your host.
Available from anywhere & on-demand for up 6 months.
Leading thought-provoking operating partner experts — all NEWLY updated!
Without ever leaving the comfort and security of your home, you can enjoy ALL the 100 + value creation experts sharing their practical guidance. Plus, you can participate in audience Q&A, polls, and download content and papers with just a few clicks
You also get:
- Built-in calendar to create your own daily schedule so you don’t miss your favorite sessions
- Automated reminders
- Polling and surveys
- On-demand playback gives you access to sessions for up to 6 months
Network & build key relationships
Online networking can never replace face-to-face interaction, but done right, it can provide a very effective way for people to build their professional relationships and knowledge. At an in-person event, you get 2 days of engagement. With the Operating Partners Technology Forum, you get an active virtual community.
Take advantage of these benefits:
- Attendee and Operating Partner directories: Use our searchable directory of our delegates, solution providers and speakers, so you can quickly find the right people and companies to connect with.
- Private messaging: Reach out privately and directly online (without having to expose email and phone number to “the world”)
- Virtual Meet-ups: Pre-schedule multi-person video conferences or one on one type meetups, allowing you to connect and talk about topics of interest.
Meet with the country’s leading solution providers in our virtual tradeshow
Just like any convention, you have the opportunity to meet with exhibitors and sponsors, browse the trade show, and chat with solution providers. You get all these features without ever stepping outside your front door. A searchable keyword index helps attendees you find the exhibitors and sponsors who are most relevant.
Other features include:
- Virtual tradeshow: See what solutions and ideas exhibitors and sponsors provide to help you better serve your employees and your members.
- Automated reminders
- Online meetings with exhibitors: Easily “request information” from exhibiting companies and share your information similar to having your badge scanned at a live event.
For speaking opportunities, contact Marc Mele at marc.m@peimedia.com or call +1 646 581 9295.
*Please Note: All session times listed are Eastern Standard Time (EST)
View agenda page
Agenda
Day 1 - Tuesday 1st
Morning Discussions & Welcome Remarks
09:00 - 09:45
Operating partners portfolio operations breakfast discussion (invitation-only)
Ted Bililies,
Angela Zutavern
This private virtual session is a deep dive on optimizing leadership and cultures for agile organizations. Experts will explore the differences between traditional and agile organization leadership and share best practices for leading hybrid teams – i.e., teams comprised of employees with varying degrees digital savviness. Join us for an in-depth discussion with actionable advice for operating partners on agile leadership and culture.
- Incorporating digital into every aspect of the organization from process to people
- Leading and designing an agile organization; setting the strategy, leading to build engagement, executing, and maintaining focus
- Best practices for hybrid leadership teams, with both digitally savvy and non-digital savvy leaders
- Optimizing an agile organization’s culture
- Advice for leaders who might want to become more digitally savvy
Facilitators:
Ted Bililies, Managing Director and Chief Talent Officer, AlixPartners
Angela Zutavern, Managing Director, AlixPartners
Hosted by:
09:45 - 10:40
Invitation-only think tank for full-time operating partners: value creation war room
Jarrad Berman,
Bruce Kenny,
Parasvil Patel,
Simon Jones,
Lisa Weaver-Lambert,
Kingchih Fan,
Ignacio Giraldo
This closed-door virtual room is a deep dive session into utilizing technology as a key value creation enabler. It is an opportunity to learn and share best practices for operating partners. The think tank will allow you to submit topics to be covered in one of the tech rooms you select:
Room 1: Digital transformations
Facilitators:
Jarrad Berman, Vice President, Digital Transformation, TZP Group
Bruce Kenny, Operating Executive, Evergreen Coast Capital
Parasvil Patel, Principal, Radical Ventures
Room 2: Data analytics
Facilitators:
Simon Jones, Operating Partner, Turnspire Capital Partners
Lisa Weaver-Lambert, Data and Digital Director, Montagu Private Equity
Room 3: Ecommerce
Facilitators:
Kingchih Fan, Operating Partner, The Riverside Company
Ignacio Giraldo, Partner, TPG Growth
10:40 - 10:45
PEI’s welcome and opening remarks
Plenary sessions
10:45 - 11:20
Key technology and digital initiatives in working with your portfolio companies through a downturn
Glenn Engler,
Mark Emery,
Neil Kimber,
Raj Kushwaha,
Peter Kuerpick
- What to do from a technology operations standpoint — how operating partners work differently in different market conditions
- What advice do you offer management with regards to digital/technology value creation initiatives in working through a downturn?
- Understanding the challenges around web-enablement and changes in consumer behavior
- Working with your portfolio companies remotely: how best to manage and communicate with your portfolio
- Transitioning to a virtual workforce: lessons learned
- A hands-on approach to cost optimization, approaching capital intensive projects, escaping the “fixed costs trap”
- Looking at blueprints for businesses to get through the downturn: comparing the 2008 downturn to this year’s crisis
- What is your final piece of advice for minimizing risk brought on by a downturn?
Moderator:
Glenn Engler, EY-Parthenon Global Digital Leader, Americas Strategy and Transactions Digital Strategy Leader, EY
Panelists:
Mark Emery, Partner, Co-Head of the Operations Management Group, The Jordan Company
Neil Kimber, Operating Principal, Accel-KKR
Peter Kuerpick, Technology Operating Partner, Bain Capital
Raj Kushwaha, Managing Director, Operating Partner and Chief Digital Officer, Warburg Pincus
11:20 - 12:00
The art of virtual sales: what the sales force of the future will look like
Michael Smith,
Brian Cohen,
Bruce Grainger,
Kevin Jeon
- How COVID-19 has changed the future of selling – no going back to the pre-COVID days
- How virtual selling meets customer needs
- Where might virtual selling apply and where not?
- Capturing the value of virtual: the economic benefits from a successful virtual sales model
- Charting the virtual sales transformation: best practices for implementing virtual sales
- Managing the virtual sales teams: new more effective techniques
Moderator:
Michael Smith, Senior Managing Director, Technology, Media and Telecom Practice, Blue Ridge Partners
Panelists:
Brian Cohen, Operating Partner, Altamont Capital Partners
Bruce Grainger, Operating Partner, Francisco Partners
Kevin Jeon, Director of Revenue Optimization, Peak Performance Group, Summit Partners
Michael Smith
Senior Managing Director, Technology, Media and Telecom Practice, Blue Ridge Partners
Read bio
12:00 - 12:30
AI/ML for value creation
Daniel Burke,
Karthik Balu,
Richard Poole
- Hype vs reality of AI/ML – what use cases should PE portfolio companies focus on?
- How can PE firms and their portfolio companies identify opportunities to use AI and ML to improve business outcomes?
- Talent challenges – how do PE portfolio companies execute AI/ML use cases without having to hire data scientists?
- How should PE firms think about AI/ML for their own internal operations?
Moderator:
Daniel Burke, Global Lead, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Private Equity, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Panelists:
Karthik Balu, Technology Advisor, TPG Capital
Richard Poole, Senior Associate and Member of the Portfolio Team, Hg
12:30 - 13:00
Technology roadmap in the first 100 days and beyond
Jody Cordeiro,
Asheesh Gupta,
Matt Thompson,
Craig Vosburgh
- Building the technology strategic roadmap for day 1 and beyond – what are the key strategic considerations?
- Technology strategic roadmap execution – what are some typical challenges and related mitigation strategies?
- Technology’s role in the execution of the broader integration program – how can technology help drive the program toward successful outcomes?
Moderator:
Jody Cordeiro, Director, AlixPartners
Panelists:
Asheesh Gupta, Managing Director, Portfolio Support, Audax Group
Matt Thompson, Senior Vice President, Portfolio Operations, Skyview Capital
Craig Vosburgh, Chief Technical Officer, Strattam Capital
Virtual networking lunch and extended live Q&A
13:00 - 13:30
Virtual networking lunch and extended live Q&A
Please use this time as an opportunity to connect with conference attendees and sponsors via the video chat function one-on-one or as a small group.
Please join one of the roundtables as a follow-up interactive discussion with extended live Q&A from the panels.
Roundtable 1: Key technology and digital initiatives in working with your portfolio companies through a downturn
Roundtable 2: The art of virtual sales: what the sales force of the future will look like
Roundtable 3: AI/ML for value creation
Roundtable 4: Technology roadmap in the first 100 days and beyond
Functional Business Series 1
13:30 - 14:00
Track 1 — The transformative potential of data
Sean Epstein,
Carrie DiLauro,
Srinivas Rapthadu,
Kevin Liu
- Mining and utilizing data throughout the investment process: due diligence, 100-day planning and long-term value creation activities
- Capturing, measuring and tapping the value of experience data — what is it, how do you get it and what to do with it
- Combining with operational data to create a 360-degree value creation strategy
Moderator:
Sean Epstein, Global Head of Private Equity, SAP
Panelists:
Carrie DiLauro, Director, Operations, Hamilton Robinson Capital Partners
Kevin Liu, Director, Techstars Investments
Srinivas Rapthadu, Managing Partner, Private Equity North America, SAP
13:30 - 14:00
Track 2 — Rapid contact center transformation to accelerate EBITDA improvements
Milos Djokovic,
Casey Kerr,
Misha Logvinov
- Proven mechanisms to speed up traditional approaches to contact center transformation
- Effective shared risk models (fixed price, gain share, fees-at-risk, risk/reward, champion/challenger)
- Learn about the process to achieve these results
- 2 industry case studies including financial results
Moderator:
Milos Djokovic, CEO and Managing Director, Eventus Solutions Group
Panelists:
Casey Kerr, Hyper-Growth Sales Advisor, Bregal Sagemount
Misha Logvinov, Managing Director and Head of IT Strategy, EQT Partners
13:30 - 14:00
Track 3 — Unlocking the strategic power of spend
Greg Thomas,
Michael van Keulen
- Stages of procurement transformation and how do they unlock saving and efficiencies
- Power of community insight and the value of analytics
- Immediate impact of leveraged spend on the bottom line
- Hidden savings throughout your entire procurement to pay process
Presenters:
Greg Thomas, General Partner, WestView Capital Partners
Michael van Keulen, Chief Procurement Officer, Coupa
Functional Business Series 2
14:00 - 14:40
Track 4 — Finding brilliant digital/technology talent: how do you deal with it?
Debbie Millin,
Dave Beuerlein,
Brian Kasser,
Melissa Mounce,
Milo Sprague
- Overcoming the challenges of scarcity in tech talent – firsthand views on what to do
- Challenges of building and hiring cloud expertise in your companies: how are you dealing with it?
- Key players: leveling up tech know-how across the operating team and portco leadership team
- Leveraging tools to drive hiring across the portfolio
- Activating a pool of experts to support your operating partners to shape the portco journey and unlock EBITDA opportunities
- Building a digital culture at your companies
- Operating model – executing digital initiatives and successfully incorporating digital into your playbook by relying on multiple vendors, technologies, players, and partners
Moderator:
Debbie Millin, Chief Operating Officer, Globalization Partners
Panelists:
David Beuerlein, Operating Partner, Khosla Ventures
Brian Kasser, Talent Partner, Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe
Melissa Mounce, Managing Director, Leadership Talent, GTCR
Milo Sprague, Senior Technology Advisor, FTV Capital
14:00 - 14:40
Track 5 — Turning sustainability into a competitive advantage
Gretchen O'Hara,
Kirk Hourdajian,
Brandon Middaugh,
Leela Ramnath
Across the globe we are seeing increasing awareness of the carbon footprint and environmental impact of businesses and this growing public interest in ethical investing has influenced many private equity funds to incorporate environmental and social goals into their portfolio strategy. As a result, understanding how to operationalize a sustainability program across diverse portfolios has become critical as it adds further complexity to a firm’s discovery, due diligence, and divestiture strategies. In this panel discussion we will explore:
- Why ecosystems are important
- Microsoft’s increasing investments in AI for Earth and the recently launched Planetary Computer and other technical and business efforts intended to drive positive global impact
- Operating partner views in building sustainability programs to learn about the opportunities and challenges in developing these strategies to deliver that competitive advantage and value creation
Moderator:
Gretchen O’Hara, Vice President, US AI & Sustainability Strategy & Partnership, Microsoft
Panelists:
Kirk Hourdajian, Head of ESG & Impact, Vista Equity Partners
Brandon Middaugh, Director, Climate Innovation Fund, Microsoft
Leela Ramnath, Director of ESG, Warburg Pincus
14:00 - 14:40
Track 6 — Venture Capital: The rise of the VC operating partner
Peter Carroll,
Travis Bryant,
Dale Chang,
John Hamm,
Joubin Mirzadegan
- What is driving the rise of the VC operating partner? How is the role evolving and what will it look like in 5 years?
- Career pathing and compensation for VC operating partners
- Measuring the value/ROI of operating partners in VC
- VC generalists vs. specialists
- What lessons can VC operating partners learn from their PE counterparts?
- Tech for VC: infrastructure-building at earlier stage companies
- Scaling fast: sharing the secret sauces
- Best practices in VC portfolio operations — looking at profiles/playbooks of VC operating partners and managing the various constituents
- Are there any sector specific nuances to VC operating partner models?
Moderator:
Peter Carroll, Operating Partner, Jump Capital
Panelists:
Travis Bryant, Partner, Head of Founder Experience, Redpoint Ventures
Dale Chang, Operating Partner, Scale Venture Partners
John Hamm, Operating Partner, Khosla Ventures
Joubin Mirzadegan, Go to Market Operating Partner, Kleiner Perkins
Functional Business Series 3
14:40 - 15:20
Track 7 — Advanced data science and analytics to govern the business
John Cacavias,
Patrick Beatty,
Tye Howell,
Michael Recce ,
Amanda Widjaja
- What new tools are you adopting for portfolio management: best methodology for portfolio company reporting
- Advanced analytics – turning data into revenue & EBITDA
- How is the data team set up and how closely does it work with the management team and investment team?
- Building out the tech infrastructure that helps us dive deeper into data analysis
- What kind of datasets do you use? Which KPIs are worth gathering data for resulting in high impact to the business?
- Using predictive analytics, data integration, and supplemental data lakes to augment decision making
- Monetizing data: how best to impact the performance management & operational improvement processes
Moderator:
John Cacavias, Partner, Liberty Advisor Group
Panelists:
Patrick Beatty, Senior Director, Strategic Product Analytics, Naspers Ventures
Tye Howell, Managing Director of Data & Digital, Blue Point Capital Partners
Michael Recce, Managing Director and Chief Data Scientist, Neuberger Berman
Amanda Widjaja, Head of Data, Norwest Venture Partners (NVP)
14:40 - 15:20
Track 8 — Developing a network of third-party tech support to enhance the value creation process
Richard Sittema,
Douglas Chey,
Michael Frain,
Chris Kitching,
Kiran Rao
- When to use tech consultants vs build capability in-house: what is your process for evaluating what can be done internally vs. what is better outsourced to a third party?
- Which specialized third-party support is most valuable for opcos?
- Benchmarking: looking at cross-portfolio programs vs. individual portfolio company initiatives
- How to identify, select, and aggregate third-party tech providers
- How to scope projects and manage third parties during the course of a project
- How to leverage your portfolio of noncompetitive companies to form an informal network within your portfolio
- How to hold third parties accountable and how to hold portfolio companies accountable
Moderator:
Richard Sittema, Principal, Grant Thornton
Panelists:
Douglas Chey, Chief Portfolio Technology Officer, Leonard Green & Partners
Michael Frain, Senior Vice President, Shared Services, Warburg Pincus
Chris Kitching, Operating Partner, HighBar Partners
Kiran Rao, Operating Partner, TPG Capital
14:40 - 15:20
Track 9 — Venture Capital: Productize your operating platform: Lessons learned building the Costanoa Ventures Operating Platform
Martina Lauchengco,
Jim Wilson
- How to use product as an approach to building an operating platform
- Guiding principles that make up an operating platform
- Overview of various programs and lessons learned
- How feedback loops from portfolio companies drive content and continuous improvement
- Getting better alignment with investment partners to measure impact
- Examples and key lessons learned
Presenters:
Martina Lauchengco, Operating Partner, Costanoa Ventures
Jim Wilson, Operating Partner, Costanoa Ventures
Plenary and Roundtables
15:20 - 15:50
Doubling down on cloud transformation — the potential of XaaS and recurring revenue
Romit Dey,
Alpna Doshi,
Chris Goodall,
Misha Logvinov,
Cici Zheng
- Highlight opportunities to leverage cloud, subscription and consumption in software-driven revenue models
- Discuss how these new business models can drive revenue growth, along with potential pitfalls including revenue leakage, customer retention challenges and other inefficiencies in the cloud
- Explore how the application of cloud technologies can help companies scale quickly and improve operational performance
- Explore lessons learned and best practices in managing transitions through revenue mix shift, and the path to XaaS @ scale
- Discuss practical short-term efforts than can help companies drive value
Moderator:
Romit Dey, Partner, PwC Consulting
Panelists:
Alpna Doshi, Operating Partner, Thoma Bravo
Chris Goodall, Technology Advisor, Vitruvian Partners
Misha Logvinov, Managing Director and Head of IT Strategy, EQT Partners
Cici Zheng, Principal, ParkerGale Capital
Chris Goodall
Founder - CG Consultancy and Technology Value Add Pyramid Head, Vitruvian Partners
Read bio
15:20 - 15:50
Roundtable discussions: extended interactive live Q&A
Please join one of the roundtables as a follow-up interactive discussion with extended live Q&A from the panels.
Roundtable 1: Advanced data science and analytics to govern the business
Roundtable 2: Developing a network of third-party tech support to enhance the value creation process
Plenary, deep dive and roundtables
15:50 - 16:20
The next frontier in value creation: unlocking the digital revolution in private equity
Rahul Puri,
David Jones,
Manek Kapur,
Russ Trpkovski
- What makes a great PE operations team in the modern-day tech boom? What makes a great digital operating partner? What will the future of the role look like in an increasingly digital world?
- Best practices in building out an operating team: structures, staffing, & value creation programs
- How to quantify and incentivize operating partner performance: KPIs, goals, and metrics used
- Building out an ecosystem of partners and advisors to leverage technology in the portfolio
- Understanding the unique issues that tech companies face in creating value
- Tech tales — firsthand digital transformation stories
- Buy-and-builds in a digital age: which elements of digital transformations are your highest priority to drive value creation?
- Looking at IT infrastructure, new technologies, and application software upgrades
- The role of the operating partner in portfolio company governance: how do you create buy-in for your value creation plan with management?
- Engaging with portfolio companies to drive initiatives: is your approach autocratic or laissez faire?
Moderator:
Rahul Puri, Global Head – M&A, Private Equity & VC Practice, Oracle NetSuite
Panelists:
David Jones, Operating Partner, Pollen Street Capital
Manek Kapur, Vice President, TMT and Digital Value Creation, Partners Group
Russ Trpkovski, Operating Principal, CVC Capital Partners
15:50 - 16:20
Deep dive discussion for operating partners (invitation-only): What is the biggest single change in commercial organizations that will enhance value over the next 18 months
Michael Smith
Facilitator:
Michael Smith, Senior Managing Director, Technology, Media and Telecom Practice, Blue Ridge Partners
Hosted by:
Michael Smith
Senior Managing Director, Technology, Media and Telecom Practice, Blue Ridge Partners
Read bio
15:50 - 16:20
Roundtable discussions: extended interactive live Q&A
Please join one of the roundtables as a follow-up interactive discussion with extended live Q&A from the panels.
Roundtable 1: Doubling down on cloud transformation — the potential of XaaS and recurring revenue
Roundtable 2: Finding brilliant digital/technology talent: how do you deal with it?
Virtual networking reception and extended live Q&A
16:20 - 17:00
Virtual networking reception and extended live Q&A
(please use this time as an opportunity to connect with conference attendees and sponsors via the video chat function one-on-one or as a small group)
Please join one of the roundtables as a follow-up interactive discussion with extended live Q&A from the panels.
Roundtable 1: The transformative potential of data
Roundtable 2: Rapid contact center transformation to accelerate EBITDA improvements
Rountable 3: Unlocking the strategic power of spend
Rountable 4: Turning sustainability into a competitive advantage
Roundtable 5: The next frontier in value creation: unlocking the digital revolution in private equity
Agenda
Day 2 - Wednesday 2nd
Think tanks
10:00 - 11:00
Invitation-only think tank for full-time operating partners: value creation war room
Jason Friedrichs,
Raj Kushwaha,
Jason Miller,
Casey Rovinelli
This closed-door virtual session is an opportunity to learn and share how to develop your role as an operating partner. The think tank will allow you to submit topics to be covered in the room. It will allow you to select one of the two groups based on your role in PE or VC portfolio operations value creation:
Group A — PE Digital & Technology Operating Partners:
Facilitators:
Jason Friedrichs, Director, Portfolio Operations, Altamont Capital Partners
Raj Kushwaha, Managing Director, Operating Partner and Chief Digital Officer, Warburg Pincus
Group B — VC Operating Partners:
Facilitators:
Jason Miller, Chief Operating Officer, Point72 Ventures
Casey Rovinelli, Growth Director, Portfolio Companies, OMERS Ventures
Raj Kushwaha
Managing Director, Digital Strategy and Innovation, Operating Partner and Chief Digital Officer, Warburg Pincus
Read bio
Plenary sessions
11:00 - 11:30
Getting to top quartile of PE firm returns through technology investments at portfolio companies
Jesse Weber,
Ben Cox,
Brian Jawalka,
Scott Tynes
- Debate: learn whether a prescriptive, playbook approach or a collaborative approach to working with portfolio company leadership is best for a digital transformation
- Adventures in value creation: stories in succeeding and failing in building a great tech stack for top returns
- What do the best private equity firms and operating partners do differently when it comes to portfolio company technology initiatives?
- Learn how best to partner with portfolio company leadership on digital transformations
Moderator:
Jesse Weber, Private Equity Lead, Sage Intacct
Panelists:
Ben Cox, Operating Principal, Sumeru Equity Partners
Brian Jawalka, Principal, Portfolio Operations, Product and Technology, TCV
Scott Tynes, CEO, Consero
Functional Business Series 4
11:30 - 12:00
Track 10 — The art of the operating deal- tech due diligence done right
Ragu Bhargava,
Andrew Hampshire,
Prital Kadakia,
David Muhlenkamp
- Successful operating partner tech due diligence stories when partnering with deal teams
- Virtual due diligence: assessing management teams/opportunities without meeting face to face
- Pre-deal assessments of the tech leadership team — lessons learned
- Understanding which elements of the operating framework are needed to support the growth objectives
- Technology diligence framework, sourcing — how to think about alternative data sources
- Assessing technology resources, equipment risk and the impact on capital expenditures
- Exploring the use of deeper dive diagnostics after the close — using them to align deal thesis assumptions to close with what you find later
Moderator:
Ragu Bhargava, CEO and Co-Founder, Global Upside
Panelists:
Andrew Hampshire, Chief Technology Officer, Gresham House
Prital Kadakia, General Partner, Serent Capital
David Muhlenkamp, Managing Director, Head of Portfolio Operations, Lindsay Goldberg
11:30 - 12:00
Track 11 — Case studies: how have PE portfolio companies used digital transformation as a lever of value creation
Aswatha Amarnath ,
Jarrad Berman,
Lucia Soares
Moderator:
Aswatha Amarnath (Amar), Senior Vice President, Strategic Engagements and Sales Strategy, Wipro
Panelists:
Jarrad Berman, Vice President, Digital Transformation, TZP Group
Lucia Soares, Managing Director and Portfolio Chief Information Officer Americas, The Carlyle Group
11:30 - 12:00
Track 12 — Technology enablement across your portfolio
Stephen McElwee,
Gilad G. Amir ,
Casey Kerr
- Digital transformation for customer acquisition
- Managing hyper growth during funding rounds
- Cloud migration and consolidation across your portfolio
- Leveraging DEVOPS and SRE culture to increase profits
Moderator:
Stephen McElwee, Director of Business Development, 42 Lines
Panelists:
Gilad G. Amir, Digital Operating Partner, Pollen Street Capital
Casey Kerr, Hyper-Growth Sales Advisor, Bregal Sagemount
Functional Business Series 5
12:00 - 12:30
Track 13 — Leveraging data driven digital pricing
Adam Echter,
David Buckley,
Eddie Hartman,
Kush Tulsidas
Moderator:
Adam Echter, Partner, Simon-Kucher & Partners
Panelists:
David Buckley, Operating Partner, General Atlantic
Eddie Hartman, Partner, Simon-Kucher & Partners
Kush Tulsidas, Operating Partner, One Rock Capital Partners
12:00 - 12:30
Track 14 — Big data & workforce analytics: looking at the future of human capital with AI on the horizon
Chris Volney,
Erik Anderson,
Neel Bhatia ,
Susan Clark,
John Ouren
- How is AI affecting and going to affect recruiting and developing talent?
- Utilizing workforce analytics to quantify performance improvement across the portfolio
- What tools have you effectively used to analyze team dynamics and make comparisons of management capability across your assets
- Innovations in “people data science” to uncover hidden patterns in data to make you reconsider how you pay, retain and engage your employees
- Utilizing big data to help you win the war for talent
Moderator:
Chris Volney, Senior Director of Client Strategy, Labor Analytics, CBRE
Panelists:
Eric Anderson, Senior Director, M365 Workplace Intelligence, Microsoft
Neel Bhatia, Operating Partner, Talent and ESG, Arcline Investment Management
Susan Clark, General Partner, Portfolio Operations, TCV
John Ouren, Operating Partner, STG Partners
12:00 - 12:30
Track 15 — Leveraging technology and predictive insights to optimize and transform global supply chains
Jim Barnes,
Matt Ibbetson,
Bob Lobley
- Understand how to streamline technology investments to drive cost savings and efficiencies
- Leverage AI for predictive insights that reduce gross margin inventory return on investments
- Take a wholistic look at your network to develop an optimal IT roadmap and supply chain network strategy
- Understand where to leverage business insights on where to improve the customer experience
- Understand how technology can drive supply chain resilience and improve profitability and more
Moderator:
Jim Barnes, CEO, enVista
Panelists:
Matt Ibbetson, Principal, Ridgemont Equity Partners
Bob Lobley, Operating Partner, Juna Equity Partners
Functional Business Series 6
12:30 - 13:00
Track 16 — Leveraging software and AI to create value out of the finance function
David Appel,
Monica Johnson,
Bill Klein,
Brian Regan,
Andrew Walshe
Recently, over 550 companies have integrated AI into their services and products. AI technology is now setting the stage for increased competitiveness. Finance must be a part of this as well for it to provide value and be relevant. During this session, we will share insights gained from working with numerous CFOs of PE-backed businesses. The discussion will highlight the challenges faced by the modern CFO, why traditional solutions are failing to deliver the value expected of finance organizations and the change CFOs and their finance organizations need to undertake.
- Gain an understanding of the attributes required of the modern CFO and their organization
- Learn more about the overwhelming technology landscape
- Understand how finance is ripe for AI, the ROI it provides and what the future will hold
- Explore Finance as a Service and how it delivers financial clarity, efficiency and scalability
Moderator:
David Appel, Head, Subscription and SaaS Vertical, Sage Intacct
Panelists:
Monica Johnson, Operating Partner and CFO, NGP Capital
Bill Klein, President, Consero Global
Brian Regan, Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer, Spectrum Equity
Andrew Walshe, Head of Portfolio Operations, Sightway Capital
12:30 - 13:00
Track 17 — Profit driven digital marketing best practices in an increasingly digital world
Karen Hayward,
Hubert Dagbo,
Faton Gjuka,
Alexandra Lutz
- Focusing on profit driven digital marketing channels to drive topline growth
- Data-driven digital marketing strategies to maximize brand growth
- Ecommerce best practices: achieving profitability across digital channels
- Understanding your digital marketing effectiveness in looking at the consumer and customer interaction via technology
Moderator:
Karen Hayward, Managing Partner and CMO, Chief Outsiders
Panelists:
Hubert Dagbo, Portfolio Manager, Development Partners International (DPI)
Faton Gjuka, Operating Principal, Sumeru Equity Partners
Alexandra Lutz, Managing Director, EQT Partners
12:30 - 13:00
Track 18 — M&A360™: Creating transformative value through each stage of the investment life cycle
David Muhlenkamp,
Dave Noonan
Today’s M&A landscape is value-centric and growing increasingly complex. Private equity firms need data-driven insights and outcome-focused solutions that minimize risk and maximize return on invested capital throughout the transaction life cycle. Here we will focus on:
- Strategy and holistic diligence: financial, IT and cyber as well as synergy planning and cost management to reduce your risk exposure and close the deal with speed and confidence
- Integration, separation and transaction support: identifying and minimizing risks, accelerating transition timelines and minimizing cost variability to ensure the transaction priorities and investment thesis are achieved
- Portfolio optimization: transforming functional leaders and their teams, processes and technologies to support revenue expansion strategies, growth potential of acquisitions and expanded return on investment
- Divest: preparing for an exit with late-stage optimization in key areas in order to maximize enterprise value, improve exit value and increase speed to closing
Presenters:
David Muhlenkamp, Managing Director, Head of Portfolio Operations, Lindsay Goldberg
Dave Noonan, Principal, Head of Private Equity Strategy, RSM
Roundtable discussions: extended interactive live Q&A
13:00 - 13:30
Roundtable discussions: extended interactive live Q&A
Please join one of the roundtables as a follow-up interactive discussion with extended live Q&A from the panels:
RT1 Getting to top quartile of PE firm returns through technology investments at portfolio companies
RT2 The art of the operating deal — tech due diligence done right
RT3 Case studies: how have PE portfolio companies used digital transformation as a lever of value creation
RT4 Technology enablement across your portfolio
RT5 Case Study: Leveraging data driven digital pricing
Women in PE, virtual networking & concluding roundtables
13:30 - 14:30
Women in PE and VC technology operations lunch (invitation-only)
Lily Chang,
Angela Zutavern,
Carrie DiLauro
This closed-door virtual room discussion will explore what it’s like being a woman focused on PE & VC technology operations for value creation:
- What are the issues causing a disparity in genders?
- Exploring career paths, development, and how to position yourself as female tech leaders
- Is your firm focused on women’s leadership at technology portfolio companies?
- Recruiting female digital and tech talent: creating a more equal playing field across the operating team and your portcos
- Looking at trends and stats in gender in PE & VC
Facilitators:
Lily Chang, Chief Portfolio Services Officer, Leonard Green & Partners
Carrie DiLauro, Director, Operations, Hamilton Robinson Capital Partners
Angela Zutavern, Managing Director, AlixPartners
Hosted by:
13:30 - 14:00
Virtual networking lunch and extended interactive live Q&A
Please use this time as an opportunity to connect with conference attendees and sponsors via the video chat function one-on-one or as a small group
Please join one of the roundtables as a follow-up interactive discussion with extended live Q&A from the panels.
Roundtable 1: Big data & workforce analytics: looking at the future of human capital with AI on the horizon
Roundtable 2: Leveraging technology and predictive insights to optimize and transform global supply chains
Rountable 3: Profit driven digital marketing best practices in an increasingly digital world
Roundtable 4: M&A360TM: Creating transformative value through each stage of the investment life cycle
Built by and for operating partners
We source insights from our distinguished line-up of advisors representing a broad variety of private equity and venture capital firms to make sure our agenda addresses the topics integral to modern value creation. Read below to learn more about the advisory board members behind the San Francisco edition of the Operating Partners Forum series.
Tracey Abbott
Industry Value Creation, Portfolio Operations, Partners Group
Dale Chang
Operating Partner, Scale Venture Partners
Paul Ilse
Senior Operating Partner, Francisco Partners Consulting
Prital Kadakia
General Partner, Serent Capital
Kiran Rao
Operating Partner, TPG Capital
Achi Yaffe
Managing Director, Portfolio Operations , GI Partners
Interested in speaking at this year’s Forum? Please contact Marc Mele at marc.m@peimedia.com or call +1 646 581 9295.
Gilad G. Amir
Digital Operating Partner, Pollen Street Capital
Gilad joined Pollen Street in May 2018 as an EIR and came on board as Digital Operating Partner in September 2020 with a focus on supporting the digital transformation of the portfolio companies and supporting the Private Equity team with the pre/pos… Read full bio
Erik Anderson
Senior Director, M365 Workplace Intelligence, Microsoft
Erik Anderson has helped lead the launch and evolution of Microsoft's M365 insights products, Workplace Analytics and MyAnalytics. He currently leads a team responsible for research and incubation efforts working with customers, Microsoft Research, a… Read full bio
David Appel
Head, Subscription and SaaS Vertical, Sage Intacct
David Appel is passionate about creating go-to-market models selling to the office of the CFO. Over time he has developed a series of sales organizations that have generated over $20B in market capitalization via IPO or M&A for his clients, focus… Read full bio
Aswatha Amarnath
Senior Vice President, Strategic Engagements and Sales Strategy, Wipro
Aswatha Amarnath (Amar) is a Senior Vice President at Wipro. He has global responsibilities for sales and go-to-market functions. This includes leadership for large & complex deals globally, Wipro’s sales operations, responsible for Private Equit… Read full bio
Karthik Balu
Technology Advisor, TPG Capital
Karthik has 18+ years of Technology experience ranging from Product Development, Delivery, Quality Engineering, Architecture and DEVOPS with focus on Architecture, Design, Performance & Scalability. As Technology Advisor at TPG (part of Field Ope… Read full bio
Jim Barnes
CEO, enVista
As CEO of enVista, Jim Barnes leads the only retail software solutions and consulting services firm with the depth and breadth of capability to truly optimize and unify both physical and digital commerce end-to-end, from order capture through fulfill… Read full bio
Patrick Beatty
Senior Director, Strategic Product Analytics, Naspers Ventures
Patrick is a Senior Director for Naspers/Prosus, one of the largest venture capital groups globally with investments in societal needs in the developing world and elsewhere. He has more than 20 years of experience in analytics, data, and data science… Read full bio
Jarrad Berman
Vice President, Digital Transformation, TZP Group
Jarrad Berman joined TZP Group in September 2019. Prior to TZP, he was the Global Head of Ecommerce Marketing at Facebook. At Facebook, Jarrad worked with Fortune 500 companies and digital disruptors across ecommerce, retail, tech/telco, restaurants,… Read full bio
Dave Beuerlein
Operating Partner, Khosla Ventures
Dave is an Operating Partner at Khosla Ventures, where he works with portfolio companies on all matters related to talent. Most recently, Dave built and led the executive recruiting function at Google, responsible for all executive hiring globally ac… Read full bio
Ragu Bhargava
CEO, Global Upside
Ragu is the Co-Founder and CEO of Global Upside, which is part of the Global Upside Corporation, a conglomerate of brands that provide a comprehensive range of staffing, PEO, incorporation, human resources, accounting, payroll, and M&A services i… Read full bio
Neel Bhatia
Operating Partner, Talent and ESG, Arcline Investment Management
Neel is currently an Operating Partner at Arcline Investment Management where he is focused on talent assessment and development both within the firm and across portfolio companies. Most recently, Neel was the Managing Partner of Green Peak, a privat… Read full bio
Ted Bililies
Managing Director and Chief Talent Officer, AlixPartners
Ted is an internationally-recognized expert on leadership and organization development. He advises investors, CEOs, and boards globally to help them position the right leaders for key roles and to support those leaders and teams for maximal value cre… Read full bio
Travis Bryant
Partner, Head of Founder Experience, Redpoint Ventures
Travis joined Redpoint Ventures in 2019 and is a partner leading Founder Experience. In this newly created role, Travis will support our founders from initial contact through the entire journey to successful exit. Founder Experience will focus on pro… Read full bio
David Buckley
Operating Partner, General Atlantic
David Buckley is an Operating Partner at General Atlantic and leads the firm’s Insights Group, which integrates market research, data science, and revenue acceleration efforts across the firm’s global investment program at every stage in the investme… Read full bio
Daniel Burke
Global Lead, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Private Equity, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Daniel is the global lead of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Private Equity at AWS. In this role, Daniel advises private equity funds and their portfolio companies on the successful application of AIML to drive business performance.… Read full bio
John Cacavias
Partner, Liberty Advisor Group
Mr. Cacavias is a partner and the head of private equity with Liberty Advisor Group and has 13+ years of technology and management consulting experience primarily focused on technology strategy, M&A integration, and complex program management. Th… Read full bio
Peter Carroll
Operating Partner, Jump Capital
Pete Carroll is an Operating Partner at Jump Capital, a venture capital firm based in Chicago. He has operated, advised, and held board seats at a number of Jump’s portfolio companies including deep engagements in executive roles (CEO and CFO). His g… Read full bio
Dale Chang
Operating Partner, Scale Venture Partners
Dale is the Operating Partner at Scale Venture Partners. In his role, Dale is a resource for guidance on evolving go-to-market strategies as well as providing best practices and benchmarks across the portfolio. Previously, Dale was a Director at the… Read full bio
Lily Chang
Chief Portfolio Services Officer, Leonard Green & Partners
Lily joined LGP in 2004. As Chief Portfolio Services Officer, Lily leads LGP’s collaborative efforts with portfolio company management teams. Lily currently serves on the Board of Directors of JOANN Stores. Prior to LGP, she worked at Nissan North Am… Read full bio
Douglas Chey
Chief Portfolio Technology Officer, Leonard Green & Partners
Doug joined LGP in 2017 as Chief Portfolio Technology Officer. As a member of the Portfolio Services team, Doug focuses on technology-related collaboration with portfolio companies. Prior to LGP, Doug worked at Hyperloop One as SVP of Systems Technol… Read full bio
Susan Clark
Managing Director, Operations, Sun Capital Partners
Susan Clark, Managing Director, joined Sun Capital in 2021. Prior to joining Sun Capital, Susan was General Partner of Portfolio Operations at TCV, a technology growth investment firm. Susan was responsible for standing up the firm’s advisory and ope… Read full bio
Brian Cohen
Operating Partner, Altamont Capital Partners
Brian Cohen currently serves as an Operating Partner at Altamont Capital Partners where he focuses on the insurance and financial services industries. Brian formerly served as the President and CEO and a member of the Board of Directors of Pacific Sp… Read full bio
Jody Cordeiro
Director, AlixPartners
Jody is a technology leader with more than 25 years of experience with top-tier management consulting firms and in industry. She blends world-class technology strategies with industry leadership expertise to provide significant value and deliver resu… Read full bio
Ben Cox
Operating Director, Sumeru Equity Partners
Ben Cox is an Operating Principal focused on go-to-market acceleration of the firm’s investments through improvements in sales, marketing, product management, and customer success. He has more than fifteen years of product, sales, and marketing exper… Read full bio
Hubert Dagbo
Portfolio Manager, Development Partners International (DPI)
Hubert Dagbo is a Portfolio Manager at Development Partners International, a $1.6bn Africa focused private equity fund. With a focus on technology and digitalisation value creation projects across the portfolio, he has led the eCommerce channel devel… Read full bio
Romit Dey
Partner, PwC Consulting
• Romit is PwC’s national lead for the XaaS (Anything as a Service) practice, focused on revenue growth through digital/ subscription & consumption business models. He has expertise in new @Service (SaaS/ PaaS/ IaaS) business models and scalabili… Read full bio
Carrie DiLauro
Director, Operations, Hamilton Robinson Capital Partners
Carrie DiLauro is the Director of Operations at Hamilton Robinson Capital Partners. She joined HRCP in 2009 and brings over 25 years of experience in global manufacturing and finance. She is responsible for a wide scope of operations management for t… Read full bio
Milos Djokovic
CEO and Managing Director, Eventus Solutions Group
Milos Djokovic is a co-founder, CEO, and Managing Director of Eventus Solutions Group, LLC. He is a highly regarded industry expert in contact center, customer experience, CRM applications, telephony communications channels, cloud computing, and netw… Read full bio
Alpna Doshi
Operating Partner, Thoma Bravo
Alpna J. Doshi is a Board Member & Operating Partner at Thoma Bravo. She is also the former Chief Digital Officer of Riverbed Technology and the former Global Chief Information Officer of Royal Philips. Doshi owned Riverbed’s business agility wit… Read full bio
Adam Echter
Partner, Simon-Kucher & Partners
Adam Echter is a Partner based in Simon-Kucher’s Silicon Valley office. He brings two decades of B2B sales & pricing experience across manufactured goods, industrial equipment and technology industries. Adam has built pricing & sales organiza… Read full bio
Mark Emery
Partner, Co-Head of the Operations Management Group, The Jordan Company
Mark Emery is a Partner and the Co-Head of the Operations Management Group of The Jordan Company. He is also a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. Mark joined TJC in 2008. Prior to TJC, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of Northstar… Read full bio
Glenn Engler
EY-Parthenon Global Digital Leader, Americas Strategy and Transactions Digital Strategy Leader, EY
► Glenn is a Managing Director at EY-Parthenon, specializing in growth strategy, marketing strategy, brand development, and new business innovation in several industries, including technology, media, telecommunications, retail, and automotive. In add… Read full bio
Sean Epstein
SVP and Global Head of Private Equity, SAP
Sean Epstein is SVP and Global Head of the SAP Private Equity Team. His team handles all strategic partnerships and initiatives with Private Equity funds, Institutional Investors, & Family Offices and helps drive portfolio companies’ success thro… Read full bio
Kingchih Fan
Operating Partner, The Riverside Company
Kingchih Fan is currently an Operating Partner with The Riverside Company. He is a serial entrepreneur, operator and investor who has owned 4 companies in the past ten years (LiftDNA, OpenX, iGOTHAM, SIB). Prior to Riverside, he was most recently the… Read full bio
Ignacio Giraldo
Partner, TPG Growth
Mr. Giraldo is a Partner with TPG Growth and TPG Rise in San Francisco. As a member of the Business Building team, he focuses his time on consumer goods, retail, the circular economy and ed-tech. Prior to joining TPG, Ignacio worked in management con… Read full bio
Faton Gjuka
Operating Principal, Sumeru Equity Partners
Faton Gjuka is an Operating Principal focused on Product Leadership and Go-to-Market Acceleration of the firm’s software company investments. He has more than fifteen years of product management and sales & marketing experience. Faton joined Sume… Read full bio
Chris Goodall
Founder - CG Consultancy and Technology Value Add Pyramid Head, Vitruvian Partners
Director of CG Consultancy, Chris Goodall formerly held senior technology positions for companies such as IBM, UBS Investment Bank and Citigroup and has over 23 years’ technology experience from development through to management. CG Consultancy speci… Read full bio
Michael Frain
Senior Vice President, Shared Services, Warburg Pincus
Michael Frain is based in New York, joined Warburg Pincus in 2008, leads the firm's Shared Services program, which program helps portfolio companies drive strategy and value in areas such as procurement, employee benefits, corporate insurance and rea… Read full bio
Bruce Grainger
Operating Partner, Francisco Partners
Prior to joining Francisco Partners Consulting, Bruce was a multi-time worldwide sales leader, spanning early-stage and privately held businesses to more mature billion dollar public corporations. He played significant leadership roles in three succe… 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
John Hamm
Operating Partner, Khosla Ventures
John Hamm has a diverse background as a technology CEO, a venture investor, an executive/CEO leadership coach/advisor and a Board member of more than 25 companies. He is an Operating Partner at Khosla Ventures coaching CEOs across the Khosla Ventures… Read full bio
Eddie Hartman
Partner, Simon-Kucher & Partners
Eddie Hartman is a Partner at Simon Kucher’s San Francisco office. He specializes in developing high-growth revenue strategies, conducting effective go-to-market planning, and achieving recurring revenue excellence. Eddie works with small “hypergrowt… Read full bio
Andrew Hampshire
Chief Technology Officer, Gresham House
Andrew Hampshire is the author of Creating Value Through Technology: Discover the tech that can transform your business, published by Bloomsbury November 2020. Andrew is Chief Technology Officer at specialist asset management firm, Gresham House Plc.… Read full bio
Karen Hayward
Managing Partner and CMO, Chief Outsiders
Karen Hayward is a Chief Outsiders Managing Partner and CMO based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She helps technology companies accelerate growth by building and executing strategic marketing programs while driving sales and marketing alignment to de… Read full bio
Kirk Hourdajian
Head of ESG and Impact, Vista Equity Partners
Kirk joined Vista Equity Partners in 2020. He oversees Vista’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) program, working with portfolio companies and deal teams to drive value creation initiatives that improve the environment, society and business.… Read full bio
Tye Howell
Managing Director of Data and Digital, Blue Point Capital Partners
Tye Howell, Blue Point Capital Partners’ Managing Director of Data and Digital, is responsible for the development and execution of Data Analytics and Digital Transformation strategies for Blue Point’s portfolio companies alongside the rest of the te… Read full bio
Matt Ibbetson
Principal, Ridgemont Equity Partners
Matt leads Ridgemont’s Portfolio Operations practice. He works across industry verticals to drive value post-closing. Matt’s background in consulting and operations, along with his extensive leadership experience starting in the Navy, makes him well… Read full bio
Brian Jawalka
Principal, Portfolio Operations, Product and Technology, TCV
Brian joined TCV in 2019 as a Principal in the Portfolio Operations team to stand up a Product and Technology Center of Excellence. Brian works with investment teams and portfolio company leadership to identify and implement areas of value creation a… Read full bio
Kevin Jeon
Director of Revenue Optimization, Peak Performance Group, Summit Partners
Kevin is a member of Summit’s Peak Performance Group and works with management teams to identify and execute growth strategies that build long-term value. Most frequently, he collaborates with leadership teams to help expand and drive revenue growth… Read full bio
Monica Johnson
Operating Partner and CFO, NGP Capital
Monica is the Chief Financial Officer of NGP Capital and brings over 25 years of financial experience to the role. Most recently, Monica spent two years providing CFO services to a range of ecommerce, SaaS and Digital Health startups. Prior to that,… Read full bio
David Jones
Operating Partner, Pollen Street Capital
David joined Pollen Street in September 2020 as Operating Partner for Technology. He works primarily with the PSC portfolio companies, focusing on strategic and tactical analysis of their use of digital technology to drive business improvements. Davi… Read full bio
Simon Jones
Operating Partner, Turnspire Capital Partners
Simon Jones is an Operating Partner with Turnspire Capital Partners, a special situations private equity firm in New York. Simon is also Chairman of a legal technology firm, One Discovery, backed by Conversion Venture Capital in New York, and works w… Read full bio
Prital Kadakia
General Partner, Serent Capital
Prital leads the portfolio operations team for Serent Capital, working closely with the management teams at Serent portfolio companies on value-creation initiatives to drive measurable and sustained revenue and earnings impact. Prital's work with por… Read full bio
Manek Kapur
Vice President, TMT and Digital Value Creation, Partners Group
Manek Kapur is an Vice President at Partners Group focused on Technology investments and Technology innovation in the Americas portfolio. He has more than fifteen years of experience in a variety of investing and operating roles, mostly focused on Te… Read full bio
Brian Kasser
Talent Partner, Welsh, Carson, Anderson and Stowe
Mr. Kasser is the Talent Partner for the WCAS technology team. Focusing on executive talent strategy and management, he is responsible for helping WCAS’s technology companies to build outstanding leadership teams. He brings to WCAS more than a decade… Read full bio
Bruce Kenny
Operating Executive, Evergreen Coast Capital
Bruce is an Operating Executive at Evergreen Coast Capital, engaged as an independent consultant. Previously, Bruce was Vice President, Product Development and Hosted Operations at Viewpoint Construction Software, a Bain Capital portfolio company. Br… Read full bio
Casey Kerr
Hyper-Growth Sales Advisor, Bregal Sagemount
As part of the "Growth Factors Team," Casey Kerr works alongside Sagemount portfolio companies to create sustainable top-line revenue growth and EBITDA value creation from value enhancement initiatives that drive massive increases to enterprise value… Read full bio
Michael van Keulen
Chief Procurement Officer, Coupa
Michael is a seasoned procurement practitioner with a comprehensive track record of driving shareholder value through business transformation at global companies. Throughout his career, Michael has been a forward-thinking and innovative leader with p… Read full bio
Chris Kitching
Operating Partner, HighBar Partners
Chris Kitching joined HighBar Partners as an Operating Partner in 2015 from Sound United and its holding company DEI Holdings, where he served as Chief Financial Officer. Prior to DEI, Mr. Kitching was Chief Financial Officer and VP of Operations at… Read full bio
Neil Kimber
Operating Principal, Accel-KKR
Neil Kimber is a Principal and Consulting CTO at Accel¬-KKR Consulting Group. Within Accel-KKR, his responsibilities include working with deal teams during technical due diligence, aiding portfolio companies with specific technology initiatives and m… Read full bio
Bill Klein
President, Consero Global
Bill is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience with technology and services organizations ranging from startups to large organizations. He is passionate about helping small and mid-size businesses reach their full potential and leverages a… Read full bio
Peter Kuerpick
Technology Operating Partner, Bain Capital
Mr. Kürpick joined Bain Capital Private Equity in May 2019. He is a Managing Director and member of the European Private Equity team. He has a technology remit across our portfolio overseeing the adoption of latest IT strategies in the BainCapital po… Read full bio
Raj Kushwaha
Managing Director, Digital Strategy and Innovation, Operating Partner and Chief Digital Officer, Warburg Pincus
Raj Kushwaha joined Warburg Pincus in 2012 and serves as Managing Director, Operating Partner and Chief Digital Officer responsible for operations and technology diligence with prospective investments, as well as ongoing work with the firm's existing… Read full bio
Martina Lauchengco
Operating Partner, Costanoa Ventures
Martina spent over 20 years as a marketing and product executive building and crafting strategies for market-defining software like Microsoft Office and Netscape Navigator. As Costanoa's Marketing Operating Partner, she sits on multiple boards and ad… Read full bio
Kevin Liu
Director, Techstars Investments
Kevin is a director at Techstars Investments, where he leads diligence, capital raise, and value creation initiatives across the Techstars' portfolio of companies. Prior to Techstars, Kevin led the Data Science & Analytics team at Mattermark (acquire… Read full bio
Bob Lobley
Operating Partner, Juna Equity Partners
A 34 year GE veteran, Bob has led operational teams in manufacturing and technology, designed and implemented supplier quality and ISO9000 systems, implemented Lean/flow methodologies, developed information technology solutions, developed marketing p… Read full bio
Misha Logvinov
Managing Director and Head of IT Strategy, EQT Partners
Misha joined EQT in 2018 as Managing Director and Head of IT Strategy. In his role, he is advising the EQT's investment teams and portfolio companies on digital transformation. Previously, he was Group Vice President of Cloud Customer Success at Orac… Read full bio
Alexandra Lutz
Managing Director, EQT Partners
Alexandra Lutz joined EQT in 2019 as Managing Director, Digital Growth where she helps identify and execute trajectory-changing growth opportunities across EQT’s global portfolio of companies with an emphasis on go-to-market, product and service inno… Read full bio
Stephen McElwee
Director of Business Development, 42 Lines
Stephen brings a decade plus experience across the financial services industry. After spending 6 years deploying new technology and applications for Bank of America and Deutschebank, He has spent the last several years managing hyper growth technolog… Read full bio
Brandon Middaugh
Director, Climate Innovation Fund, Microsoft
Brandon Middaugh is the Director of Microsoft’s Climate Innovation Fund program and strategy. In this capacity, she is focused on accelerating the widespread adoption of climate solutions and investing in innovative technologies. Previously, Brandon… Read full bio
Jason Miller
Chief Operating Officer, Point 72 Ventures
Jason Miller is an Operating Partner for Point72 Ventures. He leads the firms’ efforts in leveraging data and analytics technology to enable and measure the performance of portfolio companies, the value creation impact and the investment diligence pr… Read full bio
Debbie Millin
Chief Operating Officer, Globalization Partners
Debbie Millin formally joined Globalization Partners in May of 2016 after acting as an advisor since early 2015. With over 20 years of operational, project management, and client relationship experience in a variety of industries, Debbie’s specializa… Read full bio
Joubin Mirzadegan
Go to Market Operating Partner, Kleiner Perkins
Joubin joined Kleiner Perkins in 2019 and focuses on helping the firm’s portfolio companies with strategic business development and introductions to F500 executives and key ecosystem partners. He also advises the portfolio on all aspects of go-to-mar… Read full bio
Melissa Mounce
Managing Director, Leadership Talent and Diversity, GTCR
Melissa joined GTCR in 2019 as a Managing Director, Leadership Talent & Diversity and manages the identification and recruitment of Leaders StrategyTM CEOs and management teams. Prior to joining GTCR, Melissa was the Principal of Human Capital at… Read full bio
David Muhlenkamp
Managing Director, Head of Portfolio Operations, Lindsay Goldberg
David Muhlenkamp is a Managing Director and heads Lindsay Goldberg’s portfolio operations efforts, where he assists families, founders, and management teams to achieve their growth and value creation objectives. David brings nearly two decades of exp… Read full bio
Dave Noonan
Principal, RSM
Dave Noonan leads RSM’s national private equity consulting practice. He aligns and directly coordinates consulting delivery services to effectively serve RSM’s private equity clients and their portfolio companies. He is responsible for the developmen… Read full bio
Gretchen O'Hara
Vice President, US AI & Sustainability Strategy & Partnership, Microsoft
Gretchen O’Hara is business builder who creates and leads teams that create from whitespace and build ecosystems empowering customers and partners. With over 25 years’ experience in the tech industry across the US and worldwide, Gretchen has built sy… Read full bio
John Ouren
Operating Partner, STG Partners
John Ouren joined STG in 2016 as Operating Partner and is responsible for driving business transformation within STG’s portfolio companies. John is on the board of STG companies including Fishbowl, MRI-Simmons and MSI/Morpace. Prior to STG Partners,… Read full bio
Parasvil Patel
Principal, Radical Ventures
Parasvil Patel is a Principal with Radical Ventures. As a member of the investment team, he partners with visionary entrepreneurs using AI to transform traditional industries. He also leads go-to-market support for portfolio companies as a member of… Read full bio
Richard Poole
Senior Associate and Member of the Portfolio Team, Hg
Richard is a Senior Associate in the Hg Portfolio Team, and a senior member of the Hg Data Team. Richard partners with management teams to help accelerate EBITDA growth, through data-focused and other value-creation topics. Hg’s Data team seeks to de… Read full bio
Rahul Puri
Global Head - M and A, Private Equity and VC Practice, NetSuite Oracle
Rahul Puri leads the Global Private Equity and Venture Capital Practice at NetSuite-Oracle. He founded the practice and over the last 6+ years his team has been involved in 550+ transactions with more than 50 carve outs. His team exclusively works wi… Read full bio
Leela Ramnath
Director of ESG, Warburg Pincus
Leela Ramnath is Director of ESG at Warburg Pincus, a global private equity firm, where she focuses on environmental, social, and governance issues at the firm and portfolio companies. Prior to joining Warburg Pincus, she led impact and partnerships… Read full bio
Kiran Rao
Operating Partner, TPG Capital
Kiran Rao is an Operating Partner at TPG Capital and is based in San Francisco. He focuses on the Tech sector. Since 2010, Kiran has been involved in numerous investments including CollabNet VersionOne, Anastasia Beverly Hills, WellSky (formerly Medi… Read full bio
Srinivas Rapthadu
Managing Partner, Private Equity North America, SAP
Srinivas Rapthadu is Managing Partner at SAP Private Equity where he handles strategic partnerships and initiatives with Private Equity funds and helps drive portfolio companies’ success throughout the investment lifecycle. He is also driving roll-ou… Read full bio
Michael Recce
Managing Director and Chief Data Scientist, Neuberger Berman
Michael Recce joined Neuberger Berman in 2017, his team uses machine learning and cloud computing tools to process large, novel unstructured data. This analysis provides insight on intrinsic value of businesses to clients and investment teams. Prior… Read full bio
Brian Regan
Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer, Spectrum Equity
Brian is a Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer, responsible for the firm’s financial activities, including strategic planning and executive mentoring for portfolio companies to support their growth. He brings an accomplished track record to… Read full bio
Casey Rovinelli
Growth Director, Portfolio Companies, OMERS Ventures
Casey Rovinelli is the Growth Director of OMERS Ventures, the venture capital investment arm of OMERS, one of Canada’s largest defined benefit pensions with net assets approaching $100 billion. As Growth Director, Casey works closely with the senior… Read full bio
Richard Sittema
Principal, Grant Thornton
Rich is a Principal in Grant Thornton’s national Transformation practice and leads the Technology Strategy capability for the Firm. Rich has been serving private equity firms, their portfolio companies, and large public companies with significant pri… Read full bio
Michael Smith
Senior Managing Director, Technology, Media and Telecom Practice, Blue Ridge Partners
Michael has over 35 years of strategic sales and marketing experience working with Fortune 500 and mid-cap companies to accelerate their revenue growth. He has deep experience in Media, Financial Services, Technology and other industries and develope… Read full bio
Lucia Soares
Managing Director and Portfolio Chief Information Officer Americas, The Carlyle Group
Lucia Soares is a Managing Director and Portfolio Chief Information Officer Americas at The Carlyle Group. Ms. Soares provides information technology advisory to Carlyle investment teams and optimizes portfolio company performance by partnering with… Read full bio
Milo Sprague
Senior Technology Advisor, FTV Capital
Milo Sprague is the Senior 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… Read full bio
Greg Thomas
General Partner, WestView Capital Partners
Prior to joining WestView Capital Partners, Greg worked at DW Healthcare Partners, where he focused on healthcare service companies in the lower middle market. Prior to joining DW Healthcare Partners, Greg was an Associate at Berkshire Partners, wher… Read full bio
Matt Thompson
Senior Vice President, Portfolio Operations, Skyview Capital
Matt Thompson is SVP Portfolio Operations with Skyview Capital. Matt works on private equity and venture capital investments globally, where he focuses on carveouts, special situations, and venture capital investments. He often helps with Technology… Read full bio
Russ Trpkovski
Operating Principal, CVC Capital Partners
Russ Trpkovski joined CVC's private equity business in 2020. Russ is a member of CVC Growth Partners and is based in Chicago. Prior to joining CVC, Russ worked at Amazon Web Services, L Catterton and Boston Consulting Group in Chicago. He received a… Read full bio
Kush Tulsidas
Operating Partner, One Rock Capital Partners
H. Kush Tulsidas is an Operating Partner focused on sales and marketing strategy and execution at One Rock’s portfolio companies. He is responsible for assessing the growth potential of companies in the investment stage and improving profitable reven… Read full bio
Scott Tynes
CEO, Consero Global
Scott is the CEO and co-founder of Consero Global which is a Finance as a Service (FaaS) firm. Consero runs the finance function for over 130+ companies nationwide and has assessed over 1,000 finance departments over the last 12 years. Scott has a pa… Read full bio
Craig Vosburgh
Chief Technical Officer, Strattam Capital
Craig Vosburgh joined Strattam as Chief Technical Officer in 2019. In this role, he helps drive technical excellence across the Strattam portfolio. Previously, Craig served as Distinguished Engineer in the Office of the CTO at CA Technologies where h… Read full bio
Andrew Walshe
Head of Portfolio Operations, Sightway Capital
Andrew Walshe joined Sightway Capital, a Two Sigma Private Investments affiliate, in 2016 to lead the group’s portfolio operations efforts. He serves as a Finance Operating Partner to Sightway’s companies by working closely with both investment and m… Read full bio
Lisa Weaver-Lambert
Data and Digital Director, Montagu Private Equity
Lisa Weaver-Lambert is an experienced data and digital results-driven leader with over 20 years’ professional experience. She works in close partnership with companies to develop technology-enabled strategies and deliver commercial solutions. This ap… Read full bio
Chris Volney
Senior Director of Client Strategy, Labor Analytics, CBRE
Chris Volney is a Senior Director of Client Strategy with CBRE's Labor Analytics Group, based in San Francisco, CA. Chris has over 12 years of experience in real estate and location advisory consulting and has developed a primary focus helping fast-g… Read full bio
Jesse Weber
Private Equity Lead, Sage Intacct
Jesse Weber runs Sage Intacct’s private equity practice. He advises leading private equity firms and their portfolio companies to build more profitable businesses through world class financial management, subscription automation, and service. As part… Read full bio
Amanda Widjaja
Head of Data, Norwest Venture Partners (NVP)
Amanda joined Norwest in 2019 and oversees the firm’s data science efforts. As a member of the Portfolio Services team, Amanda provides advisory services to Norwest portfolio companies in the areas of analytics and data engineering. Most recently, Am… Read full bio
Jim Wilson
Operating Partner, Costanoa Ventures
Jim is a seasoned sales executive with over 25 years experience in diverse technology industries. Prior to joining Costanoa, Jim was the VP of World-Wide Sales at Sumo Logic, where he oversaw 10x growth to over $40M over a two year period, and manage… Read full bio
Cici Zheng
Principal, ParkerGale Capital
Cici Zheng is Principal at ParkerGale Capital where she is responsible for working with portfolio companies on their growth strategies by developing and implementing programs that amplify go-to-market approaches, product positioning and financial res… Read full bio
Angela Zutavern
Managing Director, AlixPartners
Angela Zutavern, head of AI and leader of the Digital Americas Practice at AlixPartners, pioneered the application of machine intelligence to business leadership and strategy to drive more meaningful insights. She is a highly regarded leader with ove… Read full bio
‘Record demand’ for operating partners: Survey
As GPs seek to boost portfolio company value, they are under pressure to reduce costs and increase efficiencies as operational issues become increasingly complex and LPs push for lower fees.
Operating partner roles are the fastest-growing positions in private equity this year, driven by a sharper focus on deploying capital raised in 2016 and 2017. Executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles is experiencing “record demand” for operating partners among private equity firms, according to its 2019 North American Private Equity Operating Professional Compensation Survey, which received responses from 217 private equity operating professionals.
Head of talent, chief financial officer for portfolio operations, and generalist operating partner roles were the top operating professional searches. Increasingly complex operational issues in portfolio companies coupled with LPs insisting on lower fees puts pressure on GPs to reduce costs and increase operational efficiencies.
Two evolutions have taken place in recent years, Jonathan Goldstein, regional managing partner, Americas for Heidrick & Struggles’ private equity practice and the report’s co-author, told Private Equity International. Private equity firms are hiring operating partners earlier in their careers, contrary to the previous trend of hiring semi-retired or retired professionals. What’s more, operating partners have proven their worth, driving private equity firms to build out their operating professionals’ ranks and add mid-level and junior operating professionals as well.
Base-level salaries and bonuses for operating roles more than doubled from 2016. Successful operating partners had a mix of consulting and operations experience and previous private equity exposure, according to the report.
Almost 87 percent of operations professionals had no prior relationship with the manager or with its portfolio companies, showing that “private equity firms were expanding their search beyond their network pools to seek talent”, Goldstein told PEI.
Compensation details
Base-level salaries and bonuses for operating professionals did not change significantly from 2017 to 2018; 68 percent of respondents received base-level salary increases of $50,000 or less in 2018. Likewise, 48 percent of respondents reported a higher bonus in 2018 than 2017.
“Change in compensation is not indicative of one thing or the other,” Goldstein said. “Bonuses are driven by increases in AUM, where the fund might be in its lifecycle and the individual’s own progression at the firm.”
Operating partners are eligible for carried interest, usually calculated on a whole-fund basis. Most respondents did not get warrants or options in the portfolio companies they oversaw. Only 43 percent of senior/executive advisors and 29 percent of general partners received warrants or options, and the average warrant participation for these two groups was $2.4 million and $2.6 million, respectively.
Most respondents were not eligible for direct equity participation except at the firm and general partner level. Almost all respondents said they had co-investment rights, according to the report.
Almost 41 percent of respondents said their cash compensation was funded by fund management fees, while 15 percent said their firms used only portfolio company oversight fees and 12 percent said their firms used time billed directly to portfolio companies. The remaining third of respondents said their firms used a mix of two or more funding methods.
Poll: the Operating Partner role in driving value creation
No one said that creating lasting value was easy – especially in a struggling company. PEI’s Operating Partner Forums discuss all aspects of value creation, from harnessing technology to leveraging human capital to boost operations. More than 200 operating partners attended the New York edition in October 2019, sharing their views on key aspects of value creation as highlighted in our most recent poll below.
Partner with the Forum
PEI’s Operating Partners Technology Forum unites private equity operating partners and technology value creation experts. This intersection of individuals provides service providers with unique and customized programs to engage in thought provoking content discussions and provides numerous opportunities to connect in one-on-one discussions, roundtable events, and various other networking activities.
To explore how your firm can take a prominent leadership position, contact Lawrence Dvorchik at lawrence.d@peimedia.com or call +1 646 545 4429.
