Operating Partners Interactive Working Groups

• Evolution of the operating partner role whilst working remotely
• To what extent have things changed forever regarding best practice in value creation?
• Comparing value creation strategy now to February 2020
• Working with portfolio teams of industries that have been fundamentally changed by covid-19 disruption

Moderator: Amit Vij, Global PE Practice Leader, First Source

•        Working with management teams on a turnaround plan
• War stories from the past 12 months
• Tips for revaluating business models and spotting opportunities in a changing economy

Moderator: Cesare Gussago, Partner, UK&I Transaction Strategy & Execution

The human capital/talent position is still relatively new with the role looking different across firms as the position evolves. This closed-door discussion will give talent experts the opportunity to discuss how to position themselves within the firm, making themselves effective and how to utilise data across their portfolio to build the workforce of the future.

Host: Conor Boden, Senior Advisor, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and KLAR Partners

Co-host: Warwick Nash, Chair, The Chemistry Group

With salespeople at home, marketing is having to fill the void in many companies. This session will discuss how sales teams have changed in the past few months. With a huge shift to digital selling, participants will exchange experiences on successes and failures in 2020. What do these changes mean for PE backed businesses long-term? And how has hiring changed and what skillsets are most important?

Hosted by Blue Ridge Partners

Host: Moti Shahani, Managing Director, Blue Ridge Partners
Co-host: Josephine Hus, Investment Professional, Permira Advisers

The position of operating partners within most firms has advanced significantly in recent years. Whilst the days of operating partners being treated as second class citizens are largely behind us, there are still significant variations. This session will consider how operating partners can make themselves indispensable to the firm and work closely and effectively with the investment team.

Host: Susanne Vanner, Partner, Transaction Strategy & Execution, EY

Co-host: Alejandro Alcalde Rasch, Senior Director – Portfolio Support, APS Advisory

With technology so crucial to any value creation strategy, this workshop will assess how to embed digital change into the wider transformation plan. As well as the importance of having the right management team in place to make the changes essential to scaling an organisation. Participants will be encouraged to share some of the challenges they have faced and overcome whilst executing technological change within portfolio businesses.

Hosted by Alix Partners

Host: Catherine Sherwin, Managing Director, Alix Partners
Co-host: Lisa Weaver-Lambert, Data and Digital Operating Partner

With the pandemic highlighting how a robust approach to sustainability can help firms navigate through economic disruption, ESG continues to rise up the agenda. The discussion will highlight how to sell ESG principles as a value creation tool to portfolio companies. How some firms are incorporating ESG within their portfolio group and the potential impact on multiples at exit.

Hosted by First Source

Host: Amit Vij, Global PE Practice Leader, First Source
Co-host: Shami Nissan, Head of Responsible Investment, Actis

Procurement has always been one of the quick wins for PE firms when adding value to a portfolio company. New digital tools and advanced analytics are creating opportunities to make savings beyond traditional areas. This workshop will discuss tools that PE firms have utilised to address procurement and purchasing across their entire portfolio

Hosted by 4C

Host: Jamie Loder, Director – Private Equity, 4C Associates
Co-host: Riccardo Basille, Principal, Permira

Given the typically high cost of acquiring new customers, driving customer retention and cross-/up-sell is a crucial value creation lever for recurring revenue businesses. This session will explore key principles and practical best practices, as well as key metrics to track for continuous performance improvement. An open discussion allowing you to learn from other operating partners on what works and what doesn’t in terms of churn prevention and growing customer value over time.

Hosted by Simon Kucher & Partners

Host: Mark Billige, CEO, Simon-Kucher & Partners
Co-host: Marty Guinoo, Operating Partner, EMEA Lead, Apax Partners

This session will assess mistakes often made during board meetings, consider how they can get in the way of management teams and how to avoid this. The ideal skillset composition of the board, maintaining focus, considering the role of the chair and innovative approaches to board meetings will.

Hosted by YSC

Host: Phil Whichello, Director, Head of Private Equity (EME), YSC

Co-host: Elizabeth Wallace, Head of Portfolio Talent, Hg

The pandemic has accelerated trends that were already happening, with the world doing more online, there are huge opportunities and risks for all businesses. With consumers & clients expecting a seamless digital experience in more traditional areas as well as e-commerce companies, digital is the number one priority. This discussion will consider how private equity can implement digital transformation in all types of investments.

Hosted by Wipro

Host: Srinivasaa HG, VP, Europe Business Head – Digital Engineering & Appl Services, Wipro Digital
Co-Host: Gregory Salinger, Chief Digital Officer, Apax Partners SAS

The disruption of the past year has created lots of challenges but much of the economic pain is still to be felt. Businesses globally have taken advantage of unprecedented government support, but this cannot last forever. This session will discuss what to prioritise at this time, tips for re-evaluating business models and how to take advantage of this opportunity to remodel businesses for the post-pandemic world as the world returns to a more traditional recession..

Hosted by Deloitte

Host: Dave Sharman, Partner – Value Creation Services, Deloitte
Co-host: Mark Saunders, Chief Executive Officer, Mamas & Papas