Kristin Gunther, Revolution

Susanne Clark, Centerbridge

Lynn Alexander, Kelso & Company

Lindsey Goldstein, Ropes & Gray (moderator)

Private equity covers a range of products and strategies across the risk/return spectrum. We’ll hear from product experts on how they’re differentiation their strategy to meet market demand.

Beth Holzberger, State of Wisconsin Investment Board

Kaitlin Miles, Teacher Retirement System of Texas

Adriana Ballard, Texas Employee Retirement System

Christine Kelleher, National Gallery of Art (moderator)

As institutional investors revisit their long-term allocation plans, how are investors evaluating opportunity in the private equity market today?

Anne Duggan, Partners Capital

Heidi Poon, Aksia

Melissa Mendenhall, NEPC

Franny Jones, The Sterling Group (moderator)

How are LP Consultants advising their clients today on which private equity strategies to pursue, and why? 

Caitlin Brodie, The Carlyle Group

Neha Verma, TPG

Kristin DePlatchett, Trilantic North America

Erica Berthou, Kirkland & Ellis (moderator)

Between marketing funds in a remote environment and increasing LP demand for “hot” sectors and established managers, how are private equity firms navigating the fundraising market?

Boriana Karastoyanova, Neuberger Berman

Gerald Cooper, Campbell Lutyens

Katie Stitch, W Capital Partners

Lauren King, Goodwin (moderator)

2020 amassed a record amount of dry powder in the secondary market. As funds continue to mature and attract sophisticated investors, what’s driving transaction activity? How is the market characterized in a distressed period?  How is the role of the GP expanding?

Kristen Baily, MiddleGround Capital

Kim Saunders, Legacy Two Advisors

Gabriela Weiss, Advent International

Kerensa Buttler, RSM (moderator)

Of the three categories of DEI, inclusion remains the most elusive.  Leaders with the best intentions may look in the mirror and wonder, “Am I being inclusive?” We’ll talk with private equity leaders who have “made it” on what inclusive leadership looks like. Did they encounter inclusive leaders along their career, and what specific actions did those individuals take that made them so? 

Sasha Jensen, Jensen Partners

Anna Edwin, TPG

Melissa Mounce, GTCR

Caroline Young, HKW (moderator)

Talent acquisition and human capital management play an essential role as a value creation strategy for private equity investors. How has the pandemic changed the recruiting process for private equity? How do firms attract and recruit diverse talent to Associate, MBA and senior level positions? How has human capital evolved and how are talent leaders thinking about risk management?  

Latasha Akoma, GenNx360 Capital Partners

Prachi Kanabar, Sunstone Partners

Kate Eberle Walker, Presence Learning

Erica Kasperkowiak, CAC Specialty 

Kelley Powell, MacLaurin Group (moderator)

We all know that private equity investors are not the “corporate raiders” that Hollywood movies often portray.  Private equity works collaboratively and in alignment with company leaders to build enduring, growing companies.  This panel explores the relationship between the Private Equity investor, the Portfolio Company CEOs and Operating Executives. What are the best ways to ensure alignment and harmony before and during the investment?  What are the pitfalls?  

Anthony DeCandido, RSM

Erick Bronner, Palladium Equity Partners

Alisa Mall, Foresite Capital

Helee Lev, Goby (moderator)

Risk mitigation, strong governance, and robust social capital are at the forefront of investor objectives. How are managers evaluating opportunities, reviewing their portfolios and employing data-driven transparency in their ESG-focused efforts to attract investment capital? We’ll dive into what’s working and what’s not as we reflect on how ESG demands are here to stay.  

Molly Hughes, Madison Dearborn

Emily Johnson, Hellman & Friedman

Tamarah Belczyk, Audax Group

Michelle Kilkenney, Kirkland & Ellis (moderator)

With a strong economic backdrop and roaring private equity activity, we’ll discuss noteworthy trends sponsors are seeing in the leveraged finance market. We’ll hear from sponsor capital market professionals on how they think about their investment portfolios, a white hot loan market and prospects to reprice, refinance or recap, and how they’re gearing up for the rest of 2021. 

Lynn Baranski, Private Equity Partners

Gerrie Sinatra, Dechert (moderator)

Lynn Baranski, Managing Director, is the Global Head of Investments for BlackRock Private Equity Partners. How does private equity stack against other asset classes? In this fireside chat, we’ll explore how private equity behaves in the current investment landscape and where the market is headed. Lynn will share lessons she’s learned in leadership and investing throughout her career.

Heather Madland, Huron Capital

Sandra Mason, Audax Group

Cheryl Strom, The Riverside Company

Samantha Koplik, Dechert (moderator)

Roll-up strategies are one of PE’s ways of creating value— GPs can outsize their returns by buying a platform company, bolting numerous companies on to it and selling the enlarged entity. Why is this particular strategy so compelling today?  How are private equity investors tackling add acquisitions from a strategic and financial perspective? What are the greatest challenges when making add-on acquisitions? 

Olympia McNerney, Goldman Sachs

Betsy Cohen

Emily Oldshue, Ropes and Gray (moderator)

Elizabeth Orsinger, Pacific Western Bank

Joanne Chen, Foundation Capital

Beth Ferreira, FirstMark Capital

Yasmine Lacaillade, Drive Capital (moderator)

Pitchbook predicts the Bay Area will account for less than 20% of US VC deal count. Who’s making deals and where? How are established managers finding success? Will venture debt issuance continue to surge? This panel of venture capitalists will tell us what’s really going on –fundraising, partnerships, deal-flow, frustrations, opportunities and the outlook for the future. 

Susan Cates, Leeds Illuminate

Kathy Fields, JMI Equity

Breck Hancock, DST Global

Cameron Contizano, Goodwin (moderator)

Often deemed a “fair weather” strategy, and one that typically punches above its weight in a recession, growth equity celebrated record highs in the past decade. Where are we today, and where are we headed? This panel will explore how managers are valuing companies, what investors are demanding and how growth equity strategies stacks against other private equity strategies. 

Mia Hegazy, Apax Digital

Suzanne Yoon, Kinzie Capital

Jaimee Michaud, Advent International

Juia Schroeder, RSM

If fund managers did not recognize the need to digitally transform their portfolio companies, they do now. Some GPs employed digitization as a cornerstone of their firm’s strategy.  The rest are now playing catch-up.  Come listen to some of the “pros” when it comes to digitization and find out about the tricks, tactics and pitfalls when it comes to digitization of your portfolio companies. 

Allison Fiore, Tailwind Capital

Steph Scott, Questa Capital

Natasha Latif, Vistria

Lori Kalic, RSM (moderator)

Between telemedicine, home health, and pharma supply changes has healthcare fundamentally changed? Our panel of investors will explore how to navigate sourcing, pricing and financing amidst high valuations.

Kelsey Chisholm, Stax

Julia Taxin, GroTech

KC Kannoff, Mailsail Partners

Tara Gadgil, Thoma Bravo

Tia Malhotra, Golub Capital (moderator)

With record M&A activity and skyrocketing valuations, tech’s high-growth prospects and resiliency in a downturn have made it an attractive sector for equity investors. How are investors managing their current portfolio companies? Where are they looking to put capital to work and how are they navigating a competitive landscape?