Agenda
Anjana Haines, Editor, Real Deals
- What global policy shifts and political disruptions in 2025 had the biggest operational impact on PE-backed companies, and how are firms adapting?
- How can PE firms embed agility into their value creation strategies to quickly adapt to tariff shocks and sudden regulatory changes?
- How do GPs communicate proactively with LPs to maintain confidence during political and economic upheaval?
- What geopolitical and economic scenarios are on the horizon in 2026 and how can portfolio companies prepare to protect value and seize opportunity?
Speakers:
Tristan Nagler, Partner and Head, Aurelius Investment Advisory
Lorenzo Levi, Managing Director and Operating Partner, CDPQ
Leszek Muzyczyszyn, Senior Partner, Innova Capital
Cilian Jansen Verplanke, Partner, Head of Investor Relations, Karmijn Kapitaal
- Why are critical risks like cybersecurity and compliance being uncovered too late in the deal cycle?
- What does real cyber resilience look like in midmarket companies beyond annual audits and outsourced IT?
- Why value erosion from security failures often stems from weak operational alignment, not just technical gaps
- How PE firms are shifting from checklist-style reviews to internal stress testing and scenario-based risk modeling
Speakers:
Richard Sanders, Managing Partner, Sullivan Street Partners
Federico Charosky, Founder & CEO, Quorum Cyber
Participants will be divided into groups. After launching a series of live polls with results displayed in real time, groups will analyse live poll results, explore their implications for value creation in PE and share their insights.
- What are the most practical ways to quantify culture during due diligence and why is it critical to value protection?
- What red flags are most often missed in traditional talent due diligence and how do they erode value post-deal?
- What are the most effective early post-close interventions to activate talent and culture?
- Which leadership profiles and C-suite archetypes consistently drive value creation in volatile market conditions?
Speakers:
Laura Atterwill, Managing Director, Synova
Owen Cartier, Partner, Value Creation, Searchlight Capital
Vignesh Kumaravel, Investment Director, Keyhaven Capital Partners
Stream A: Who really drives the value? Rethinking operating models in PE Speakers: | Stream B: Organising for AI: how PE firms are structuring their response to the AI opportunity / threat Speakers: |
Stream A: Strategic exits in the age of uncertainty Speakers: | Stream B: What LPs value most in Private Equity today? Speakers: |
- Real talk on leadership fatigue, decision paralysis and emotional complexity in today’s high-stakes environment.
- How do great leaders build trust, alignment and followership in this high-change environment?
- Why is leadership in value creation now about adaptability and trust, not just command and control?
- Honest lessons from operators and GPs about what it really takes to lead through disruption and deliver results under pressure.
Speakers:
Laurits Bach Sørensen, Senior Partner and Co-Founder, Nordic Alpha Partners
Stephanie Caspar, Partner and Head of Portfolio and Via Summa, Summa Equity
Mustafa Khanbhai, VCP Director, Commercial, LDC
Alex Thomson, Partner, Growth Capital Partners
- Beyond growth targets, what are the hidden blockers to unlocking real portfolio value?
- How do CEOs balance long-term value creation with today’s relentless pressure for quick wins?
- What are CEOs doing to build teams and cultures that don’t just survive disruption but thrive in it?
Anjana Haines, Editor, Real Deals