Agenda
Anjana Haines, Editor, Real Deals
Cindy Yendell, Senior Partner, Culture Practice, ZRG Partners
- 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?
Moderator: Timothy Spillane, Operating Partner, Three Hills
Speakers:
Lorenzo Levi, Managing Director and Operating Partner, CDPQ
Leszek Muzyczyszyn, Senior Partner, Innova Capital
Cilian Jansen Verplanke, Partner, Head of Investor Relations, Karmijn Kapitaal
Grayden Reece-Smith, Investment Principal, Aurelius Investment Advisory
- 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
Moderator: Walid Fakhry, Co-Managing Partner, Soho Square Capital
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?
Moderator: James Markham, Senior Partner, Graphite Capital
Speakers:
Laura Atterwill, Managing Director, Synova
Owen Cartier, Partner, Value Creation, Searchlight Capital
Vignesh Kumaravel, Investment Director, Keyhaven Capital Partners
Paul Phillips, General Manager - Interim Solutions, ZRG 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: |
Interviewee: Mark Vorbach, Founder, Managing Partner and CEO, Eldin Risk Partners
Interviewer: Anjana Haines, Editor of Real Deals
- 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.
Moderator: Mustafa Khanbhai, VCP Director, Commercial, LDC
Speakers:
Laurits Bach Sørensen, Senior Partner and Co-Founder, Nordic Alpha Partners
Stephanie Caspar, Partner and Head of Portfolio and Via Summa, Summa Equity
Alex Thomson, Partner, Growth Capital Partners
Pratik Chandaria, Partner, VALPEO
Anjana Haines, Editor, Real Deals