DISRUPTION MATTERS | SEASON 4
Episode 1: Orchestrating change in disruptive times
In the first episode of season four, we set the scene by acknowledging the unique pressures of the moment, as well as what they have in common with the covid pandemic and how they differ. Our experts detail the best practices around 100-day response plans, which are all-hands-on-deck sprints to respond to pressures on a company’s fortunes. Sustained discipline and collaborating with customers prove to be the keys to unlocking the latent potential of a disruption. As one panellist puts it: “Never let a good crisis go to waste.”
Guests are: Jason McDannold, Americas co-leader of private equity at AlixPartners; Bert Notini, managing director and operating partner group lead at New Mountain Capital; John Sander, a principal in portfolio solutions at Lightyear Capital; Mary Rachide, a managing director with ICV Partners; and Hoyoung Pak, global co-leader, AI and data at AlixPartners
Episode 2: Cultivating growth-first leadership
In this second episode, we focus on how best to assess, manage and, where necessary, recruit leaders capable of delivering growth in the face of such macroeconomic uncertainty. We learn about the very special “PhDs” that are fit for the moment, how technology can help with such a task, and how analogue issues still matter most when it comes to leadership.
Guests are: Jason McDannold, Americas co-leader of private equity at AlixPartners; Ted Bililies, global co-leader of transformative leadership at AlixPartners; Allison Walker, head of talent for FTV Capital; Tyler Wolfram, managing partner of Oak Hill Capital Partners; Ditte Marstrand Wulf, head of leadership and culture at Triton; Hoyoung Pak, global co-leader, AI and data at AlixPartners; Andrew Weinberg, founder, CEO and co-chair of Brightstar Capital Partners; and Erik Brooks, founder and managing partner of Ethos Capital
Episode 3: Winning the digital race
In our third episode this season, we focus on how best to decide where, when and how to use AI tools to deliver growth, no matter the weather. These are groundbreaking technologies, but like any other tool, they’re only as good as the people using them. Even today, the buck still stops at the human leadership of the portfolio company and the private equity firm.
Guests are: Jason McDannold, Americas co-leader of private equity at AlixPartners; Jeremy Lehman, a director at AlixPartners; Jay Park, co-founder and managing partner of Prysm Capital; Sanjay Ravi, managing director, private equity, at Partners Group; Hoyoung Pak, global co-leader, AI and data, at AlixPartners; Lou D’Ambrosio, head of Goldman Sach’s global portfolio operations and value accelerator; and Cory Eaves, partner and head of portfolio operations at BayPine.
Episode 4: The innovation factor
In our fourth episode this season, we focus on how best to drive innovation at portfolio companies, and how to ensure such efforts deliver on their promise. That means finding the Goldilocks level of structure that measures and substantiates the process, without smothering good ideas with bureaucracy.
Guests are: Lara Nemerov, a partner with Alix Partners; Jason McDannold, Americas co-leader of private equity at AlixPartners; Hoyoung Pak, chief AI officer at AlixPartners; John Griffin, a partner with the Sterling Group; Ben Hanessian, a principal of Baird Capital’s portfolio operations.
Episode 5: Launch codes for 2026
As the year draws down, it’s time for PE firms and portcos to start charting a better path to growth in 2026. In this podcast, we look at the hard questions they need to be asking themselves around costs, working capital, benchmarks and accountability.
Guests are: Saurabh Singh, a partner with Alix Partners; Jason McDannold, Americas co-leader of private equity at AlixPartners; Hoyoung Pak, chief AI officer at AlixPartners; Bob Brown, founding partner of Motive Partners; Gunnar Overstrom, a partner with Corsair Capital.
Episode 6: Building sustainable growth engines
PE firms earn sky-high returns not just for a portfolio company’s current performance, but its potential to thrive for years after their ownership. That’s why they need to build sustainable growth engines, and in this podcast, we discuss how to generate the kind of the growth that translates into those stellar IRRs.
Guests are: Jason McDannold, Americas co-leader of private equity at AlixPartners; Emanuela Cisini, a partner and head of Middle East & Asia at Investindustrial; Halvor Horten, a partner at Bain Capital; Jennifer Fox Bensimon, a managing director on the co-investment team of Partners Capital Investment Group; Burak Kiral, a partner and managing director with AlixPartners.
DISRUPTION MATTERS | SEASON 3
Our podcast series analysing the private equity lifecycle, presented by PEI Spotlight and AlixPartners
In the third series of Disruption Matters, we discuss the potential of digital solutions to generate long-term growth for portfolio companies. We consider to what extent AI, tech and digitalisation can be regarded by PE firms as tools to propel profits.
The digital promise: Threats and opportunities
In this episode, we’ll discuss how AI is already being used “under the radar” to great results – much more than you may realize – and what is it that operating partners need to understand about technology and AI.
Guests include (top row, from left): David Bonasia, head of value creation for the Americas for Brookfield Asset Management’s PE business; Blythe Masters, founding partner of Motive Partners; Hoyoung Pak, a partner and managing director with AlixPartners; Luke Chan, a partner at HighVista Strategies; and (bottom row, from left): Michael Zeller, head, AI strategy and solutions at Temasek; Jason McDannold, a partner and managing director with AlixPartners; Catherine Brien, a partner and managing director with AlixPartners; and Ashish Chandarana, head of portfolio optimization and partner at Veritas Capital.
The future of financial engineering: Next generation due diligence
In so many ways, modern data management systems have already revolutionized how dealmakers look at balance sheets, but in this episode, we’ll be highlighting how new offerings are doing even more, and how they they’re protecting value and driving growth in the portfolio.
Guests include (top row from left) Anders Thulin, partner and head of digital & technology practice at Triton Partners; Andrew Tarver, founding partner of Motive Partners; Hoyoung Pak, a partner and managing director with AlixPartners; (bottom row from left) Jason McDannold, partner and managing director with AlixPartners; Lewis Bantin, partner at ECI; Sofia Gertsberg, managing director of quantitative investment science at HarbourVest; and Jeremy Lehman, director at AlixPartners.
Managing the middle: How today’s tech can help companies pivot
In this third episode of the third season of the Disruption Matters podcast miniseries, we explore how technology can help portfolio companies during the middle period of the investment, when they may need to pivot to take advantage of new opportunities or address changing conditions.
Guests include (top row from left) Antony Edwards, managing director at PSG Equity; Arvindh Kumar, partner and co-head of technology, private equity at EQT; (bottom row from left) Dan Boland, partner and managing director at AlixPartners; and Neil Kalvelage, senior managing director at Centerbridge.
Smart scaling: How tech supercharges today’s roll-ups
In this fourth episode, we discuss tech’s role in improving the speed, rigour and ease of roll-up strategies, where a private equity firm acquires a platform company in a fragmented industry and uses M&A to consolidate targets to create a market leader. It’s a popular strategy for the simple reason: it’s worked so well in recent years. We’ll look at what today’s cutting-edge tools, including AI, can do for roll-up strategies, and where human expertise and experience still can’t be replaced.
Guests include (from top left): David Poole, partner, executive chair of digital at Stanley Capital; Max Julian Kaye, principal at Battery Ventures; Saurabh Singh, partner at AlixPartners; Jason McDannold, partner and managing director at AlixPartners; and Hoyoung Pak, partner and managing director at AlixPartners.
People power: Optimising talent for this new era
In this fifth episode, we discuss tech’s role in recruiting, onboarding and developing talent. Along the way, we address how best to recruit Gen Z, the limits of AI in this particular arena and how tech is changing the nature of talent management as a discipline. With tech tackling so many of the rudimentary tasks around talent management, human capital professionals will be freed up to focus on the more complicated tasks around motivation, evaluation and leadership. In short, tech may make some duties simpler, but the key challenges of managing people will still need to be addressed by humans.
Guests include (L-R, from top): Ted Bililies, the global leader of transformative leadership at AlixPartners; Nicole Jones, talent director, portfolio support group at Advent International; Christopher P Trendler, managing director and head of portfolio talent at Madison Dearborn Partners; and John Sander, principal, portfolio solutions at Lightyear Capital.
The launch codes: Embarking on the next era of value creation
In the finale of the Disruption Matters podcast series’ third season, we discuss the concrete steps to building a value creation program using this era’s cutting-edge tech.
Guests include (picture above, top row, from left): Chris Satchell, managing director of tech and digital at Clayton, Dubilier and Rice; Matt Katz, global head of data science at Blackstone; Hoyoung Pak, global co-lead of the AI & Data Practice Group at AlixPartners; (bottom row, from left) Jason McDannold, Americas co-lead, Private Equity, at AlixPartners; Misha Logvinov, a managing director at MGX; Raj Kushwaha, co-head of value creation and chief digital officer at Warburg Pincus; and Tim Kiely, operating principal at BayPine.
DISRUPTION MATTERS | SEASON 2
Our podcast series analysing the private equity lifecycle, presented by PEI Spotlight and AlixPartners
In this second season of Disruption Matters, leaders from across the private equity universe analyse the private equity lifecycle, emphasising the critical interplay between technology, leadership, and communication. From the role of advanced analytics in due diligence to the importance of the first 100 days post-acquisition, PEI’s Chase Collum and Rob Kotecki explore the intricacies of dealmaking and value creation. Across episodes, an overarching theme emerges: the success of any private equity venture hinges not just on financial acumen and superior technology, but also on robust communication and having the right people in the right roles.
Closing deals in a turbulent market
In the first episode, experts delve into the changing landscape of due diligence in private equity, revealing how technology is revolutionizing decision-making and risk assessment. From using data sets to make smarter deals to evaluating cyber risks, tech plays a pivotal role. But it’s not just about the numbers; the human element, especially leadership evaluation, is key to navigating the challenges of this disruption era. Guests include Joanne Taylor, a partner and managing director with AlixPartners; John Stecher, the chief technology officer of Blackstone; Crosby Cook, a partner with EQT; and Marc Fuhrmann, a principal for real estate investments at Arrow Global.
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Setting up for success in the first 100 days
In this second episode, we focus on the importance of the first 100 days after acquisition through to the execution of a value creation plan. Experts emphasise the need to evaluate a company’s existing talent, noting that early missteps can reveal if the leadership is capable of achieving set goals. The discussion touches on common mistakes, such as poor governance structures and misaligned objectives, which can derail value creation efforts.
Guests include Burak Kiral, a partner and managing director with AlixPartners; Adam Jenkins, global head of portfolio management for Blackstone Private Equity; Amanda Good, head of value creation at Searchlight Capital; and Ellen Nyhus, CEO of Verdane’s operational expert team Elevate.
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Mastering the diplomacy of value creation
In this third episode, the focus turns to communication and leadership resilience. Guests share insights on how the pandemic led to more frequent and effective communication within portfolio companies. The conversation covers the importance of clearly defined roles, strong operating partner networks and annual meetings for leadership development, as well as the role of ESG in shaping corporate culture and attracting talent.
Guests include Ted Bililies, a partner and managing director at AlixPartners; Warren Valdmanis, a partner at Two Sigma Impact; Alan Goldfarb, founder and managing partner of Orangewood Partners; and Steven Maxwell, senior vice-president of portfolio human capital at Audax Private Equity.
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Delivering growth against the odds
In this fourth episode, we delve into the complex interplay between digital transformation and human interaction in sales and marketing. While technology can add efficiencies, the importance of the human element in customer engagement remains an issue. The conversation covers the challenges and opportunities of tactical pricing, particularly in a volatile economic environment.
Guests include Jason McDannold, partner and managing director at AlixPartners; Richard Liu, a partner in the enterprise technology and services arm of FTV Capital; Ben Russell, senior asset class manager at Partners Group; Brit Yonge, an operating partner at Corsair Capital; and Jeremy Schein, a partner and member of the buyouts investment committee at Corsair.
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Unlocking the power of stakeholder-driven exits
In this fifth and final episode of the season, we explore the complex relationships in private equity, emphasising the crucial role of clear communication among all stakeholders from general partners to employees. We discuss the alignment of long-term goals in acquisitions and address limited partners’ concerns about debt and liquidity in unstable markets. The overarching message is that success hinges not just on financial metrics or strategies, but on effective communication.
Guests include: Kyle Nelson, a partner and managing director at AlixPartners; David Tayeh, head of private equity in North America for Investcorp; Joncarlo Mark, founder of Upwelling Capital Group and a former senior portfolio manager at CalPERS; Jonathan Pressnell, a partner at Blue Point Capital Partners; and Richard de Silva, founder and managing partner of Lateral Investment Management.
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DISRUPTION MATTERS | SEASON 1
A PEI Spotlight series, sponsored by AlixPartners
Plotting a surefooted path in a disrupted world
Why disruption, why now? Disruption needs to be front of mind for everyone in the private equity industry, because we live in a disrupted world. But how can private markets participants ensure that they’re not caught unaware by market disruptions, and how can disruptors provide opportunities for value creation? We introduce the series with takeaways from a conversation with AlixPartners CEO Simon Freakley.
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Acting local, staying global
Covid-19 forced the world to rethink the way it trades as supply chains continue to be massively impacted, and now geopolitical strife is adding new operational challenges. How are the private markets adapting to the operational disruptions of the last two years? How can they ensure operational and financial resilience? An exchange of experiences and ideas with AlixPartners CEO Simon Freakley and co-lead of Americas and Asia Lisa Donahue, Blue Point Capital’s partner Chip Chaikin, Centerbridge senior managing director Brian Chu, Monomoy Capital Partners senior operating executive and head of operating team Ethan Klemperer, ZT Corporate chief investment officer and chief operations officer Sheheryar Shah and Investcorp head of private equity, North America, David Tayeh.
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Outmaneuvering cyber threats
In the world of cybersecurity, the threat landscape is constantly shifting. To keep up, regulators and private markets participants have to be agile while also thinking long-term. Ransomware, supply-chain attacks, data theft and wire fraud are just some of the threats that businesses and firms face every day. So how are these challenges being met? AlixPartners global head of cybersecurity and data privacy Beth Musumeci, Lovell Minnick operating partner Bill Neuman, and Thompson Street Capital Partners head of operations Brad Strahorn share strategies.
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Digitising with a purpose
Becoming a digital organisation is at the forefront of every manager’s mind, but every company is digital now. The rate of technological innovation and adoption is increasing exponentially and changing every aspect of our lives. At the same time, PE firms will also have to balance the ethical implications of these new technologies. So how are operators tackling this? AlixPartners CEO Simon Freakley and head of digital Narry Singh; Microsoft large cap private equity, data and AI lead Lisa Weaver-Lambert; SGT Capital managing director Joseph Pacini; and Parabellum Investments founder and CEO Rami Cassis talk shop.
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Reimagining the workforce
How has the great resignation forced a rethink on talent management in private equity? Human capital shot up as a concern consistently over the past two years. With four generations in the workforce, how are PE-backed companies appealing to the varying values of those constituencies? We close the series with thoughts from AlixPartners CEO Simon Freakley and chief talent officer Ted Bililies, Blue Wolf Capital founder, managing partner and chairman Adam Blumenthal, MidOcean Partners chief human resources officer Jim Scarfone, Orangewood Partners founder and managing partner Alan Goldfarb, Tikehau head of private equity Emmanuel Laillier, and Two Sigma Impact partner Warren Valdmanis.
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Planning for the unknown
If today’s uncertainty is the new normal, how should we budget and plan for it? Betting on a doomsday hardly seems any more effective than assuming the skies will suddenly clear (and inflation will vanish). We close this series with insight from Lisa Donahue, co-head of Americas and Asia at AlixPartners, Gabe Mesanza, a partner in Huron Capital’s Resource Group, and Joshua Cherry-Seto, partner and CFO of Start-Up Health.
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