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AVCJ Private Equity Forum Australia & New Zealand 2026

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Highlights from 2025

The 2025 AVCJ Private Equity Forum Australia & New Zealand brought together over 700 senior professionals, including more than 300 LPs, for two days of sharp insight, candid debate and high-value networking. With 50 expert speakers and a strong international presence, the Forum tackled co-investment structures, private credit deployment and emerging market strategies shaping capital flows across the region.

Watch the highlights to see why this event continues to be the essential meeting point for the private equity community and why 2026 belongs in your calendar.

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The big issue: The future is evergreen?

The session explored the rise of evergreen strategies in private markets, offering lower minimums and greater liquidity for private wealth investors.

 

Evergreen Funds: The ETF Moment for Private Markets

Marcus Ekloff compares the rise of evergreen funds to the early days of ETFs, highlighting their potential to solve structural issues in private wealth investment.

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    Markus Egloff Managing Director and Head of Global Wealth Solutions – International, KKR
 

Commitment Is Key in Australia’s Wealth Market

The conversation shifts to the unique aspects of the Australian market, emphasizing the need for GPs to understand local dynamics to successfully raise assets.

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    John Valtwies Principal, Head of Wealth Australia, BLUE OWL CAPITAL
 

Educating Investors: Bringing Clarity to Private Market Strategies

Alex Ovchar highlighted the need for investor education in private markets, starting with a broad understanding of structures like private equity and venture capital. 

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    Alex Ovchar Managing Director, Pacific Equity Partners

Value creation on steroids: Rewriting the playbook

Our leading panelists highlighted AI’s growing role in boosting efficiency and revenue, alongside the need for strong management and transparent communication.

 

VCP Is the New DPI: Redefining Value Creation in Private Equity

Mark Chudek stressed that value creation plans are central to the investment process, starting up to a year before acquisition. This proactive approach ensures clarity on objectives and stakeholders, enabling thorough preparation and effective execution of value creation strategies.

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    Mark Chudek Partner, AFFINITY EQUITY PARTNERS
 

Rethinking Value Creation for the Long Hold

Georgina Varley shares valuable lessons learned about resilience and management capabilities that are now critical in evaluating investments.

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    Georgina Varley Managing Director, ADAMANTEM CAPITAL

LP spotlight: The next chapter

The LP panel discussed managing large client assets, focusing on private equity and co-investments. Key themes included strong manager relationships, transparency, liquidity challenges, and diversification.

 

How Aware Super Targets the Next Big Winners

Tom from Aware Super outlined their private equity approach, prioritizing risk-adjusted returns and strong manager selection. He noted challenges in identifying out-performers and highlighted co-investments as a key strategy, emphasizing the importance of strategic partnerships for achieving long-term investment success.

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    Tom Macfadyen Portfolio Manager, AWARE SUPER
 

Managing Concentration and Impact in Co-Investments

Marina and other panellists discussed managing concentration limits in co-investments, stressing the importance of maintaining thresholds for portfolio balance and meaningful exposure.

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    Marina Pasika Head of Growth Alternatives, REST
 

Why Fund Lifecycles Matter

Liquidity remains a key discipline in investment management, encouraging timely portfolio decisions and preventing indefinite asset holding.

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    James Lilico Senior Portfolio Manager, AUSTRALIAN RETIREMENT TRUST
 

Building Partnerships Through Co-Investments

David outlined a structured co-investment strategy prioritizing diversification and strong manager relationships.

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    David Bluff Managing Director, Real Assets, FUTURE FUND