AVCJ Private Equity Forum Australia & New Zealand 2024
Four Seasons Hotel, Sydney and Online
07
Mar
Portfolio management: Adapting to a new reality
Rising interest rates, inflation, higher borrowing costs, and reduced consumer spending – these appear to be the defining forces in an increasingly challenging post-pandemic return to reality. For private equity, it means greater portfolio volatility and extended holding periods. Addressing these operational risks requires sector expertise, well-executed value creation plans, and the ability to work with management while making tough decisions around costs and capex. Our expert panellists discuss how to generate alpha amidst adversity.
- What represents the biggest macro challenge to portfolio management?
- How are GPs thinking about cost controls and debt burdens?
- What represents best-in-class in terms of internal operational capabilities?
- To what extent is technology a panacea in value creation?
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SpeakersVincent Wong Partner TPG CAPITAL
Georgina Varley Managing Director ADAMANTEM CAPITAL
Michael Blickstead Head of Australia / New Zealand Private Equity BLACKSTONE
Nick Speer Partner and Head of Australia & New Zealand AFFINITY EQUITY PARTNERS
Geoff Hutchinson Managing Director, Head of Private Equity, Australia & New Zealand CARLYLE
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Vincent Wong is a Partner with TPG, based in Melbourne. He is focused on healthcare and consumer investments for TPG Capital Asia in Australia. Vincent currently has responsibilities for TPG’s investments in Invocare, iNova, Funlab, Greencross, and Novotech, and previously for exited investments including Inghams and Healthscope. He is currently on the board of Invocare, iNova, Funlab and Novotech, and a member of the TPG Capital Asia Investment Committee.
Prior to joining TPG in 2011, Vincent served in the Investment Banking Division at Goldman Sachs & Co. Vincent graduated from The University of Melbourne with BCommerce and BLaws (Honors).
Georgina Varley is a Managing Director at Adamantem Capital. Prior to joining Adamantem Capital, Georgina worked in private equity as an Investment Director at Archer Capital (2017-2018) and an Investment Director at Arowana International (2013-2016). She also worked at Macquarie Group (Sydney and London) from 2006-2013 in investment banking and principal investment. Georgina sits on the board of Retail Zoo and is Chair of Climate Friendly.
Georgina holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from the University of Sydney.
Michael Blickstead is a Senior Managing Director in the Private Equity Group based in Sydney and Head of Australia / New Zealand Private Equity.
Before joining Blackstone, Mr. Blickstead was a Division Director / Managing Director and Head of Principal Finance Asia Pacific for Macquarie Group where he invested across the capital structure. Prior to that, he was an Investment Director at Archer Capital, one of Australia’s leading domestic private equity firms. Mr. Blickstead started his career in the Private Equity Group at Goldman Sachs in New York and London.
Mr. Blickstead received a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude in Economics, from Harvard University as well as an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Nick Speer is a Partner and Head of Australia & New Zealand at Affinity Equity Partners, responsible for the Firm’s activities in Australasia. With over 20 years of finance experience, of which 18 have been in Private Equity, Mr Speer has a successful track record investing through cycles and across a range of sectors, including healthcare, consumer, software and business services.
Prior to the Affinity, he was a Managing Partner at The Riverside Company, a global private equity firm, where he was instrumental in building the platform in Australia and New Zealand. Prior to his 9 years at Riverside, he was an Executive Director at Australia-based private equity firm Catalyst Investment Managers between 2005 and 2014.
Mr Speer holds a Program for Leadership Development degree from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Commerce (Honors in Finance) from The University of Melbourne.
Geoff Hutchinson is a Managing Director & Partner and the Head of Private Equity for Australia and New Zealand at Carlyle. Based in Sydney, Mr. Hutchinson joined Carlyle in 2023 and is responsible for leading the investment advisory team and overseeing investments across the firm’s priority sectors in consumer, healthcare, technology and financial services across Australia and New Zealand.
Mr. Hutchinson has over 15 years of private equity industry experience and brings with him deep expertise in dealmaking and value creation for portfolio companies. He joined Carlyle from Morrison & Co, where he was Co-Head for Australia and New Zealand. Prior to that, he was Managing Director at Pacific Equity Partners where he led and executed multiple market-leading private equity deals across the consumer, healthcare, education and business services sectors.
Mr. Hutchinson has significant experience serving on both private and public company boards. He also previously worked at Bain & Company in Sydney, London and Johannesburg for 10 years, where he advised companies spanning the FMCG, retail, industrials and telecommunications sectors on business and operational strategies.
He holds a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Melbourne, and an MBA from INSEAD.