09
Oct
Private capital spotlight: All about execution
Investors are busy actively looking to find homes for capital and despite pockets of activity, many managers have struggled to build conviction in opportunities in the shadow of geopolitical uncertainty, financing costs and valuation disagreements. There is a view that deal activity will pick up in the second half of 2025 as deployment pressure increases and future fundraising plans come to life. GPs must adapt by revising deal origination tactics, ensuring transactions are structured for resilience with value creation plans in place from day one to exit. In this session, a group of experienced private market GPs will discuss the current situation.
- How are investors navigating the current disconnect between optimistic buyers and cautious sellers?
- What are the best practices for executing take-private deals in today’s environment, considering listed market valuations and complexities of company boards?
- Which sectors are GPs backing to outperform amidst regulation and trade wars?
- To what extent are private equity and infrastructure viewed as a blended opportunity set? How does this perspective influence M&A activity in areas such as the energy transition and digitalisation?
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SpeakersJames Cowper Director Principle Advisory Services
Michael Blickstead Head of Australia / New Zealand Private Equity Blackstone
Mark Chudek Partner and Head of Australia/NZ Affinity Equity Partners
Beau Dixon Partner / Managing Director and Head of Australia / New Zealand Advent
Scott McKnight Director Pacific Equity Partners
Vincent Wong Partner & Co-Head of Healthcare TPG Asia
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James is a Director at Principle Advisory Services, a leading Australian investment management advisory and distribution firm.
James covers the Australasian institutional and wholesale investor market and specialises in private markets investments including private equity/venture capital, unlisted infrastructure, real estate, and alternative credit strategies. James has over 17 years’ fundraising and product design experience in the Australasian market.
James was named one of PEI’s 40 under 40: Future Leaders of Private Equity in 2020.
James holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Sydney as well as a Master of Commerce from the same university, majoring in Finance and Commercial Law. James is a CFA Charterholder and is a former Director and Treasurer of the CFA Society 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.
Mark Chudek is a Partner of Affinity Equity Partners and Head of its Australian and New Zealand investment team.
Mark is a member of Affinity’s investment committee and first joined Affinity in 2013. Prior to rejoining Affinity in 2023, Mark spent 2 years at Quadrant Private Equity within Quadrant’s flagship buyout fund between 2021 and 2023.
Before Mark’s private equity career commenced in 2013, he spent 3 years at Credit Suisse within their investment banking team in Sydney.
Mark’s private equity career spans 7 completed platform investments, serving on 14 investee company boards, completing 20 financings across his portfolio of investee companies and exiting 4 platform investments.
Beau Dixon joined Advent in 2024 and is a Partner / Managing Director and Head of Australia / New Zealand, leading our Sydney office. He advises on investments in the business & financial services (BFS) and healthcare sectors. Beau has advised on 14 investments during his career across the BFS, consumer, healthcare, industrial, and technology sectors.
Prior to joining Advent, Beau was a Managing Partner and member of the investment committee at Anchorage Capital Partners.
Beau received a Bachelor of Business from the University of Technology, Sydney. He also completed the General Management Program, Executive Development Program, and Global Strategic Leadership Program at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Scott is a Director at Pacific Equity Partners, a leading Australian private markets fund manager with approximately $16 billion in assets under management. Scott is a member of the private equity team and joined the firm in 2015.
Prior to joining PEP, Scott began his career in investment banking with Goldman Sachs in New Zealand. Scott received a Master of Business with distinction and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Otago and is a CFA charterholder.
Vincent Wong is a Partner with TPG and Co-Head of Healthcare for TPG Capital Asia, based in Melbourne. In addition to healthcare, Vincent also focuses on 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.
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).