30
Apr
The increasing importance of value creation and portfolio management
As the pace of exits continues to be impacted and interest rates and cost of capital remain high, private equity firms have seen longer holding periods as well as increased competition for attractive targets. This in turn has meant that operating partners are now ramping up their efforts on strategic and portfolio company operational improvements as a key driver of returns. Our panel of experts will discuss how to best approach value creation and portfolio management in today’s rapidly changing market.
- Macro view: whilst alpha-generating avenues remain challenging to access, how are GPs rewriting their value creation playbooks?
- How are PE firms and their portfolio companies maximizing efficiencies through technology investments, such as machine learning and AI capabilities, and is AI disrupting portfolio companies in any way?
- From supply-chain management to human capital- what value creation levers are operating partners focusing on as we head into 2024?
- Are LPs becoming more focused on their managers’ operational capabilities?
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SpeakersJuan Benegas Lynch Operating Partner STRATEGIC VALUE PARTNERS
John Sander Principal, Portfolio Solutions LIGHTYEAR CAPITAL
Zach Scheublein Managing Director – Private Equity Cyber Insurance Solutions Leader AON
Chris Westington Director of Portfolio Management and Value Creation BCI
Cristiano Dalla Bona US Equity Markets Senior Reporter MERGERMARKET
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Mr. Benegas Lynch is an Operating Partner at Strategic Value Partners.
Prior to joining SVP, Mr. Benegas Lynch was a senior executive at Ansell, where he held leadership roles across P&L ownership, M&A, corporate strategy and commercial strategy. Before Ansell, Mr. Benegas Lynch was an Operating Partner at private equity firm Protostar Partners. Earlier in his career, he was an Associate at McKinsey & Company and a Financial Analyst at Aluar Aluminio Argentino.
Mr. Benegas Lynch holds a BS in Industrial Engineering from Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
John Sander is a Principal at Lightyear Capital joining in 2022. Previously, John was with McKinsey & Company and the operating arm of Vista Equity Partners. Mr. Sander holds a B.A. in Computer Science from Pomona College and was a Fulbright Scholar in Machine Learning in Germany. He received his M.B.A. from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Firm Biography: Lightyear Capital is a specialist private equity firm that partners with growth companies at the nexus of financial services and technology, healthcare, and business services. For over 20 years, Lightyear has worked closely with management and leveraged its industry expertise, operating resources, and network of advisors to accelerate growth and build market leading businesses. As of December 31, 2021, the firm had assets under management of $4.9 billion.
Zach is a Managing Director and Private Equity Cyber Insurance Solutions Team Leader for Aon’s Cyber Solutions E&O/Cyber Broking team. Zach is responsible for providing client advisory, coverage analysis, risk assessment and insurance placement advice with focus on Cyber, Technology, Media, and Professional Liability exposures.
His team works with Private Equity firms to build Cross-Portfolio E&O/Cyber Programs. Zach has over 15 years’ experience as a broker in the Professional Liability & Cyber Insurance space. During this time, Zach has held various positions with insurance brokers in New York. Prior to joining Aon, Zach most recently was an equity partner at Privacy Professionals LLC, specializing in cyber insurance placements, advisory and privacy risk management services. Prior to Privacy Professionals, Zach worked at Crystal & Company in New York, where he specialized in Professional Liability and Cyber Liability risks. Zach is a licensed Property & Casualty Broker. Zach is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) via the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). Zach is a member of the Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS). Zach holds a BS in Business/Economics from Randolph-Macon College.
Chris Westington joined BCI in 2022 and is based in New York City. He leads the value creation program for the private equity asset class. BCI’s value creation strategy focuses on alpha generation across our private equity portfolio by partnering with management teams to scale profitable growth and drive performance improvement opportunities. With $233.0 billion in gross assets under management as of March 31, 2023, BCI is one of the largest institutional investors in Canada.
Prior to joining BCI, Chris was Vice President of Strategic Finance at Rent The Runway, an industry leading unicorn start-up. During his time at Rent The Runway, Chris oversaw numerous strategic commercial and operational initiatives, which positioned the business for a successful initial public offering (IPO) in 2021. Additionally, Chris was an active leader for the IPO roadshow and S-1 efforts and, subsequently, managed public markets processes, including guidance for developing investor and analyst education.
Prior to joining Rent The Runway, Chris led finance and strategy at Jet.com, an e-commerce start-up, which was acquired by Walmart in 2016 for $3.3 billion. Chris subsequently worked at Walmart across several key roles overseeing e-commerce and omnichannel strategy. Prior to Jet.com, Chris spent 10 years in mergers & acquisitions (M&A) transaction services. Chris brings over 17 years of strategy and operating expertise across rapid scale and established public companies.
Chris graduated from The College of New Jersey with a bachelor of arts in accounting and held a CPA designation, currently inactive, in the state of New Jersey.