24th ANNUAL CHICAGO BOOTH PRIVATE EQUITY CONFERENCE
Friday, February 28th, 2025 | Marriott Magnificent Mile, 540 N. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60611
AGENDA
7:30 am – 8:30 am: Registration & Breakfast
8:30 am – 8:45 am: Opening Remarks
8:45 am – 9:40 am: Opening Keynote SpeakerÂ
- Adarsh Sarma, MBA ’01, Partner & Founder, A3/C Partners
9:50 am – 10:40 am: Concurrent Panel Sessions
- Fund Strategy & Differentiation (Sponsored by Willkie Farr & Gallagher)
- Join industry leaders as they delve into the strategies private equity firms use to stand out in a competitive market. This panel will explore key topics such as fund differentiation, investment thesis development, proprietary deal sourcing, and the balance between broad and niche investment approaches.
- Evaluating Opportunities & Executing Investments (Sponsored by Ropes & Gray)
- This panel will focus on the critical processes behind identifying, evaluating, and executing successful private equity investments. Experts will share insights on building a proprietary deal pipeline, refining investment theses, conducting thorough due diligence, and structuring deals with optimal leverage and capital strategies.
10:50 am – 11:30 am: Book Talk Keynote
- Private Capital: The Complete Guide to Private Markets Investing with Stefan Hepp, MBA ’90, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship
11:30 am – 12:30 pm: LunchÂ
12:30 pm – 1:25 pm: Lunch Keynote Speaker
- Andrea Auerbach, Global Head of Private Investments, Cambridge Associates
1:35 pm – 2:25 pm: Concurrent Panel Sessions
- Private Capital: Alternatives to Buyout (Sponsored by Freshfields)
- This panel will explore the diverse range of private capital options beyond traditional equity investments. Industry experts will discuss opportunities in private credit, distressed investing, special situations, and secondaries, while addressing the impact of the current interest rate environment and innovative capital solutions.
- PE Operations & Asset Ownership (Sponsored by McDermott Will & Emery)
- This panel will examine how private equity firms maximize value during the ownership period of their portfolio companies. Topics will include optimizing operations, value creation strategies, working with lenders, talent management, governance, and executing add-on acquisitions.
2:35 pm – 3:25 pm: Concurrent Panel Sessions
- Current Topics in Private Equity (Sponsored by Kirkland & Ellis)
- This panel will address the most pressing topics shaping the private equity landscape today. Discussion points will include fundraising trends, shifting valuations, popular sectors, deal structures, the role of artificial intelligence, sustainability initiatives, and evolving recruitment strategies.
- Sale Process Preparation & Asset Exit (Sponsored by Latham & Watkins)
- This panel will focus on best practices for successfully exiting private equity investments. Experts will cover key topics such as timing, preparing assets for sale, building a targeted buyer universe, and strategies for maximizing exit valuations for both performing and underperforming assets.
3:35 pm – 4:30 pm: Closing Keynote Speaker
- Tony Davis, MBA ’98, Cofounder & President, Linden Capital Partners
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm: Networking Session
- Sponsored by McDermott Will & Emery