Geopolitical tensions and a potential recession sometimes cloud the micro picture. In private markets, massive inflows of capital and large amounts of unused dry powder have helped fuel record valuations. Against this background, GPs need to move carefully, strike opportunistically and create strong private equity leaders — both LPs and GPs — discuss the current state of the market and the strategies that will win.

 

• How geopolitics is impacting the investment landscape

• What regions and countries are ripe for investment?

• How do you address LP duration concerns?

• What are the key macroeconomic and geopolitical risks impacting investor sentiment?

• What are the leading investment themes over the next 12 months?

• How can private equity take advantage of the current market turbulence?

• Where does Canada fit into a North American and world strategy?

• What trends are evolving within the LP-GP relationship?

 

Global private credit AUM reached a record high of US$769B in June of 2018. And, while the APAC market is still small, it has been growing rapidly with US$4.7B raised annually on average for the past ten years. Despite the adverse economic impact of the US-China trade dispute, Asian economies still continue to grow faster than developed markets creating opportunities for investment. In this session, experienced market participants offer their views on the state of the Asian credit market and where those opportunities for investing are.

 

Discover:
• What strategies is the money going into? And, where is it coming from? How does it compare on a global basis?
• What are the challenges for investing with Asian based managers, such as rule of law, enforcement, currency and how are Asian credit managers addressing these issues?
• Why an economic downturn will create opportunities for higher returns. In what strategies?
• Why the perceived risks of investing in some strategies are higher than the actual risks resulting in excellent returns.
• Understand why the leading Canadian public and corporate pension plans are actively looking to grow their Asian private credit allocations.

 

Moderator:

 

Speakers:

According to the World Economic Forum, Canada is second in the world in getting new companies off the ground. There are more than a million small and medium-sized businesses in the country today, driving more than half of our GDP. And while we may be great at kick-starting new businesses, we’re not nearly as good as growing them. In this session, discover how Canadian entrepreneurs can now gain access to capital -- in various ways.  As well, learn about the Canadian Business Growth Fund, which will increase the ability to grow small and medium-sized Canadian businesses. These businesses often experience a shortage of capital to scale-up their operations. In this fascinating discussion, hear about the various ways in which Canadian entrepreneurs can access capital -- and how the Fund, with its unique national mandate to provide long-term minority capital, will mightily stimulate Canadian mid-market business.

 

Moderator:

Speakers:

The last two years have been banner ones for infrastructure funds. It all started with New York-based investment firm Global Infrastructure Partners setting a record when it secured a $15.8 billion (U.S.) in capital commitments for its fund in 2017. Since then, the competition has put pressure on the returns that can be earned through typical infrastructure building, while encouraging experienced players to move up the risk spectrum or specialize in unique holdings.

 

• All the new developments in infrastructure investment

• Why infrastructure debt is so attractive to pension funds in 2020

• How some investors are getting more creative with infrastructure

• How other funds have pushed the boundaries of infrastructure

• Just where is infrastructure investment going?

 

Moderator:

Jessica Kennedy, Director, Northleaf Capital Partners
 

Speakers:

Pierre Lavallee, President & Chief Executive Officer, The Infrastructure Bank of Canada

Secondary buyouts have climbed globally in number and volume, reaching the highest levels in more than a decade, according to alternative-assets data provider Preqin. The secondary market has become a seller’s market in recent years, as investors have been able to sell assets at par or sometimes for more than they are worth, data from secondaries market provider Palico shows. Although recycling assets within the buyout industry pay off for the private equity firm cashing out, the CIOs of pension funds would rather avoid it.

 

• What are the latest trends in secondaries — globally and in North America?

• Can secondaries help unlock capital stuck in funds raised during the EM boom years around the 2008 global financial crisis?

• How has secondary deal activity evolved as the market has matured?

• What kinds of secondary investments should be avoided?

• How is the market perception of GP-led restructurings and direct secondaries evolving?

 

Moderator:

 

Speakers:

Konnin Tam, Managing Director, Co-Head, Secondaries and Liquidity Solutions, Private Equity Partners, Blackrock Alternative Investors

• The relationship between private equity and private debt

• How to take advantage of private financing

• Which countries offer the most opportunities

• And how to innovate in markets segments considered more traditional

 

Speaker: Robert Hetu, Head, U.S. Private Debt, CDPQ
 

In this exclusive session amongst private equity fund managers, learn their thoughts and ideas regarding the "hot" and developing co-investment market:  

Discover:

- How managers are allocating co-investment opportunities;

- The economic and other terms on which co-investments are being offered; and

- The changing relationship between co-investment documentation and fund terms.  

 

LPs struggle with different concerns than GPs — and one of those is constructing a private equity portfolio in a costly investment environment. Hear the concerns of leading LPs — and how they are constructing their portfolios successfully, including:

 

• Is it still critical that private equity be part of a major institution’s portfolio? Why or why not?

• What principles guide the thinking of major limited partners?

• When is it sensible to co-invest with a GP and when to go it alone?

• As an LP, how do you respond to other LPs demanding special treatment?

• Recent trends have demonstrated that increasingly longer investments are needed to maximize value. What is the ideal way to address this new time paradigm for deals?

• Do evergreen funds make sense?

 

The renewable energy industry, estimated to be worth more than $300 billion (US) annually, is becoming a magnet as governments tighten carbon-emissions regulations and as the fossil fuel industry is in the fourth year of a downturn that has caused a major shakeout of investors in both private and public markets. There are, however, significant opportunities for investors — all because of the difference between today’s clean tech world and the one that existed 10 years ago.

 

• How clean energy now has the ability to generate real returns

• How can investors identify the technologies to get an advantage?

• Where are today’s biggest breakthroughs in technology?

• Taking advantage of the investment opportunities

• How do these breakthroughs mesh with pension plan and private equity funds?

 

Moderator:

Speaker:

A Special Fireside Chat session with:

The Private Equity Summit Awards will honor the individual's firms who established exemplary achievement in personal and organizational development, client service, and success in private equity in a night of celebration on November 20, 2019. Judging will be based on the comprehensive completion of the nomination form and the uniqueness of the information based on other submissions.  These are awards that are recognized by industry peers. If you believe you know of an individual or firm that would be a suitable nomination to receive an award at the 2019 Private Equity Summit, please submit your nomination and enter for the chance to not only win an award but also showcase their achievements on the night of November 20, 2019.