CFO/COO Summit | PrivateEquityWire

Private Equity Wire’s 2021 Global COO Summit is a two-day event during which leading practitioners will debate some of the most salient issues facing CFOs and COOs in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

A roster of industry experts, spanning PE firms of all sizes, will share their views on how they are implementing new processes to streamline their operating models, how they are embracing new technologies to bring efficiencies across the business, from due diligence to reporting and risk management, and how they are managing their people, in today’s hybrid home/office work environment.

This event will be targeted at CFOs, COOs and institutional allocators actively building their PE investment programmes, looking to be better understand how GPs are advancing the PE operating model.

How is the ODD process evolving in line with technology innovation?
What new tactics are COOs deploying to improve ODD?
Implementing best practices in response to rising LP expectations
What improvements have PE firms achieved in how they approach ODD, and what are the limitations to doing things virtually?
What processes are COOs introducing to strengthen the efficacy of pre-deal due diligence?
What sort of operational pain points is virtual ODD helping to overcome?
How do you see the ODD approach changing this decade – will there be a more tech-oriented approach?

How are COOs approaching new technologies like AI tools – and is there a leadership/generation gap within the PE space that needs to be overcome?
Using technology and Big Data to improve cash flow analysis and performance monitoring
What potential do COOs see in new technology tools to improve compliance and data security in their own firms, and in their underlying portfolio companies?
What are the top line questions a COO should be asking when looking at an outsourced technology arrangement?
How far are COOs embracing workflow digitization – are some areas of the operating model more fertile than others?
And what are the risks to focus on in respect to third party vendors?

Implementing ESG policies – do you have one, and what did you need to consider?
How do you ensure staff members are well versed and understand the policy?
What systems/operational changes have you needed to introduce to improve the ESG credentials of your funds?
What approaches are COOs taking to putting the right KPIs in place for different companies spanning different sectors/industries – and how are they are measuring these KPIs to monitor company performance?
What Diversity & Inclusion programmes are COOs using and how can they measure their progress relative to their peers, on this issue?
To what extent is ESG and the culture of ‘inclusivity’ being championed by the senior management team – and what should today’s COO be focusing on to affect change?

How have CFOs mitigated the short-term liquidity shocks experienced by individual companies over the past 12 months?
What different financing solutions have been considered (i.e. CBILS)?
What new tools or financial metrics/KPIs have CFOs needed to apply to adjust to this environment?
How have CFOs supported the finance teams of their portfolio companies, in terms and provided leadership and guidance?
What has the biggest challenge been for CFOs over the last 12 months – what key lessons have been learned (if any)? And what has been the biggest surprise (positive)?

Launched in 2007, Private Equity Wire has evolved organically to become one of the industry’s leading voices on key trends and developments shaping the industry.

At a time when LPs need more insight than ever on how and why they should allocate to PE funds, PE Wire has the skillset and toolset to develop authoritative content for clients that cuts through the noise.

With our consultant-driven approach, and commitment to the highest editorial standards, our mission statement is simple: to deliver actionable insights that clients can measure.

Our last event received 550+ registrations, and saw 280+ qualified GPs in attendance.