Tuesday 24th October, 2023 | Convene Bishopsgate, London

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The European ESG Summit is a one-day retreat focusing on emerging opportunities and best practice in ESG for operations, finance, legal, product and back-office leaders across private equity, venture capital and wider private markets funds.

• Be a closed and invite-only gathering, this means no media and a curated audience of genuine peers
• Bring together senior staff from across the GP leadership suite to discuss shared experience, problems and solutions of business leaders from across the executive suite
• Focus on current ESG trends, emerging themes and the likely innovations and disruptors in the next five years

Private Equity Wire’s event will:

All Private Equity Wire Summits operate under Chatham House Rule. This means that attendees are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed. Recording of the panels and roundtables is strictly prohibited.

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AGENDA

ARRIVAL AND REGISTRATION

WELCOME ADDRESS

• Aftab Bose, Senior Research Analyst, Private Equity Wire

• What continues to make ESG a compelling value proposition? Are there any moderating factors?
• Are LPs growing more demanding when it comes to ESG integration – both in terms of transparency and performance?
• What are some of the key stumbling blocks when it comes to measuring and demonstrating the value of ESG?
• What are the most effective tools available to support the quantification of ESG?
• How should GPs and LPs select their third-party partners? What are the key services they should be aware of?

Under scrutiny: Realising, measuring and reporting on the value of ESG

PANEL 1

Speakers:

• Beth Meyer, Chief Legal Officer and Head of VC, Novata (moderator)
• Claire Hedley, ESG Director, 17Capital
• Omiros Sarikas, Managing Partner (CEO), Brookstreet Equity Partners
• Jovana Stopic, ESG Director, IK Partners

The art of communication: What are the key messages LPs are getting from their GPs regarding ESG?

Fireside chat

• Are LPs being clear in their expectations?
• Do GPs and LPs disagree on ESG frameworks to adopt and integrate? How do they manage this friction?
• What can both parties learn from one another?

Speakers:

• Emma Fox, Senior Associate, Investor relations, HarbourVest
• Andrea Siaw, Responsible Investment Specialist at Hg

• According to the SFDR classifications, within Article 8 funds ESG can be reduced to a footnote while Article 9 funds can be highly restrictive. What are potential solutions for managers who want something in between?
• Does current regulation sacrifice the ‘S’ and the ‘G’ for the sake of an overemphasised focus on the ‘E’?
• Can regulation solve the issue of diverging definitions? What role can reporting play in this?
• Does regulation help or hinder the efforts to reduce greenwashing? Are there marked regional differences?

Striving for the middle ground: ESG regulation is often criticised for either being too lax or too stringent. How are managers handling the absence of a happy medium?

PANEL 2

Speakers:

• Rhys Davies, Partner, Kirkland & Ellis (moderator)
• Laura Callaghan, Associate Director, ESG Services, Novata
• Sabine Chalopin, Head of ESG, Sustainable Infrastructure, Denham Capital
• Peter Hirsch, Head of Sustainability, 2150

NETWORKING BREAK

Coffee break and a chance to meet our experts

• What elements of an ESG programme are most costly and what can be done to mitigate this?
• How are GPs handling the cost burden of integrating ESG? Who is currently bearing this cost?
• Could cost saving diminish the effectiveness of an ESG programme?
• What practical tips can GPs use to ensure the cost of their ESG efforts do not outweigh the benefits?
• How can portfolio companies be persuaded to adopt ESG practices when they're not under regulatory obligations?

ROUNDTABLE ROUND 1

Roundtable A: Is it worth it? Questioning the cost of integrating and applying ESG

Roundtables take place as repeated parallel sessions.

Speakers:

• Ana Alvarez Grullon, ESG and Sustainability Director, Keensight Capital
• Simona Stiliyanova, ESG & Marketing Director, BlackPeak Capital
• Gereon Wellmann, ESG Specialist, FSN Capital

Roundtable B: The E in ESG: Understanding decarbonisation, net zero and value creation

• How does environmental sustainability tie into cost efficiency at the portfolio level?
• Can decarbonisation be leveraged for value creation and profitability?
• Are there ways to measure this?What are the biggest costs involved in decarbonisation? What can GPs do to manage these?
• What role does transparency and reporting play in building a more sustainable portfolio?

Speakers:

• Ryan O'Neill, Chief Strategy Officer, eEnergy
• Christina Rehnberg, Director of ESG, Delancey

Roundtable C: Due diligence spotlight: Navigating the complexities of ESG due diligence to support fund raising

• What are the different ways managers have approached ESG due diligence? Case studies from the industry
• Does ESG play a key role in GPs’ fund raising efforts?
• Integrating ESG considerations into due diligence processes can uncover potential risks and opportunities. What have GPs’ experiences been in this regard?
• Responding effectively to ESG due diligence requirements involves a high degree of complexity and niche expertise. What support are managers looking for to meet this challenge?

Speakers:

• Alpesh Doshi, Managing Partner, RedCliffe Capital
• Chandini Jain, Founder and CEO, Auquan
• Stanley Kwong, Principal - Sustainable Investing, KKR
  

Roundtable D: Streamlining success: Aligning stakeholder perspectives to boost ESG performance

• What role does ESG play in portfolio value creation and readiness for exit?
• Are certain industries or sectors better placed for ESG performance?
• Do LPs and GPs disagree on ESG value creation metrics?
• Is regulation currently helping or hindering ESG value creation?

Speakers:

• Dr. Virginia Alzina, Managing Director & Head of Sustainability, EmergeVest
• Stephanie Rhea Erev, ESG & IR Advisor, FSN Capital
• Alan Somerville, ESG Director, Tritax Management LLP

Repeat of roundtables. Roundtables take place as repeated parallel sessions.

ROUNDTABLE ROUND 2

Roundtable A: Is it worth it? Questioning the cost of integrating and applying ESG

Roundtable B: The E in ESG: Understanding decarbonisation, net zero and value creation

Roundtable C: Due diligence spotlight: Navigating the complexities of ESG due diligence to support fund raising

Roundtable D: Streamlining success: Aligning stakeholder perspectives to boost ESG performance

• Ana Alvarez Grullon, ESG and Sustainability Director, Keensight Capital
• Simona Stiliyanova, ESG & Marketing Director, BlackPeak Capital
• Gereon Wellmann, ESG Specialist, FSN Capital

• Alpesh Doshi, Managing Partner, RedCliffe Capital
• Chandini Jain, Founder and CEO, Auquan
• Stanley Kwong, Principal - Sustainable Investing, KKR
  

• Dr. Virginia Alzina, Managing Director & Head of Sustainability, EmergeVest
• Stephanie Rhea Erev, ESG & IR Advisor, FSN Capital
• Alan Somerville, ESG Director, Tritax Management LLP

• Ryan O'Neill, Chief Strategy Officer, eEnergy
• Christina Rehnberg, Director of ESG, Delancey

NETWORKING LUNCH

• How do industry participants define key concepts such as ESG, impact investing and the nuances and differences therein?
• Does definition ambiguity continue to hinder alignment of ESG efforts? What are some of the barriers to consensus?
• Who is responsible for bringing about consensus in this space?
• What is the potential fallout of GPs and LPs using different definitions and standards?

Coming to terms: Defining key concepts in the ESG universe

PANEL 3

Speakers:

• Bran Pathmanāban, Head of ESG, IP Group (moderator)
• Yohan Hill, Principal & Director of ESG and Responsible Investing, Adams Street Partners
• Stanislas de Kertanguy, Head of ESG, LBO France
• Ladislas Smia, Head of Sustainability, MBO+

NETWORKING BREAK

How GPs can use generative AI to improve their processes around ESG disclosure – and how they’re doing it safely.

Flash Briefing: Streamlining ESG reporting through AI.

• Charles Radclyffe, CEO, EthicsGrade

• As ESG risks being deprioritised in some sectors, how can GPs remain excited about integrating this approach into their business?
• What elements can help GPs balance their internal ESG priorities against the external communication of their efforts in this regard?
• How importance is leadership buy-in to ensure ESG remains at the top of a firm’s agenda?
• Is there the danger of ESG become commoditised and no longer serving its true purpose? How can this be avoided?
• How the future of carbon markets is evolving the environmental agenda to hit net zero

ESG futures: How to keep the ESG angle fresh and relevant

PANEL 4

Speakers:

• Ross Sheil, GM, EMEA/APAC, Cloverly (moderator)
• Patrick Gavoty, Managing Director & Head of Sustainability, Apheon
• Alison Prout, ESG Specialist Transformation Consultant, Agilitas Private Equity
• Christina Rehnberg, Director of ESG, Delancey

NETWORKING

Drinks Reception and the Private Equity Wire ESG AAA European Awards

EVENT CLOSES

Managing Director & Head of Sustainability at EmergeVest

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Dr. Virginia Alzina

Head of ESG, Sustainable Infrastructure at Denham Capital

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Sabine Chalopin

Associate Director, ESG Services at Novata

Laura Callaghan

Rhys Davies

Partner at Kirkland & Ellis

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Alpesh Doshi

Managing Partner at RedCliffe Capital

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ESG & IR Advisor at FSN Capital

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Stephanie Rhea Erev

Emma Fox

Senior Associate, Investor relations at HarbourVest

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Patrick Gavoty

Managing Director & Head of Sustainability at Apheon

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Ana Alvarez Grullon

ESG and Sustainability Director at Keensight Capital

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Claire Hedley

ESG Director at 17Capital

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Yohan Hill

Peter Hirsch

Head of Sustainability at 2150

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Principal & Director of ESG and Responsible Investing at Adams Street Partners

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Chandini Jain

Founder and CEO at Auquan

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Stanislas de Kertanguy

Stanley Kwong

Head of ESG at LBO France

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Principal - Sustainable Investing at KKR

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Beth Meyer

Ryan O'Neill

Chief Legal Officer and Head of VC at Novata

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Chief Strategy Officer at eEnergy

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Bran Pathmanāban

Head of ESG at IP Group

Read more

Alison Prout

Charles Radclyffe

ESG Specialist Transformation Consultant at Agilitas Private Equity

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CEO at EthicsGrade

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Christina Rehnberg

Director of ESG at Delancey

Read more

Omiros Sarikas

Ross Sheil

Managing Partner (CEO) at Brookstreet Equity Partners

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GM, EMEA/APAC at Cloverly

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Responsible Investment Specialist at Hg

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Andrea Siaw

Ladislas Smia

Head of Sustainability at MBO+

Read more

Alan Somerville

Simona Stiliyanova

ESG Director at Tritax Management LLP

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ESG & Marketing Director at BlackPeak Capital

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Jovana Stopic

ESG Director at IK Partners

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Gereon Wellmann

ESG Specialist at FSN Capital

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GPs

100+

EXPERT SPEAKERS

30+

SERVICE PROVIDERS

20

Convene - London

Address: 22 Bishopsgate // City of London, London

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Venue Requirements

Dress Code

Please note the dress code for this event is business casual.

Electronic Devices

We kindly ask attendees to please keep electronic devices on silent during panels and roundtables.

REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED