HR / talent management
1 April 2021
The Techwork
Private equity's digital transformation has undoubtedly been catalysed by events of the past year
22 March 2021
Advent achieves top rank D&I score
The firm is closely followed by EQT (65%) as well as TowerBrook Capital Partners and Investcorp (both 63%)
15 March 2021
COO of the Year award winner: Malcolm Goddard, Zetland Capital Partners
The COO discusses the values driving Zetland's culture, the importance of always reviewing work and developing his team
11 March 2021
CFO of the Year award winner: Steve Darrington, Phoenix Equity Partners
Partner & CFO at Phoenix discusses winning a Drawdown award, setting up processes from the very beginning as well as how he's ensured ESG continues to be at the heart of the firm
4 March 2021
Social behaviour
While GPs use social media to give an insight into their firms, LPs now use it as part of their ODD. But where are they looking, and what for?
23 February 2021
LPs push for DE&I in private markets portfolios
According to Mercer, LPs want DE&I manager programmes implemented and an expansion of DD frameworks to include diversity metrics
22 February 2021
BWAM launches leadership accelerator course
The six-month programme aims to fast track the careers of mid-to-senior level black female professionals
12 February 2021
BVCA publishes D&I guidelines
The guidance aims to help increase investment in under-represented founders and drive diversity and returns across PE and VC
3 February 2021
GPs prioritise D&I
According to EY's latest report, 56% of GPs are aiming to increase gender representation this year compared to 47% in 2020, according to a new report
3 February 2021
Remote working impeding training
EY’s latest CFO survey found 76% of respondents believe the biggest risk to their firms caused by WFH is an inability to train employees quickly
1 February 2021
Investcorp creates head of corporate strategy role
Investcorp’s head of portfolio operations and COO Andrea Davies appointed to new role
28 January 2021
Under attack
With continued remote and hybrid working conditions, all team members need to be more vigilant than ever when it comes to cyber security
25 January 2021
The profile: Allan Dowie, CFO of N4 Partners
The Drawdown caught up with partner and CFO of new firm N4 Partners, Allan Dowie, who discusses setting up the firm during lockdown, implementing a new valuation process and information flows
21 January 2021
Private Equity Service Provider Awards: Winners announced
Winners of the Private Equity Service Provider Awards revealed
19 January 2021
Dawn Capital hires talent head
Avalon Lee-Bacon will build out the firm’s talent platform and support its portfolio companies with senior hires, sharing best practices and developing top talent
14 January 2021
Profile: Jordana Semaan, Investcorp
The head of HR (Gulf & Asia) and D&I champion discusses why the firm created this role, Investcorp's new talent acquisition process and why inclusion needs to be a focus
11 January 2021
The ESG tech wave
From static and infrequent DDQs to real-time, performance linked, fully integrated improvements; ESG is fast-becoming a tech play
23 December 2020
2020 in review: People power
A look back at key recruitment trends in private equity in 2020, mostly in the tech and digital space
22 December 2020
2020 in review: D&I firmly on the agenda
A look back at our diversity & inclusion highlights in PE during 2020
17 December 2020
The conversation: Trends in 2021 and beyond
InCloudCounsel founder and CEO Troy Pospisil examines patterns established in 2020 and how they will impact the next few years in private capital markets
16 December 2020
LISTEN: InCloudCounsel’s Pospisil on the future
Troy Pospisil explores how the regulatory landscape for private capital funds is evolving, how investor demands are changing and how InCloudCounsel’s offerings aim to support these developments
14 December 2020
Class of 2020
A cross-section of industry practitioners share their greatest lessons of this year
14 December 2020
2020 in review: Full speed digital transformation
A look back at private equity firms and their digital transformations in 2020
9 December 2020
LISTEN: InCloudCounsel’s Pospisil on document abstraction
Alice Murray talks to Troy Pospisil, founder and CEO of InCloudCounsel about what it is, how it works and how it supports private equity legal teams, as well as the wider organization.
7 December 2020
ILPA launches diversity initiative
Following the launch of its ‘Diversity in Action’ initiative, ILPA has announced the founding signatories; 46 GPs and LPs.
7 December 2020
Comment: The unconscious biases that affect deal success
Iain Butler, partner at Royds Withy King showcases recent research undertaken in partnership with Professor Scott Moeller, director of the M&A Research Centre at The Business School (formerly Cass), City, University of London
2 December 2020
LISTEN: InCloudCounsel’s Pospisil on private equity roots
In the first instalment of our mini podcast series, Alice Murray talks to Troy Pospisil, founder and CEO of InCloudCounsel about the company’s origins: what drove him to set up the firm and how it has developed over the past seven years.
30 November 2020
Throgmorton launches CFO & COO Solutions
Throgmorton has launched an outsourced service for the CFO and COO function.
23 November 2020
Comment: Stepping back (rather than looking back)
Nicola Morgan of The North Star Partnership urges leaders to take a step back and consider the potential opportunities of re-invention and innovation brought about by the pandemic
19 November 2020
IR at breaking point
Can the increased GP/LP communications that took place in response to the crisis continue indefinitely, and does it need to?
18 November 2020
City Hive launches D&I kitemark
It enables investment managers to address, assess and catalyse an improvement in the culture within their own organisation, as well as the wider industry, and their portfolios
12 November 2020
Culture shock: ESG, compliance and LPs
We caught up with representatives from PE houses across Europe to find out how ESG, compliance and investors have impacted culture
11 November 2020
Industry to continue working remotely
FIS's latest report found 52% of employees will not be required to return to the office as soon as it's safe in the countries they work in
2 November 2020
Comment: Preparing for the second wave
Dörte Hoppner, COO of Riverside Europe, highlights the importance of people and talent management as we face more months of uncertainty
26 October 2020
BWAM calls on industry to dismantle racial inequities
BWAM's open letter to investment firms calls on them to commit to action, activism, and accountability to dismantle the racial inequities plaguing society
26 October 2020
Comment: The ‘new office politics’
IC Intelligence chief strategist Dr Desné Masie, says the worst isn't over for real estate funds
20 October 2020
WATCH: Technology…and how it’s shaping the operating models of tomorrow
The pandemic has been a catalyst for digital transformation, but there are major challenges still to face
15 October 2020
Human traffic
We caught up with PER about the latest hiring trends and return to office activity across the UK and Germany
13 October 2020
Blackstone to open Miami tech HQ
The Miami office aims to support Blackstone’s tech team’s immediate need for more talent, The Drawdown understands
13 October 2020
WATCH: No place like home: finding the right fund domicile
Predictability, reliability and quality are key components, according to our expert panel
1 October 2020
Private equity’s return to work
Taylor Wessing partners Emma Danks and Helen Farr outline the key litigation risks of returning to the office
24 September 2020
Comment: Culture drives results
Riverside COO Dörte Höppner believes culture is intrinsic to performance, and now is the time to talk about it
17 September 2020
Profile: Debojit Mukherjee, Agilitas Private Equity
The chief operating officer discusses what attracted him to his role, how the firm measures and tracks ESG and why their Sustainable Value Creation report is so important
7 September 2020
Profile: John Eggleston, Pantheon
The chief technology officer discusses his approach to upgrading the firm’s IT infrastructure, the importance of cybersecurity awareness training and why you should always start with data during tech transformations
3 September 2020
Culture shock: Recruitment and D&I
We asked representatives from PE houses across Europe how recruitment and D&I has impacted culture
3 September 2020
The fixer
The chief of staff role is emerging in private equity but what does it actually do, and do you need one?
1 September 2020
Culture shock
Culture's intrinsic link to behaviour means private equity must think carefully about how it navigates the crisis
27 August 2020
Comment: Compliance and ESG - Overhead or value-driver?
The crisis will likely bring about more stringent financial and environmental regulations; cutting compliance and ESG resources could bear greater costs, warns Robin Lööf and Edoardo Troina at Debevoise & Plimpton
20 August 2020
Profile: Peter Finden Bamrud, Verdane
The head of analytics discusses joining PE straight out of uni, the biggest challenges the industry faces and the importance of harnessing data correctly
17 August 2020
GP finalists announced for the PE Service Provider Awards
Shortlist announced for Best CFO of the Year, Best COO of the Year, and Rising Star
17 August 2020
City fund managers back #100black interns initiative
The programme addresses the lack of black employees in senior front office roles
17 August 2020
Culture shock: Covid-19 and WFH
We asked representatives from PE houses across Europe how Covid-19 and working from home has impacted culture
13 August 2020
Profile: Ruth Tompkins, EQT
The HR director for EQT's PE team discusses how she found herself working in PE, the importance of good culture at the top and how the firm is focusing more on diversity
23 July 2020
Steadying the ship
Can a solid operating platform provide much needed certainty in an increasingly uncertain world?
21 July 2020
Investcorp creates D&I champion role
Jordana Semaan acts as the diversity representative at the HR council as well as actively promoting all aspects of equality and diversity across the global business
20 July 2020
Profile: Matthew Thornton, Ardian
The CFO discusses how Ardian’s finance function is set up, the importance of integrating yourself into existing team culture and his involvement in the firm’s Foundation
22 June 2020
Talking tech: FSN’s Conradi on tech culture
Part two of our two-part series explores how Conradi is handling the firm’s digital transformation, challenges around tech working culture and his plans for the next year
15 June 2020
CFOs must cope with lack of recognition
Despite the broadening and increasing complexity of their roles, private equity CFOs lack adequate recognition, according to Investec's latest report
15 June 2020
Comment: Considerations for hiring tax talent
As the importance of having internal tax resources grows, what needs to be considered when hiring this type of talent?