Magazines

March 2021

​This issue showcases the winners of the 2020 Drawdown Awards. As well as service providers, we’ve highlighted our GP awards including CFO, COO and Rising Star of the Year.

This edition also features Greenbrook’s Mikaela Murekian as she wonders if a new approach to air travel will help GPs respond to LP pressure on ESG, and Riverside Europe’s Dörte Höppner, who discusses the importance of healthy competition among service providers.

February 2021

This issue explores the intricate web of rules and regulations that private equity managers are now caught up in following the UK’s departure from from the EU.

The edition also explores the ways LPs use social media as part of their ODD and what GPs need to be aware of. We also kick off a new series delving into the operational input behind a fundraise - this time, Agathos Management’s Fund II first close.

December 2020 / January 2021

This issue explores the rising tech wave supporting ever increasing ESG demands. With new ESG regulation soon to come into force, as well as more GPs wanting to better understand the link between ESG improvements and financial performance, new technological solutions are much needed.

The edition also explores increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks facing private equity firms and how to tackle them, and we also hear from a cross section of industry practitioners on their greatest learnings of 2020.

November 2020

This edition explores the various ways in which CFOs are securing follow-on funding for portfolio companies. For funds in their mid to end life, given the unfavourable exit conditions, many CFOs are being tasked with finding additional liquidity in order to preserve value. Here, we explore various options available, as well as what types of portfolios they’re best suited to.

This issue also looks at how IR teams have been handling the pressure of increased LP communication, and asks how sustainable this is.

October 2020

We explore a re-emerging trend of managers asking their fund administrators to use in-house software, rather than the administrator’s. A clear driver for exploring this approach has been the pandemic, which has led to greater demands for information from investors, and GPs reacting by wanting to immediately access their data.

This issue also includes a comprehensive review of ESMA’s recent AIFMD proposals, employment law considerations for returning to the office, hiring trends and why it’s so difficult for PE firms to set up SPV accounts.

September 2020

This issue explores culture within private equity and asks how recent events might reinforce or revolutionise common behaviours. We spoke to leading psychologists and academics who have studied private equity to find out why the industry’s culture is the way it is.

Also in this issue, we look back at a stellar decade for MJ Hudson, we find out what a Chief of Staff is and why the role is gaining popularity in the industry, as well as how two GPs are using ESG as a value driver.

July-August 2020

In this issue we ask if operational robustness can create certainty in an increasingly uncertain world. We look at how various PE houses have been weathering the storm from an operational perspective, assessing those who have been able to sail on, and others looking for a safe harbour.

Despite macroeconomic headwinds, regulatory developments continue unabated, we also look at what the European Commission’s recent evaluation of AIFM, the LIBOR transition as well as what’s coming down the line for ESG rules.

June 2020

As our lives become increasingly digital, data capture and data analysis systems are improving at rapid pace. For private equity firms yet to fully embrace data-led strategies, it would seem their late arrival to the party might pay off. This edition looks at new tools available to the industry, and how firms can simply plug in and play.

This edition also features profiles of Pantheon COO Robin Bailey, as well as FSN Capital CDO Christopher Conradi. We also spoke to several special situations managers to find out how they’ve been reacting to the crisis.

May 2020

This issue explores role-specific networks for operational practitioners, assessing how supportive they’ve been during the current crisis. While CFOs/FDs and HR have established peer groups, tech roles are craving their own community.

We also look at how ODD processes have been handled during C19, key considerations for performing valuations, and how GPs access cash in uncertain times. Plus with meetings on pause, we’ve got a guide to getting the most out of software demos.

April 2020

This edition explores the impact of fund financing innovations on CFO’s influence and strategic prowess. Under current conditions, the lifelines offered by innovative and flexible fund finance has never been more important.

We also investigate business continuity planning in the face of the Covid-19 outbreak; returning to root data to solve reporting woes; as well as the usefulness of B Corp status as a way of meeting ESG demands.

March 2020

Our cover feature for this edition looks at the backgrounds and skill sets of private equity CFOs, asking if they can be transferred to different investment strategies, different fund sizes, or different industries.

We also showcase highlights from a recent Breakfast Briefing event, which explored the work/life balance of private capital markets professionals.

February 2020

This issue explores the impact of aggressive consolidation plays across the fund administration sector on private equity clients.

We also showcase highlights from our recent venture valuations roundtable, as well as diving into the increasingly weird and wacky world of personnel development.

December 2019 / January 2020

This issue explores risk management within private equity. As investors increasingly demand evidence on how their managers are handling growing threats such as cyber-crime, reputation and talent attrition, we ask if linking performance to profits still makes sense in a world that wants a more holistic approach.

We also look at private equity’s continued migration to cloud services, and which models suit the industry best, as well as an update on reforms to Ireland’s limited partnership.

November 2019

We’re back! Our relaunch issue - The Drawdown 2.1 - argues that operational heads should be taking a leading role when it comes to developing strategy for their houses, that this task should not be based solely on the investment thesis.

This edition also includes a profile of Northzone’s deputy CFO Jackson Heddy, as well as a close look at what skills and attributes are needed for today’s ESG professional.