With increased competition driving up purchase prices of deals in Private Equity, gone are the days when funds solely focused on cost-cutting and financial leverage to unleash value. Many PE funds, as a critical part of their investment thesis, are focusing on a broad definition of talent in the creation of sustainable value and as a core competency at the portfolio level.
PE firms are changing the way they approach talent and leadership and actively assess, transform and upgrade management capabilities within each acquired organization. The Harvard Business Review reported in 2017 that over half of PE firms now have one or more individuals tasked with a “leadership capital partner” role. These Talent executive’s assist portfolio companies and deal teams in the development of their portfolio companies’ C-Suite, Board and Senior Advisors networks and help tackle challenging topics like succession and diversity planning.
This program discusses the different frameworks and growing importance of Talent in Private Equity, and what deal team professionals can do to attract the right talent to their portfolio companies for scalability and growth.
Participants must register by January 20th to receive details on joining the discussion.
Please note that no refunds will be issued.
Speaker
Managing Director, Head of Talent - Lightyear Capital
Jon Davies is a Managing Director and Head of Talent at Lightyear Capital. Prior to joining Lightyear in 2020, Jon spent twenty years working within the recruiting and talent industry, having successfully built, scaled, and managed several talent functions in the United States, Europe and Asia.
Most recently, Jon worked at Point72 Asset Management as the Head of Investment Services recruiting, and, prior to that, he was the Global Head of Recruitment for Blackstone. Before joining Blackstone, Jon spent several years working at The Royal Bank of Scotland, ultimately as Global Head of Banking and Markets recruiting.
Jon holds a BSc (Hons) from the University of Portsmouth and a Graduate Diploma in Law (CPE) from the University of Exeter.
Jon is an avid sports fan and having spent over a decade playing rugby, he is a big believer in the power of sport to develop core skills of leadership, communication and teamwork. He is delighted to be a Board member of PlayRugby USA, an organization that uses the unique power of rugby to inspire and empower youth, primarily from underserved communities.
Jon is married with two children and lives in Manhattan.
Speaker
Partner, Head of US Private Equity, Board and CFO Specialist at Egon Zehnder
Kenna Wyllie Baudin serves as Head of Egon Zehnder’s Private Equity Practice in the U.S. She focuses on placing senior-level executives at private equity funds and in PE-backed portfolio companies. She is also one of the leaders in the Board Practice and the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Council.
Before joining Egon Zehnder, Kenna served as Head of Private Equity at J. Safra Asset Management. That was preceded by the role of Director of 3i Plc, an international investment firm. Earlier, Kenna was a Principal at Solera Capital. She began her career at The Boston Consulting Group.
Kenna earned a BS in economics, cum laude, from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was a Benjamin Franklin Scholar, and an MBA with Second Year Honors from Harvard Business School.
Married with two children, she believes in giving back to the community and has served as an alumni interviewer for Sponsors for Educational Opportunities, as vice-chair of the Board of Trustees of the University Heights Charter School, and as an active member of the parents’ association of The Pingry School. She currently serves as Chaplain for the Greater Essex County Chapter of Jack & Jill of America, Inc. and is a lifetime member of the Harvard Business School African-American Alumni Association (HBAAA). Kenna is also a yoga enthusiast.
Moderator
Hemali Dassani (HBS ’99) is an experienced fundraiser and investor relations professional within the alternative investments space and is currently a placement agent and consultant to multiple Private Equity funds. Hemali was previously Director of Investor Relations for Argand Partners and Castle Harlan, middle market private equity funds. Hemali was also a Managing Director with Old City Investment Partners, a multi-family office dedicated to finding high quality investments for the firm’s clientele of family office investors. Ms. Dassani has an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School and a B.Sc. in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University. She was President of the Harvard Business School Club of Greater New York and currently sits on the Board of the Club and Chair’s its racial equity task force. Previously she sat on the Board of Governors for the Harvard Business School Real Estate Alumni Association and the Steering Committee for the Harvard Business School Alumni Angels Association.
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