T-bird Conference Draws Global Private Equity, VC Gurus Private funding for early stage, high-risk ventures — known as private equity funding — is fast becoming one of the most important funding sources in the entrepreneurial marketplace today.
The global trend has grown in popularity, spreading into all markets and sectors, from Silicon Valley to Sao Paulo, and from biotech to infrastructure development. It also was the topic of conversation March 29-30, at Thunderbird’s Third Annual Private Equity Investing Conference in Glendale, Ariz., attended by more than 200 institutional investors, general partners, family offices, corporate investors, fund of funds managers and industry advisors. They were joined by investment and commercial bankers, academicians, students and global emerging growth companies from around the world. Participants represented all regions of the world, including Kuwait, Russia, India, Japan, China, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, France and the United Arab Emirates, to name a few. “The Thunderbird Private Equity meeting brings together practitioners from all parts of the world for a most interesting and stimulating exchange of views,” says Kurt Geiger, head of Financial Institutions, European Bank for Reconstruction & Development. “I found the discussions invigorating, and they provided a lot of food for thought. This event should be on the agenda of all who work in private equity and venture capital.” The two-day conference focused on venture and buyout success stories, rising trends and private equity lessons learned across the globe. Panel discussions and presentations were conducted by notables that included Vinod K. Dham, acknowledged as the “Father of the Pentium Microprocessor,” and Michael Koester, the Chief Financial Officer of the Private Investment Area for Goldman Sachs, among others. The conference also gave 35 Thunderbird students the opportunity to sit in on panel discussions, attend pre-conference workshops and network with global private equity and venture capital professionals. “As a student, meeting and networking with industry professionals was definitely the highlight, especially since many attending were also Thunderbird alumni,” explains Sid Sohonie ’07, a native of India and current president of Thunderbird’s Private Equity/Venture Capital Club. “In addition to that, hearing about deals from persons very intimate with them was exciting and provided insight students typically do not have access to.” Sohonie says the conference focused on the success of investments in China and India, but also highlighted the growing importance of the Middle East and Africa in the private equity landscape. “I learned that there is too much capital chasing too few good deals,” adds Sohonie. “Most importantly, I learned there will be a greater focus on the operational side of private equity — the actual running of the portfolio companies — to extract greater value through operational improvements and organic growth.” According to Sohonie, students attended an entire pre-conference workshop focused solely on this topic, which was favorably received. “Thunderbird’s global private equity conferences have become a destination event for those with a serious interest in the industry,” said Susan Boedy, director of the Thunderbird Private Equity Center (TPEC). “This event is one of the premier private equity and venture capital conferences in the world designed to be truly global—focused on the opportunities, methods, risks and rewards of globalization.” The conference was sponsored by Pacific Investment Partners; WJ Hopper & Co. Ltd.; Silicon Valley Bank; Access America Investments, LLC (AAI); China Enterprise Capital; Hunton & Williams; Alliance of Merger & Acquisition Advisors; AXEA Partners; and the Financial Times. |  |
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