Middle Market Growth Conversations

Sun Capital Partners' Managing Director Dan Florian and Principal Stephen Cella join the podcast to talk about their firm's approach to health care investing. Florian and Cella speak in depth about the firm's strategy for investing in health care, one of Sun Capital's target sectors. The two discuss the patient-focused mindset they look for in the businesses that Sun Capital backs, and how the firm helps its companies adopt consumer best practices. They describe working with the management team at ClearChoice, a dental implant provider that Sun Capital has since sold, to improve call center operations and scheduling, which ultimately led to better appointment utilization and greater efficiency. Florian and Cella also discuss how they measure the effectiveness of initiatives designed to improve the patient experience at Sun Capital's health care businesses. Sun Capital was highlighted in a recent Middle Market Growth cover story about the trend of health care consumerization, "Health Care's Retail Revolution." Read it here: https://middlemarketgrowth.org/health-cares-retail-revolution/ *** The Middle Market Growth Conversations podcast is produced by the Association for Corporate Growth. To learn more about the organization and how to become a member, visit www.acg.org.

Organizations are waking up to the call for greater diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and middle-market companies and financial services firms are no exception. In this episode, Cornelia Cheng, managing director of Western region investments for Brightwood Capital Advisors, and Rich Grant, director of business development for Northlane Capital Partners, discuss the importance of DEI and how firms can become more diverse and inclusive. Cheng and Grant are both members of ACG's DEI Task Force. They talk about the role of that group in driving change, and their own experiences benefiting from and contributing to DEI initiatives. They also share ways that businesses and individuals can contribute to diversity and inclusion, from rethinking hiring practices and what they look for in candidates, to investing in minority-owned businesses. ACG's DEI policy and resources, developed by the DEI Task Force, are available online here: https://www.acg.org/about/dei-policy-resources This episode is brought to you by ACG JobSource, a job board and career resource for the middle market. Find your next role or post an open position here: https://www.acg.org/membership-tools/acg-jobsource The Middle Market Growth Conversations podcast is produced by the Association for Corporate Growth. To learn more about the organization and how to become a member, visit www.acg.org.

Paul Carbone, president and managing partner at Pritzker Private Capital, a family investment firm based in Chicago, joins the podcast to talk about his firm's investment activity over the past year, the opportunities and risks created by the pandemic, and the benefits of flexible capital. Carbone also discusses several new initiatives from Pritzker Private Capital, including the Pritzker Private Capital Advisory Board and PPC University. Plus, he talks about the advantages for founders of partnering with family investors, how Pritzker Private Capital's committed club strategy works, and whether he expects direct investing by families to continue. *** Find more family office-related content at https://www.acg.org/networks/family-offices/family-office-content-series. Learn more about RSM US LLP, the sponsor of ACG's Family Office Series, at www.rsmus.com. The Middle Market Growth Conversations podcast is produced by the Association for Corporate Growth. To learn more about the organization and how to become a member, visit www.acg.org.

This episode is part of ACG's Family Office content series, brought to you by RSM US LLP, a leading accounting, tax and advisory firm dedicated to the middle market.  *** In this episode, Michael Beduze, managing partner of Da Vinci Global Consulting, and Tom Stewart, chief knowledge officer at AchieveNext, discuss the family dynamics that can impact the success of a family office. Beduze and Stewart talk about why family dynamics are frequently overlooked, why advisers should delve into so-called "soft" issues to ensure a better outcome for their family office clients, and how to address family dynamics when a business is involved. They also point to ways that families can develop their non-financial wealth, and how to engage members of the younger generation to instill a stewardship mentality needed for multigenerational growth and success. Learn more about our guests' firms: Da Vinci Global Consulting: https://www.davincigc.com AchieveNext: https://www.achievenext.com *** Find more family office-related content at https://middlemarketgrowth.org/category/middle-market-trends/family-office/. Learn more about the series sponsor, RSM, at www.rsmus.com. The Middle Market Growth Conversations podcast is produced by the Association for Corporate Growth. To learn more about the organization and how to become a member, visit www.acg.org.

Kevin Depew, RSM US LLP's deputy chief economist and leader of the firm's national industry eminence program, returns to the podcast to discuss the state of the U.S. economy in the fourth quarter and his outlook for 2021. Depew discusses RSM's forecast of 4% GDP growth next year and the upside risk to those projections, and whether the sentiment of middle-market business leaders aligns with optimism about broader economic performance next year. During the conversation, Depew also weighs in on the recent jobs numbers and the potential economic impact of a declining labor participation rate. He also discusses policy-related issues that could affect the middle market, including the Treasury Department's move to end several federal aid programs, and the potential for a multitrillion dollar infrastructure bill. Plus, he offers insight into the Biden administration's economic policies based on the president-elect's cabinet appointments. **** This episode is brought to you by RSM US LLP, a leading accounting, tax and advisory firm dedicated to the middle market. www.rsmus.com The Middle Market Growth Conversations podcast is produced by the Association for Corporate Growth. To learn more about the organization and how to become a member, visit www.acg.org.

This fall, Middle Market Growth magazine announced its first-ever awards and recently extended the application deadline to December 15. On this bonus episode of the podcast, Middle Market Growth Editor-in-Chief Katie Mulligan gives a brief overview of the awards categories, who's eligible, the recognition for winners, and how to apply. Thanks to Cambridge Global Payments, sponsor of the Innovation Award, and Insperity, sponsor of the Workplace Award. Learn more about the Middle Market Growth Awards and find all application materials at https://middlemarketgrowth.org/middle-market-growth-awards/

This episode is brought to you by Twin Brook Capital Partners, a direct lending finance company focused on providing cash-flow based financing solutions for the middle-market private equity community. *** Rich Christensen, a senior partner with Twin Brook Capital Partners, joins the podcast to discuss how his firm has been working with private equity sponsors to navigate the disruption caused by COVID-19 as well as some of the deal and lending trends underway. Christensen looks back on 2020, recapping Twin Brook and the broader market's activity throughout the year. Many of the sponsors his firm has worked with are longstanding relationships, which benefited both parties through open communication and trust—even during the first peak of COVID in the spring. He builds on his comments about the importance of strong lending relationships through both good times and bad that were featured in a recent Middle Market Growth magazine profile of Twin Brook. The episode closes with a discussion about the industries that have proven most resilient throughout the year. The Middle Market Growth profile of Twin Brook is available here: https://middlemarketgrowth.org/in-focus-in-challenging-times-lender-relationships-are-key/ To learn more about Twin Brook, visit https://twincp.com/. **** The Middle Market Growth Conversations podcast is produced by the Association for Corporate Growth. To learn more about the organization and how to become a member, visit www.acg.org.

This episode is brought to you by QBE North America, part of QBE Insurance Group Limited, one of the largest insurers and reinsurers worldwide. *** Eric Sanders, QBE North America's head of claims, joins the podcast to discuss the role of an insurance claims department as an "economic first responder," and he offers ways that businesses can tap into the expertise and resources offered by the claims team before a crisis occurs. Sanders outlines best practices for what to do in various loss scenarios, plus how to achieve the best claim results. He stresses the importance of building rapport with one's claims professional, and describes how to strengthen that relationship. He also highlights emerging risk areas for 2021 that business leaders should keep an eye on. Earlier podcast episodes featuring QBE leaders highlighted the risks to middle-market companies revealed by the "Mid-size Company Risk Report," based on a survey conducted by QBE and ACG, as well as the drivers behind increased liability and litigation risk. Listen to previous podcast episodes featuring QBE professionals: Surveying Risk in the Middle Market with QBE: https://middlemarketgrowth.org/podcast-surveying-risk-in-the-middle-market-with-qbe/ Rising ‘Social Inflation’ Is Putting Midsize Businesses at Risk. Here’s Why: https://middlemarketgrowth.org/podcast-qbe-on-litigation-and-liability-risk/ Find the full risk report on QBE's website: www.qbe.com/us/risk-report. **** The Middle Market Growth Conversations podcast is produced by the Association for Corporate Growth. To learn more about the organization and how to become a member, visit www.acg.org.

Michael Ewald, the global head of private credit at Bain Capital Credit, joins the podcast to discuss how private credit has fared during the pandemic and emerging trends he's watching within the asset class, including a shift toward greater protections for lenders. Ewald, who serves as portfolio manager for the Middle Market Credit and Senior Direct Lending strategies at Bain, and as a member of the firm's Credit Committee, also speaks about his group's strategy during the crisis, how they've applied lessons learned through previous downturns, and the ways he expects the events of 2020 to shape the investment environment in the future. At the end of the conversation, Ewald talks about the role that environmental, social and governance factors play in Bain Capital's investment decisions, as well as the firm's commitment to racial equity and social justice. More details about their position and initiatives is available at baincapital.com. **** The Middle Market Growth Conversations podcast is produced by the Association for Corporate Growth. To learn more about the organization and how to become a member, visit www.acg.org.

This episode is brought to you by QBE North America, part of QBE Insurance Group Limited, one of the largest insurers and reinsurers worldwide. *** John Beckman, QBE North America's chief underwriting officer, joins the podcast to discuss the risks to businesses posed by liability and litigation. Together, they represent the top risk facing midsize companies, according to findings from a recent QBE survey that examined risk in the middle market. In the second of three podcast episodes featuring QBE leaders, Beckman explains the concept of "social inflation," a key driver for increased liability and litigation risk. He also outlines what businesses can do to protect themselves, and the technology solutions available to help mitigate risk. An earlier podcast episode featured Tom Fitzgerald, president of QBE North America’s Specialty & Commercial business, who described the top macro risks revealed by the survey: https://middlemarketgrowth.org/podcast-surveying-risk-in-the-middle-market-with-qbe/ Check back in the coming weeks to hear the final interview with QBE and a further exploration of risk in the middle market. Find the full risk report on QBE's website: https://www.qbe.com/us/risk-report. **** The Middle Market Growth Conversations podcast is produced by the Association for Corporate Growth. To learn more about the organization and how to become a member, visit www.acg.org.