Private Equity Fast Pitch

Head of Secondary Investments Private Equity Responsibilities at Schroders Capital Christiaan van der Kam is the head of Schroders Capital’s secondary investment program, responsible for all secondary investment activities globally. Background Prior to joining Schroders Capital in 2020, Christiaan spent more than 12 years at Unigestion, where he co-lead the global secondary investment program and was responsible for all secondary investments in North America and Asia. Prior to that, he worked at New Amsterdam Capital, a hedge fund based in London, where he provided financial and advisory services to companies. Christiaan started his private equity career at ATP Private Equity from 2001–2006. ATP is the largest pension fund in Denmark and one of the largest private equity investors globally. Education Christiaan holds a Bachelor of Science in International Business and a Master degree in Applied Economics and Finance from Copenhagen Business School, Denmark.  

Marc J. Leder, Co-Founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Sun Capital Partners, Inc., has been engaged in leveraged buyouts, investment banking, and business operations for more than 30 years. In addition, Mr. Leder is a member of the Sun Capital Executive Committee which oversees and manages the overall strategy of the firm. Mr. Leder received a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Leder is a Member of the International Counsel for the Museum Berggruen in Berlin and also sits on the Board of the Institute of Contemporary Arts at the University of Pennsylvania.

Today's special episode isn’t simply "advice". It provides deep insight into life’s journey, successes, and failures from top private equity and investment banking professionals. We’ve compiled a video of college photos from our speakers to connect the past with the present. To explore the journey and look at what it takes to achieve your dreams.  Want to listen to a particular guest, see below: Kurt Haras - Cowen (5:20) Jay Jester - Plexus Capital (7:45) Charlie Gifford - New Heritage (12:04) John Huhn - Compass Group  (17:58) Doug McCormick - HCI Equity Partners (20:11) Ken Firtel - Transom Capital (24:30) Brandon Knapp - Evercap Advisors (36:18) Jim Mahoney - Huron Capital (40:49) Julia Buthman - Prudential Private Capital (44:44) Connor Mitchell - Solomon Partners (48:13) Vikram Agrawal - American Resilience Partners (51:28) Paul Hobby - Genesis Park (54:51) Alex Western - Terminus Capital Partners (58:47) Tom O’Rouke - Baypine (1:05:00) Jeffrey Armbrister - Hamilton Lane (1:07:49) Caroline Stevens - MPK Equity Partners (1:14:36) Stephen Vaccaro - Hirtle, Callaghan, & Co (1:16:59) Ganesh Rao - Thomas H. Lee Partners (1:21:13) Jeff Eaton - Eaton Partners (1:22:51) Arthur Hollingsworth - Lone Star Investment Advisors (1:26:01) Dave Tayeh - Investcorp (1:27:55) Brian McGee - New Water Capital (1:31:35)

Brian McGee, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at New Water Capital, shares insights on investment focus, deal sourcing, and the importance of relationships. They discuss the team composition and operational approach, emphasizing gradual implementation. The chapter also explores McGee's journey into private equity, challenges of starting a business, and offers advice for young professionals.

Dave Tayeh, Partner in the Private Equity team at Investcorp, discusses Investcorp's focus in North American Private Equity and their evaluation process for partnering with CEOs and founders. He shares his journey from playing Division III football to his current position and highlights the value of different experiences as a CEO and advisor. The podcast also covers factors to consider when choosing a private equity partner.

Mr. Hollingsworth is Managing Partner of five private equity funds with over $350 million under management. He has 30 years of experience in private equity investing and investment banking with the funds mentioned above, Paine Webber Incorporated (now UBS), and First Boston Corporation (now Credit Suisse). He served on the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee, was Chairman of VisitDallas, was Chairman of the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce, and also has served as the Vice Chairman of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Authority. Mr. Hollingsworth currently serves on the boards of Continental Electronics Corporation, Dallas Committee on Foreign Relations, Frac Tank Rentals LLC (Managing Member), Oil Works, Inc. (Chairman), Trinity Forge, Inc. (Chairman), Mall Area Redevelopment Board, Safety Storage, Inc., and Yellow Checker Cab Company of Dallas/Fort Worth, Inc. He is a former board member of the City of Dallas Reinvestment Zone Board, the City of Dallas Privatization Technical Subcommittee, the LBJ Executive Board, which developed the construction plan for IH 635 Freeway, and the University of Texas Southwestern University Hospitals and Clinics Board of Visitors. Mr. Hollingsworth was a Director and largest shareholder of Accessbancorp which was successfully sold in 2022 to Texas Regional Bank. A Harvard College Scholar, Arthur Hollingsworth earned an undergraduate degree in Economics from Harvard University and has served as Chairman of the Harvard Club of Dallas. He received Harvard's Albert H. Gordon '23 Award. He is an inductee in the Harvard Varsity Club Hall of Fame for his role as Co-Captain of the National Championship 1985 Harvard Rowing Team, as referenced in Devin Mahony's book, The Challenge. (Chicago: Contemporary Books, 1989. Print.) In January 2009, the Dallas Business Journal awarded Mr. Hollingsworth with the Community Impact Dealmaker of the Year award. Mr. Hollingsworth was honored as the 2014 Human Relations Award recipient by the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance. A direct descendant of Alexander Hamilton, Mr. Hollingsworth serves as President of the Alexander Hamilton Scholars Board of Directors (www.hamiltonscholars.org). Mr. Hollingsworth's daughter is currently a senior at Harvard College and Co-Captain of the Harvard Cheerleading Team.  

Jeff Eaton is the Global Co-Head of Eaton Partners, a leading global private capital markets and fund advisory and placement firm. Eaton Partners has raised over $130 billion for over 175 funds, including over $41 billion raised for energy and real asset funds. In addition to overseeing the firm, Jeff sits on the Investment Committees for the North America, EMEA, and APAC private funds groups as well as for the General Partner Advisory and Directs (GPAD) group. Based out of our Houston office, Jeff also manages our energy and real asset businesses. Jeff has more than 23 years of experience in the investment and financial services industry. Jeff is serving on the Board of Advisors at Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship. Jeff also is on the Board of Advisors at 51 Vets. Prior to joining Eaton Partners, he was a Director at Constellation Energy Commodities Group leading principal transactions for their natural gas structuring and trading division Jeff graduated with honors from Duke University with degrees in Economics and History, and received his MBA from Duke's Fuqua School of Business. He holds Series 7, 63, 57, 79 and 24 licenses and is also licensed with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in Europe.  

Ganesh Rao, Head of Financial Technology & Services at Thomas H. Lee Partners, discusses mentorship, THL's focus on FinTech, and partnering with industry experts. They explore focus areas in FinTech and services, investment strategy, and founder partnerships. The importance of dedicated teams and vertical specialization is highlighted, along with their journey to joining THL and the significance of specialization and value-added partners.

Stephen is a Managing Director and Head of Private Equity. In his role, he focuses on forming long-term partnerships with leading private equity managers, including buyouts, growth equity and venture. Stephen serves on the Investment Committee, which is directly responsible for the firm’s asset allocation strategies and the selection of investment managers for client portfolios. Stephen has over 15 years of industry experience, most recently at the University of Pennsylvania’s Office of Investments, where he focused for eight years on growing the private equity investment program for the University’s $13 billion endowment and $2 billion pension fund. As a senior team member, Stephen played an active role in investment committee discussions across public equity, private equity, real assets, and absolute return strategies. Prior to joining Penn, Stephen was a Senior Associate at Princeton University’s endowment. At Princeton, he worked in private investments across buyouts, venture capital, natural resources, and real estate. Before Princeton, Stephen was a Principal with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), where he led a wide range of projects in the firm’s Corporate Finance, Technology & Telecom, and Healthcare practice areas. Stephen began his career in telecommunications software for Nortel Networks. Stephen holds a B.A. from Vanderbilt University and an M.B.A. from Yale University. He is a CFA® charterholder. In addition, he is an Investment Committee member for a global non-profit.  

Caroline Stevens, an Investor with MPK Equity Partners based in Dallas, Texas. Caroline is a franchise expert, having been a part of 14 franchisor investments across the home services, health, beauty and wellness, and family entertainment spaces. Prior to working in private equity, Caroline was a management consultant with the Boston Consulting Group. She shares how the strategic toolkit acquired while at BCG helps her in her investing career.  Caroline currently serves on the board of the Human Trafficking Institute, an organization working to stop human trafficking at its source around the globe. She formerly served on the advisory board of the Canfield Business Honors Program at The University of Texas at Austin – her alma matter.  While a Texan through-and-through, Caroline and her husband, Logan, are avid travelers. Caroline visited her 30th country, Egypt, in 2022.  Caroline prioritizes and enjoys time with family and friends, traveling, playing tennis and watching the Longhorns or Cowboys on a fall Sunday.