Peggy Van de Plassche

🎬 Do you actually know how a movie gets made?

With TIFF around the corner, it felt like the perfect time to go behind the camera.

I love movies, but my knowledge of the business of making them was superficial at best.

Enter Butch Kaplan, veteran line producer who has worked on films including The Notebook, John Q, She’s So Lovely and Marty Supreme.

Our conversation took me into a world I knew very little about:

🎪 Why making a movie is essentially like running a travelling circus of 200–300 people
🎓 Why experience and reputation can matter far more than credentials
🇨🇦 How Ontario became such an attractive place to make movies
⏰ Why Butch believes the traditional 12+ hour filming day is not only bad for people — but bad business
🤝 And why, in an industry built around temporary projects, relationships can last for decades

But what I found most interesting was the very human philosophy behind it all.

Movies, as Butch says, are essentially made from “thin air.”

Someone has a story. People gather around it. Hundreds of people solve thousands of problems. Millions of dollars may be spent.

And eventually, an idea becomes something capable of making complete strangers laugh, cry, fall in love or think differently.

Perhaps my favourite takeaway?

The movie eventually ends. The set disappears. The circus moves on.

But the people, relationships and memories remain.

✨ My latest newsletter: Movies Are Made of Thin Air — And 300 People

What a veteran line producer taught me about the strange business of making movies — and the very human machinery behind the magic.

Perfect little pre-TIFF reading. 🍿

Peggy Van de Plassche is a value creation strategist and senior advisor with over 20 years of experience in private equity, financial services, healthcare, and technology. She works with investment firms, boards, and C-suite leaders to accelerate portfolio company performance, drive operational transformation, and unlock long-term value. Peggy specializes in the execution of complex value creation plans—spanning capital allocation, digital enablement, transaction advisory, and leadership alignment. Her work consistently bridges strategy and implementation, helping investors and operators maximize EBITDA and enterprise value. A founding board member of Invest in Canada, she also brings deep expertise in public-private partnerships and institutional capital deployment—critical levers for competitive advantage in today’s global landscape. Her clients have included BMO, CI Financial, HOOPP, OMERS, GreenShield Canada, Nicola Wealth, and Power Financial. Learn more at peggyvandeplassche.com.

#privateequity #privatemarkets #alternativeinvestments #investing #investments #invest #venturecapital #investor #entrepreneur #digitaltransformation #ai #exit #tech #technology #finance #financialservices #healthcare

Apparently, this is now an unquestionable truth on social media.

I am not so sure.

Yes, North America is wildly obsessed with youth.

Yes, making women feel too old, too tired, too outdated, too much or not enough is a very effective business model.

And yes, insecurity is a wonderful way to keep women busy — and quiet.

But then I look around.

At my girlfriends.

At women in Detroit.

At a 75+ woman entering a room as if nobody had informed her she was supposed to disappear.

At my mother, in France, walking into restaurants in her forties with a je ne sais quoi that had nothing to do with looking younger and everything to do with presence, playfulness, and being fully alive.

So maybe the question is not whether women over 40 become invisible.

Maybe the question is: who benefits from making them believe they are?

My latest newsletter is about women, age, visibility, French women, North American beauty standards, charisma, marketing, and the very underrated power of not getting the memo.

Peggy Van de Plassche is a value creation strategist and senior advisor with over 20 years of experience in private equity, financial services, healthcare, and technology. She works with investment firms, boards, and C-suite leaders to accelerate portfolio company performance, drive operational transformation, and unlock long-term value. Peggy specializes in the execution of complex value creation plans—spanning capital allocation, digital enablement, transaction advisory, and leadership alignment. Her work consistently bridges strategy and implementation, helping investors and operators maximize EBITDA and enterprise value. A founding board member of Invest in Canada, she also brings deep expertise in public-private partnerships and institutional capital deployment—critical levers for competitive advantage in today’s global landscape. Her clients have included BMO, CI Financial, HOOPP, OMERS, GreenShield Canada, Nicola Wealth, and Power Financial. Learn more at peggyvandeplassche.com.

#privateequity #privatemarkets #alternativeinvestments #investing #investments #invest #venturecapital #investor #entrepreneur #digitaltransformation #ai #exit #tech #technology #finance #financialservices #healthcare

Detroit?

Yes, Detroit. 🎨🏙️

When I told people I was going on an art trip there, the reaction was often somewhere between surprise and confusion.

After three days, my reaction was: "Why didn't I come sooner?"

What I discovered was one of the most vibrant, authentic, and artist-friendly ecosystems I have experienced in North America.

Huge studios.

Extraordinary artists.

Supportive patrons.

Beautiful architecture.

And perhaps most importantly, enough space (physical and financial) for artists to actually make art.

In a world where many creative cities are becoming increasingly expensive, Detroit offers something different: room to breathe, experiment, fail, and create.

I also learned that Detroit is one of those places where you need a great guide. Thankfully, we had one. A huge thank you to Mia Nielsen for opening doors that most visitors would never even know existed.

From artist studios and gallery openings to MOCAD, murals, Art Deco gems, and conversations that reminded me why I love contemporary art in the first place, it was an inspiring few days.

I came back energized, full of ideas, and already thinking about my next art adventure.

My latest newsletter is a love letter to Detroit's art scene and the fascinating people building it.

Link in comments. 👇

#Art #ContemporaryArt #Detroit #ArtistStudios #ArtCollectors #Culture #Creativity #Architecture #ArtTravel

Peggy Van de Plassche is a value creation strategist and senior advisor with over 20 years of experience in private equity, financial services, healthcare, and technology. She works with investment firms, boards, and C-suite leaders to accelerate portfolio company performance, drive operational transformation, and unlock long-term value. Peggy specializes in the execution of complex value creation plans—spanning capital allocation, digital enablement, transaction advisory, and leadership alignment. Her work consistently bridges strategy and implementation, helping investors and operators maximize EBITDA and enterprise value. A founding board member of Invest in Canada, she also brings deep expertise in public-private partnerships and institutional capital deployment—critical levers for competitive advantage in today’s global landscape. Her clients have included BMO, CI Financial, HOOPP, OMERS, GreenShield Canada, Nicola Wealth, and Power Financial. Learn more at peggyvandeplassche.com.

#privateequity #privatemarkets #alternativeinvestments #investing #investments #invest #venturecapital #investor #entrepreneur #digitaltransformation #ai #exit #tech #technology #finance #financialservices #healthcare

Every year I forget that I am in fact a solar-powered human being. ☀️

Then Toronto summer arrives and suddenly:
🎾 tennis invitations multiply
🍷 patios reappear
✈️ travel plans emerge
🧠 motivation returns
💃 and everyone becomes suspiciously attractive and athletic overnight.

This year however I decided to approach summer a little differently.

Less “random social blur.”
More intentional feeding of:
🏋️ the body
🇪🇸 the mind
🎨 and the soul

So I picked 3 focus areas:
Fitness, Spanish and Art.

Which means that if you see a woman speed-walking through Toronto carrying weights while aggressively speaking Spanish to herself before heading to a museum opening… it is probably me.

In my latest newsletter/podcast intro, I reflect on:
☀️ Canadian winter survival mode
🎾 why tennis alone is no longer enough
📚 learning Spanish through hilariously outdated audiobooks from the library
🖼️ the surprisingly welcoming art world
🧠 and why summer can actually become a strategic asset for personal growth.

Also discussed:
The emotional importance of patios after April in Canada.

Peggy Van de Plassche is a value creation strategist and senior advisor with over 20 years of experience in private equity, financial services, healthcare, and technology. She works with investment firms, boards, and C-suite leaders to accelerate portfolio company performance, drive operational transformation, and unlock long-term value. Peggy specializes in the execution of complex value creation plans—spanning capital allocation, digital enablement, transaction advisory, and leadership alignment. Her work consistently bridges strategy and implementation, helping investors and operators maximize EBITDA and enterprise value. A founding board member of Invest in Canada, she also brings deep expertise in public-private partnerships and institutional capital deployment—critical levers for competitive advantage in today’s global landscape. Her clients have included BMO, CI Financial, HOOPP, OMERS, GreenShield Canada, Nicola Wealth, and Power Financial. Learn more at peggyvandeplassche.com.

#privateequity #privatemarkets #alternativeinvestments #investing #investments #invest #venturecapital #investor #entrepreneur #digitaltransformation #ai #exit #tech #technology #finance #financialservices #healthcare

I still buy magazines. A lot of them actually.

Fashion magazines, art magazines, design magazines, business magazines… probably around 10/month.

And no, this is not because I am trapped in 1997.

There is just something deeply pleasant about ink, paper, beautiful photography, oversized ads for watches I cannot afford, and carrying a magazine in my bag instead of staring at my phone like a lab rat pressing a dopamine button.

I also realized recently that buying physical magazines has become my tiny act of rebellion against digital AI everything.

Not because I hate technology (I obviously don’t), but because I increasingly value tactile, human, imperfect, real-life experiences.

Also: magazine ads > internet ads.
One feels cinematic.
The other feels like being stalked by sandals you searched for once at 11:43 p.m.

My latest newsletter is about all of this: culture, paper, screen fatigue, glossy rebellion, and why I still believe in putting money toward tangible experiences.

And yes, I am fully aware I am not saving civilization one copy of Vogue at a time 😉

Peggy Van de Plassche is a value creation strategist and senior advisor with over 20 years of experience in private equity, financial services, healthcare, and technology. She works with investment firms, boards, and C-suite leaders to accelerate portfolio company performance, drive operational transformation, and unlock long-term value. Peggy specializes in the execution of complex value creation plans—spanning capital allocation, digital enablement, transaction advisory, and leadership alignment. Her work consistently bridges strategy and implementation, helping investors and operators maximize EBITDA and enterprise value. A founding board member of Invest in Canada, she also brings deep expertise in public-private partnerships and institutional capital deployment—critical levers for competitive advantage in today’s global landscape. Her clients have included BMO, CI Financial, HOOPP, OMERS, GreenShield Canada, Nicola Wealth, and Power Financial. Learn more at peggyvandeplassche.com.

#privateequity #privatemarkets #alternativeinvestments #investing #investments #invest #venturecapital #investor #entrepreneur #digitaltransformation #ai #exit #tech #technology #finance #financialservices #healthcare

🪦 The Death of Attention; Why We See Everything — Yet Feel Less and Less with Narendra Pachkhédé

We live in a strange age: We see wars in real time. Poverty on every street corner. Thousands of opinions, images, crises and headlines every single day.

And yet somehow… we feel less and less connected to the world around us.

I recently sat down with writer, curator and public thinker Narendra Pachkhédé for one of the most fascinating conversations I have had in a long time.

We spoke about:

🎭 Why art still matters

📱 The “attention economy” that destroys attention

📚 Writing as “a habit of attention”

🌍 The invisible geographies we carry within us

⚠️ Why we are living through a profound moral crisis

🎨 Why “seeing is not enough”

One line from Narendra particularly stayed with me: “Art slows perception.”

In a world optimized for distraction, speed and performance… maybe learning how to truly pay attention again is becoming a radical act.

We also discussed his book Form as History: When History No Longer Requires Us, his lecture at the Art Gallery of Ontario, and his curatorial work including the exhibition of Ranbir Sidhu at the AGO.

This was not simply a conversation about art.

It was a conversation about how to remain human in a world increasingly designed to fragment our attention.

Newsletter below 👇

#art #leadership #history #philosophy #book

Peggy Van de Plassche is a value creation strategist and senior advisor with over 20 years of experience in private equity, financial services, healthcare, and technology. She works with investment firms, boards, and C-suite leaders to accelerate portfolio company performance, drive operational transformation, and unlock long-term value. Peggy specializes in the execution of complex value creation plans—spanning capital allocation, digital enablement, transaction advisory, and leadership alignment. Her work consistently bridges strategy and implementation, helping investors and operators maximize EBITDA and enterprise value. A founding board member of Invest in Canada, she also brings deep expertise in public-private partnerships and institutional capital deployment—critical levers for competitive advantage in today’s global landscape. Her clients have included BMO, CI Financial, HOOPP, OMERS, GreenShield Canada, Nicola Wealth, and Power Financial. Learn more at peggyvandeplassche.com.

#privateequity #privatemarkets #alternativeinvestments #investing #investments #invest #venturecapital #investor #entrepreneur #digitaltransformation #ai #exit #tech #technology #finance #financialservices #healthcare

“Can you do it for less?”
 “What if we remove… everything?”
 “Exposure is also valuable, no?”

😅

After ~10 years as an independent advisor (and years before that on the corporate side), I’ve noticed a very consistent pattern:

👉 We hate paying fees.
 👉 All fees.
 👉 Even when paying them would actually make us more money.

We’ll:

•  Pay cash to “save taxes” 💸 
•  Negotiate artists down while claiming to support them 🎨 
•  Spend months arguing contracts… to end up nowhere 

100% of zero > 70% of something bigger? Apparently yes.

It’s fascinating. Slightly absurd.
 And, I’d argue, a real barrier to growth.

I wrote about it—why it happens, what it costs us (financially and socially), and why it might be… a bit irrational.

👇 Curious if you’ve seen the same?

#newsletter #canada #business #consulting #pricing #leadership

Peggy Van de Plassche is a value creation strategist and senior advisor with over 20 years of experience in private equity, financial services, healthcare, and technology. She works with investment firms, boards, and C-suite leaders to accelerate portfolio company performance, drive operational transformation, and unlock long-term value. Peggy specializes in the execution of complex value creation plans—spanning capital allocation, digital enablement, transaction advisory, and leadership alignment. Her work consistently bridges strategy and implementation, helping investors and operators maximize EBITDA and enterprise value. A founding board member of Invest in Canada, she also brings deep expertise in public-private partnerships and institutional capital deployment—critical levers for competitive advantage in today’s global landscape. Her clients have included BMO, CI Financial, HOOPP, OMERS, GreenShield Canada, Nicola Wealth, and Power Financial. Learn more at peggyvandeplassche.com.

#privateequity #privatemarkets #alternativeinvestments #investing #investments #invest #venturecapital #investor #entrepreneur #digitaltransformation #ai #exit #tech #technology #finance #financialservices #healthcare

Let’s be honest:
 Nutella, croissants, éclairs au chocolat… I’m very pro.

Unfortunately, my body disagreed.

I was prescribed meds for skin and sugar issues:
 👉 worked great
 👉 messed with my mood (even at microdoses)

So I made the least exciting decision possible:
 🥗 less sugar
 💧 better habits
 🚶‍♀️ more movement

Did I enjoy it? No.
 Did I miss chocolate? Intensely.

But… it worked. I didn’t need the meds anymore.

We live in a world where:
 💊 taking a pill is easier than
 😴 sleeping well
 🏃‍♀️ moving
 🚫 saying no to sugar (painful)

And yes—sometimes meds are the right answer.

But sometimes, small lifestyle shifts go a long way.

Fast forward a few months:

I still love chocolate 🍫
 Just not as a daily default.

Small choices. Big impact.

Peggy Van de Plassche is a value creation strategist and senior advisor with over 20 years of experience in private equity, financial services, healthcare, and technology. She works with investment firms, boards, and C-suite leaders to accelerate portfolio company performance, drive operational transformation, and unlock long-term value. Peggy specializes in the execution of complex value creation plans—spanning capital allocation, digital enablement, transaction advisory, and leadership alignment. Her work consistently bridges strategy and implementation, helping investors and operators maximize EBITDA and enterprise value. A founding board member of Invest in Canada, she also brings deep expertise in public-private partnerships and institutional capital deployment—critical levers for competitive advantage in today’s global landscape. Her clients have included BMO, CI Financial, HOOPP, OMERS, GreenShield Canada, Nicola Wealth, and Power Financial. Learn more at peggyvandeplassche.com.

#privateequity #privatemarkets #alternativeinvestments #investing #investments #invest #venturecapital #investor #entrepreneur #digitaltransformation #ai #exit #tech #technology #finance #financialservices #healthcare

Imagine you’re in a meeting… 👀

Someone says your name…
 once… twice… five times 😅

Locks eye contact like it’s a staring contest 👁️👁️

Pauses… for impact… 🎭

And delivers a perfectly polished pitch 🎤

You’re not listening anymore.
 You’re thinking: “ah… they read the book.” 📚

And to be fair—it works.
 Until it doesn’t.

Because now it just feels… obvious 🤖

In this week’s newsletter, I unpack where influence turns into manipulation—and why people can feel it instantly.

👉 The tricks aren’t magic anymore ✨
 👉 We’ve all read the same books

What’s the most “playbook” move you’ve seen lately? 👇

Peggy Van de Plassche is a value creation strategist and senior advisor with over 20 years of experience in private equity, financial services, healthcare, and technology. She works with investment firms, boards, and C-suite leaders to accelerate portfolio company performance, drive operational transformation, and unlock long-term value. Peggy specializes in the execution of complex value creation plans—spanning capital allocation, digital enablement, transaction advisory, and leadership alignment. Her work consistently bridges strategy and implementation, helping investors and operators maximize EBITDA and enterprise value. A founding board member of Invest in Canada, she also brings deep expertise in public-private partnerships and institutional capital deployment—critical levers for competitive advantage in today’s global landscape. Her clients have included BMO, CI Financial, HOOPP, OMERS, GreenShield Canada, Nicola Wealth, and Power Financial. Learn more at peggyvandeplassche.com.

#privateequity #privatemarkets #alternativeinvestments #investing #investments #invest #venturecapital #investor #entrepreneur #digitaltransformation #ai #exit #tech #technology #finance #financialservices #healthcare

Not exactly a popular take.

And yet—after two decades working alongside wealth creators, heirs, and power circles, I’ve come to a somewhat uncomfortable conclusion:

👉 Wealth solves many problems.
 But it quietly creates others.

• Who is actually in your corner—and who is playing a role?
• What happens when success is always discounted… and failure quietly celebrated?
• What if your life isn’t entirely your own—even with unlimited means?
• At what point do you stop being a person… and become an opportunity?

We don’t talk about this.

Because wealth is supposed to be the end game.

But beyond a certain point, it starts to reshape every interaction around you—social, emotional, even existential.

Ironically, the “sweet spot” may not be at the top.

👉 It might be just below it.

Where you have:

•  enough to live well, 
•  but not enough to distort reality. 

This piece is not anti-wealth.
 It’s pro-clarity.

And maybe… a little uncomfortable.

#Leadership #Wealth #Psychology #Power #HumanNature #Success #Perspective

Peggy Van de Plassche is a value creation strategist and senior advisor with over 20 years of experience in private equity, financial services, healthcare, and technology. She works with investment firms, boards, and C-suite leaders to accelerate portfolio company performance, drive operational transformation, and unlock long-term value. Peggy specializes in the execution of complex value creation plans—spanning capital allocation, digital enablement, transaction advisory, and leadership alignment. Her work consistently bridges strategy and implementation, helping investors and operators maximize EBITDA and enterprise value. A founding board member of Invest in Canada, she also brings deep expertise in public-private partnerships and institutional capital deployment—critical levers for competitive advantage in today’s global landscape. Her clients have included BMO, CI Financial, HOOPP, OMERS, GreenShield Canada, Nicola Wealth, and Power Financial. Learn more at peggyvandeplassche.com.

#privateequity #privatemarkets #alternativeinvestments #investing #investments #invest #venturecapital #investor #entrepreneur #digitaltransformation #ai #exit #tech #technology #finance #financialservices #healthcare