In a special episode Jen is joined by ILPA colleague Samantha Anders for a look back at our first dozen episodes. As we approach the conclusion of the first series of the Voices of Private Equity podcast, the ILPA team noticed a trend - our guests have some incredible insights to share both on life and on career all gathered from their experience in private equity.

Listen in as Samantha and Jen discuss the wisdom guests have offered, from finding joy in professional life to making technical concepts come to life in approachable anecdotes, our guests have established that there is a real ‘Return on Experience.'

Like what you hear? This new segment will feature in upcoming regular episodes. Remember to rate, review and subscribe on the platform of your choice so you never miss an episode.

Submit comments, questions and guest suggestions to [email protected].

In a unique episode, Jen is joined by Ken Akoundi, Founder of Cordatius LLC; Mark Steed CIO at the Arizona Public Safety Personnel Retirement System; and Antonio Rodriguez, Director of Investment Strategy for the New York City Board of Education Retirement Systems for a discussion on the stages and benefits of integrating new technology.

Ken is a private markets technology expert who has advised hundreds of investors on selecting and integrating technology; his experience has led him to a definitive conclusion – the technology investment is unequivocally worth it. And surprisingly, it often costs less than LPs expect.

Having recently completed technology modernization, Mark shares his perspective on obstacles that larger, established teams may face, while Antonio lends the unique perspective of a newer investment program that is starting from scratch. The group discusses the most common obstacles to securing the technology spend and to integrating upgraded systems as well as the resounding efficiency improvements that result once the project is complete.

Finally, as they say ‘hindsight is 20/20;’ Mark and Antonio share what they wish they had known before they started their technology modernization exercise.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at [email protected]

Susanne von Gueltlingen, Partner in the Alternatives Asset Management unit within Siemens Fonds Invest, joins the podcast to discuss her career journey and experience from corporate finance to life as an LP in Europe.

Susanne offers her take on culture in private equity. Is the commonly accepted notion that private equity careers require a commitment that comes at the expense of family obligations here to stay? Or is inclusivity driving change in work-life balance? Susanne also discusses Siemens’ investments in light of the COVID pandemic and their growing portfolio in the US. Finally, Susanne offers insights on the European Commission’s AIFMD review and ways that GPs can access the European market.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at [email protected]

Tim Recker, the Chief Investment Officer for the James Irvine Foundation, discusses how LPs should ‘think in decades’ as they approach investing in venture capital and cautions against setting too low a bar for investment returns.

Tim describes his approach to manager relationships and what would give an LP comfort to invest in cases where the legal terms are not ideal. The James Irvine Foundation has a specific tilt towards emerging markets, China in particular; Tim explains how investing with high-quality managers helps to mitigate risks and to drive returns.

Finally, the James Irvine Foundation identifies as an ‘anti-racist’ organization, and Tim shares how cultural and cognitive diversity are important components to both their investment strategy and their talent pipeline.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at [email protected]

Kimberly Woods, the Director of Risk and Investment Compliance at the District of Columbia Retirement Board, discusses her career path as an LP and how being a part of a mission-driven organization is important to her personally.

DCRB is a relatively young and successful investment program with a keen focus on fee and expense transparency. Kimberly shares her experience on the subject and her insight on what LPs should know about performing operational due diligence. Reflecting on Black History Month and International Women’s Day, Kimberly discusses the importance of expanding the talent pipeline and getting young people excited about a future in private equity.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at [email protected]

In a special conversation, originally hosted at ILPA’s Virtual Summit last fall, Orlando Bravo of Thoma Bravo and Theresa Whitmarsh of the Washington State Investment Board join Jen for a candid discussion on the specific roles that GPs and LPs are playing to advance DEI in the industry.

Theresa and Orlando weigh in on the responsibility of the LP to drive GP action on DEI. Orlando shares the importance of listening to younger voices on the team and thinking not just about culture “fit” but culture “add.” Theresa highlights the silver lining of the work from home era in widening the talent pool and WSIB’s approach to recruitment, and both share the steps their organizations are taking to create a culture that is truly inclusive.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at [email protected]

Steve Kim, a partner at Verdis Investment Management, gives an in-depth look at how this ninth-generation family office incorporates data into a long-term investment horizon.

In the last decade, publicly available data on private markets has increased dramatically, but many limited partners don’t know how to best utilize the information in setting their allocation strategies and evaluating individual managers. Steve describes Verdis’ approach to accessing data and the all-important assumption every LP should bring to data analysis. When LPs utilize the full potential of data, will they find that manager skill matters? Tune in to find out.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at [email protected]

In this special episode, Brett Palmer of the Small Business Investor Alliance, Heather Slavkin Corzo of the UN PRI and AFL-CIO, and ILPA’s Chris Hayes, break down the implications of the recent US election for the private equity industry.

With two Senate races hanging in the balance, the shape of Congress is yet to be determined. No matter the outcome of the Georgia run-off elections, our guests agree that bipartisanship will be essential to any policy moves by the Biden Administration. Has carried interest’s time come in the tax policy agenda? What should we expect to come out of the Department of Labor or the SEC when it comes to ESG issues? And what sorts of regulatory changes are LPs most invested in? Join us for a look ahead at what the next few years could look like for private equity.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at [email protected]

Stephen Whatmore, the head of global private capital for the Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) reflects on his career path in private equity and some of the challenges of managing US-based assets for an Australia-based institution.

In a world that is rapidly changing, Steve discusses the important role that technology and innovation strategies can play in a private markets' portfolio. Steve examines specific ways our lives have changed in the digital era, and how QIC positioned itself to capitalize on that transformation.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at [email protected]

Adam Black, the head of ESG and sustainability for Coller Capital, reflects on how environmental, social and governance issues were received in the industry when the concept was first introduced, and the importance of putting ESG issues intocommercial terms.

ESG issues are coming to the fore in private equity, but the industry still struggles both with defining ESG and applying consistency in implementation and metrics. Adam explains why a focus on measurable outcomes, rather than a framework, is critical to ESG success and why a GP’s approach to ESG can be symptomatic of how well the firm is run.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at [email protected]