Finance leadership is changing rapidly. So how are leaders adapting to these changes and redefining traditional finance roles to enhance operational efficiency? In this episode, we conclude our three-part New Faces of Finance miniseries by talking to three 2025 honorees about the changes they are making at their respective firms.
Joining us are Dorothy Walter, partner and CFO at Alpine Investors; Pete Keenan, vice president of finance at 645 Ventures; and Jessica Shearer, partner at Proskauer Rose, who discuss what it takes to modernize traditional finance functions and how finance professionals are adapting to the demands of emerging technologies that are transforming the industry.
The role of finance leaders is evolving in several ways and will continue to do so in the years to come. Keenan explores the evolution of finance roles, from a backward-looking reporting function into a more proactive data-driven decision-making engine, and stresses the role of keeping up with emerging technologies. Walter highlights her philosophy on building a team with a diverse skill set and hiring from non-traditional backgrounds. Shearer emphasizes the importance of actions individual leaders are taking at their respective firms. Additionally, all speakers discuss how to overcome challenges in scaling operations and how they’re future-proofing financial processes.
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19:35
How tariff turbulence is hitting private markets
The 'U-word' has well and truly returned to private markets. Uncertainty has dominated conversations the first half of April, as the back-and-forth tariff announcements have deepened the pause in dealmaking.
For the private equity industry, the trade war adds unwelcome distractions to an industry already grappling with challenges including lower distributions, higher interest rates, a difficult fundraising environment, consolidation and fundamental changes.
In this episode, editors from PEI Group's various titles covering the M&A market, deals, secondaries, LP insight and GPs analyze the private equity industry's response to the tariffs and volatility; where the challenges and opportunities lie; and what market participants are keeping their eyes on.
In this episode:
Adam Le, senior editor, EMEA, private equity, PEI
Mary Kathleen Flynn, editor-in-chief, PE Hub
Graham Bippart, senior editor, Buyouts and Private Funds CFO
Madeleine Farman, editor, Secondaries Investor
See also: Tariff turmoil: What do PE professionals think?
Read in:
Buyouts
PE Hub
Private Equity International
Secondaries Investor
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24:33
Sweden’s bank-dominated real estate market ‘needs’ alternative lenders
In 2022, the Swedish real estate sector was one of several European property markets expected to see significant distress following the rapid rise in borrowing costs. Speculation grew over the fate of companies with huge refinancing needs, and it appeared to be a moment for non-bank lenders to provide an alternative source of debt.
Sweden’s policy rate is now among the lowest in Europe, while a material recovery in real estate transactions is also underway. Bank lenders remain the dominant source of debt capital by far. However, there is a growing community of non-bank lenders that believe the domination of banks in the sector is set to recede, regardless of recovery.
In this podcast, Lucy Scott explores the opportunities ahead for alternative lenders in one of the most bank-dominated real estate lending markets in Europe.
Interviewed in this episode:
Lesley Lanefelt, head of Nordic investments at Velo Capital and partner at Urban Partners
Frans Heijbel, managing director, Heimstaden
Pontus Sundin, chief executive of Niam Credit
Maarit Nordmark, chief executive of Kinnerton Capital, head of credit Sweden & Finland
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18:05
How emerging technologies are transforming litigation finance
Innovation and emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and legal tech, are transforming the finance industry faster than ever before. In this episode, we present the second instalment of our three-part New Faces of Finance miniseries.
Joining us is Louisa Klouda, founder and CEO of Fenchurch Legal, who shares her perspective on how innovation is driving transformation in the litigation finance industry, and what unique opportunities are arising as a result.
Technology is not only streamlining processes, improving risk assessment and predicting outcomes in new ways, but it is also crucial for finance firms to balance innovation with stability. Klouda explains how firms managing complex portfolios can leverage technology to enhance security as well as how innovation can pave the way for new tools and capabilities. Additionally, she discusses key trends that finance professionals should focus on, particularly when it comes to building AI models for smarter, data-driven investment decisions.
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8:15
How specialised can the secondaries market get?
This episode is sponsored by Evercore, Davis Polk and Dawson Partners and first appeared on Secondaries Investor's Second Thoughts podcast
The secondaries market sits at a crossroads. Never before have LPs been presented with such an array of different liquidity offerings to back. There are specialised secondaries funds focusing on healthcare, on impact investing, on real assets in Asia or on acquiring direct minority equity stakes in companies in India. There are funds focusing on writing large cheques to multi-billion-dollar single-asset continuation funds; and there are funds focusing on making late primary commitments to buyout funds that are still in their fundraising mode. In short, if you’re an LP looking to back a secondaries fund, you’re spoiled for choice.
In this special episode, we sit down with Nigel Dawn, global head of Evercore's Private Capital Advisory group; Leor Landa, head of the investment management practice at Davis Polk; and Yann Robard, managing partner at Dawson Partners. We discuss why the performance of continuation funds is key to the further growth and branching out of this part of the market, and why the market is undergoing the fastest pace of innovation it has ever seen.
UK