Private Funds
CFO
Network
CFO
Network
Data and Technology Forum
October 8-9, 2024
Marriott San Jose, CA
Earn up to 9 CPE credits!
Driving success through data and technology
The Private Funds CFO Network’s re-imagined fall conference on the West Coast, the Data & Technology Forum, taking place in San Jose, CA on October 8-9.
Join Private Funds CFO Network members and industry experts to discuss implementing data and technology-focused strategies that elevate your firm’s capabilities. Key discussion topics include:
- How CFOs are maintaining normalcy while adjusting to technological advances
- Enlisting data for fundraising
- Creating a robust technology infrastructure
- The role of technology in managing ongoing regulatory updates
- Using data for developing strategic fund finance approaches in today’s market
- Scaling your firm in an evolving industry
9 CPE credits available
2024 Keynote speaker
Usama Fayyad
Executive Director, Institute for Experiential AI; Professor, Northeastern University; former Chief Data Officer of Yahoo
Usama was the first person to hold the Chief Data Officer title when Yahoo acquired his second startup in 2004. At Yahoo he built the Strategic Data Solutions group and founded Yahoo Research Labs. Much of his early Yahoo work on Big Data made it to open source and led to Hadoop and other open-source contributions.
He continues as Chairman of Open Insights, a company he founded as a technology and consulting firm in 2008 after leaving Yahoo to enable enterprises to get value out of their data assets and optimize or create new business models based on the evolving economy of interactions.
2024 Keynote speaker
Prakhar Mehrotra
Managing Director of Applied AI, Blackstone
Prakhar Mehrotra, Managing Director of Applied AI at Blackstone will join us to share how he’s helping Blackstone’s portfolio companies apply AI and capitalize on this powerful technology. You’ll learn more about how private funds can drive innovation, efficiency, and growth as Prakhar shares some of the success stories and challenges he’s encountered while integrating AI across various sectors.
2024 Featured speakers
What our attendees love about our Forum
Kristine O'Connor
Franklin Park
The Forum is consistently the best conference for finance professionals in the private equity industry! Meaningful content, knowledgeable speakers and ample net…
Joseph Riley
Psilos Group
This is the premier event for CFOs and COOs in private equity. I love the ability to see/hear peers and industry leaders in one event
Jesse M Burwell
RLJ Equity Partners LLC
The event is great for networking and discussing and discovering best practices for PE CFOs.
I am a CFO, COO, and/or CCO of a private fund manager
As part of the Private Funds CFO Network, the Forum is built for you to connect in-person with an elite crowd of peers. Earn CPE credits while learning how to improve finance and operations efficiency at your firm.
I am a service provider to private funds managers
The Forum provides a select number of vetted vendors the opportunity for thought-leadership, branding, and access to an audience exclusively made up of the most influential finance and operations executives.
Current attendees include:
2024 agenda
Download the 2024 agenda to get a glimpse of what the Forum will look like. If you are interested in a speaking role, please contact Kellie Green at Kellie.g@pei.group.
View agenda page
Agenda
Day One - Tuesday 8th
Welcome
08:00 - 09:00
Registration & breakfast
08:45 - 09:00
PEI & chairperson’s welcome
Rebecca Lucia
Rebecca Lucia, Operating Partner, CFO, Innovation Endeavors
Plenary
09:00 - 09:15
PEI data presentation
Attendees will learn about insights found in PEI’s industry research.
Chris Tamms, Head of Network, Private Funds CFO Network, PEI Group
09:15 - 09:55
Keynote presentation: AI Implementation: Understanding this buzz-worthy technology within the private markets industry
Usama Fayyad
Hear insights from Usama Fayyad about understanding the power of generative AI in the private markets industry, determining when to adopt this technology, the intersection between human relationships and artificial intelligence and more.
Presenter:
Usama Fayyad, Inaugural Director, Institute for Experiential AI and Professor of the Practice, Khoury College of Computer Sciences, Northeastern University, & Chairman, Open Insights
Usama Fayyad
Inaugural Director, Institute for Experiential AI and Professor of the Practice, Khoury College of Computer Sciences, Northeastern University, & Chairman, Open Insights
Read bio
09:55 - 10:45
Understanding today’s C-Suite: maintaining normalcy while adjusting to technological advances
Arthy Kumar,
Jay Farber,
John Teng,
Dorothy Walter,
James Rathmell
- Balancing traditional finance activities with additional CFO-related responsibilities
- How are CFOs, COOs, & CCOs embracing technology to assist with their workload?
- Continuing to showcase the value of the CFO to other teams and leadership members
- De facto CTO: Uncovering challenges that CFOs, COOs, & CCOs face due to not having a technology background and how do they overcome that?
- Keeping up with technological evolution at an attainable pace
- Data deliberation
- How are CFOs, COOs, & CCOs playing a role in guiding the firm’s data collection and organization practices?
- Balancing the role and responsibilities of CFOs, COOs, & CCOs while simultaneously being a data resource
Moderator:
Arthy Kumar, Industry Principal for Investments, Workiva
Panelists:
Jay Farber, Director of Sales, Venture Capital and Private Equity, Juniper Square
John Teng, Director, Corporate Business Applications, H.I.G. Capital
Dorothy Walter, Partner & CFO, Alpine Investors
James Rathmell, General Counsel, Haun Ventures
10:45 - 11:15
Networking Break
11:15 - 12:10
Leveraging technology and data for fundraising and LP relations
Sajjad Jaffer,
Mark Adelman,
Robert Severo,
Nick Denton-Clark
- Organizational obstacles
- How are you managing internal investment data?
- What should firms be doing with their general industry related deal or portfolio company data?
- How are firms adjusting to the current market?
- Utilizing external and internal resources
- Demonstrating firm-wide operational excellence to both new and existing investors (i.e., investor onboarding, data repositories, reporting methods, templates, due diligence, etc.)
- Approaching operational complexities of working with different types of investors (institutional investors, high-net-worth investors, family offices, etc.) and international investors as a whole
- How can technology help GPs respond to their investor’s requests at a faster pace?
Moderator:
Sajjad Jaffer, Head of Data, Analytics and Machine Learning, GrowthCurve Capital
Panelists:
Mark Adelman, Vice President of Operations, Lovell Minnick Partners
Robert Severo, Partner & Chief Compliance Officer, Sapphire Ventures
Nick Denton-Clark, Chief Operating Officer, Kimmeridge
Breakout Panel Discussions
12:15 - 13:05
Track A: Moving away from Excel: methods and resources for performing valuations while appeasing to external parties
Ken Aseme ,
Adam Devine,
Lesly Mohr,
Christopher Franzek,
Sophie Bedoya
- Steps firms should take in order to eliminate the use Excel
- What valuable programs and software exist to assist with calculations?
- Cost/benefit to keeping valuations in house vs. outside the firm?
- Building trust: how much manual work will continue to be done once a technological process for conducing valuations is in place?
- How are firms adjusting their valuation policies and methods to meet regulatory and LP concerns?
Moderator:
Adam Devine, Chief Revenue Officer & Co-founder, Foresight Data
Panelists:
Ken Aseme, Cheif Financial Officer, MaC Venture Capital
Lesly Mohr, Vice President Finance, Voyager Capital
Chris Franzek, Managing Director, Portfolio Valuation, Stout
Sophie Bedoya, Head of Valuations, Private Equity and Venture Capital, H.I.G. Capital
Sophie Bedoya
Co-head of Valuations, Private Equity, Venture Capital, Infrastructure and Real Estate, H.I.G. Capital
Read bio
12:15 - 13:05
Track B: Balancing fund and management company workloads
Randy Randleman,
Alison Connors,
Jackie Dao,
David Mackey
- How does technology help firms circulate capital from the management company to the fund?
- Utilizing expense allocation software across the firm and between funds
- Data collection and analysis
- Using and synthesizing data to make informed decisions, set goals and track performance across the firm, funds and portfolio companies?
- Challenges with gathering portfolio company financial metrics and data
- Understanding technological capabilities and limitations when involving fund administration software or third parties to the mix
- Developing fund mechanics that align with the regulatory, tax and economic environments
- Calculating costs
Moderator:
Randy Randleman, COO & Managing Director, Sumeru Equity Partners
Panelists:
Alison Connors, Chief Financial Officer, Third Rock Ventures
Jackie Dao, Chief Financial Officer, Reach Capital
David Mackey, CFO, Catalyst Health Ventures
Networking Luncheon
13:05 - 14:05
Networking Luncheon
Breakout Panel Discussions
14:10 - 15:00
Track A: Compliance <$4B AUM: Utilizing technology to assist with ongoing regulatory updates
Rebecca Lucia,
Sarah Christensen,
Chris Fadeff
- Must have resources for managing compliance for firms <$4B
- How do firms enhance their programs?
- Building risk awareness around technology utilization (i.e., confidentiality, conflicts of interest, etc.)
- Making sure technology policies are up to date
- Getting ahold of and protecting any external firm property, knowledge and information
- Managing third parties and external software
- Vendor compliance policies
- Preparing for the inevitable: getting a grasp of the SEC’s stance on technology implementation and use of third-party providers
- What role does your firm play in overseeing portfolio company technology implementation?
- What’s next on the SEC’s agenda and how to stay ahead?
Moderator:
Rebecca Lucia, Operating Partner, CFO, Innovation Endeavors
Speakers:
Sarah Christensen, Deputy Chief Compliance Officer,
Bow River Capital
Chris Fadeff, Chief Compliance Officer & Vice President, Operations, Galvanize Climate Solutions
14:10 - 15:00
Track B: Compliance >$4B AUM: Utilizing technology to assist with ongoing regulatory updates
Lawrence Aragon,
Louis Crasto,
Drew Weilbacher,
Jason Scott
- Must have resources for managing compliance for firms >$4B
- How do firms enhance their programs?
- Building risk awareness around technology utilization (i.e., confidentiality, conflicts of interest, etc.)
- Making sure technology policies are up to date
- Getting ahold of and protecting any external firm property, knowledge and information
- Managing third parties and external software
- Vendor compliance policies
- Preparing for the inevitable: getting a grasp of the SEC’s stance on technology implementation and use of third-party providers
- What role does your firm play in overseeing portfolio company technology implementation?
- What’s next on the SEC’s agenda and how to stay ahead?
Moderator:
Lawrence Aragon, West Coast Bureau Chief, PEI – Alternative Insight
Speakers:
Louis Crasto, National Co-leader of the Fund Administration Practice, RSM US LLP
Drew Weilbacher, Managing Director, Chief Compliance Officer, TSG Consumer
Jason Scoffield, Senior Compliance Counsel and Fund Counsel, Audax Group
GP-only Peer-lead presentations
15:05 - 15:35
Portfolio company monitoring
Adrienne Mangual,
Ken Aseme ,
Michaele Gobel
Tools of the trade: unearthing the biggest operational challenges and resources to assist (GP-only)
GP attendees will have the opportunity to gather for peer-led presentations addressing some of the industry’s greatest challenges while utilizing various tools and approaches to achieve operational efficiency.
Presenters:
Adrienne Mangual, VP Finance & Operations, The Artemis Fund
Ken Aseme, Chief Financial
Officer, MaC Venture Capital
Michaele Gobel, CFO, Equilibrium
15:35 - 16:05
Networking break
Breakout Panels with Peer-to-Peer Workshops
16:15 - 16:35
Panel A: Assembling a robust technology infrastructure for private equity firms
These sessions will be more interactive than a traditional breakout panel discussion. The sessions start with a 20-minute panel discussion and will be followed by a 30-minute interactive peer-to-peer workshop. At the end of the workshop, group leaders will come back to the panel table to present key takeaways from each small group.
During this portion, our expert speakers will share their backgrounds and tips and tricks they learned while scaling their own firms
16:35 - 17:15
Workshop A
Steve Bullock,
Jessica Duran,
Ivor van Esch,
LeAnn Kilarski
During the workshop portion, the audience will be broken into small groups for peer-to-peer discussions led by the panelists. Topics for discussion in small groups include:
- What are the key drivers for technology adoption at your firm?
- Investor expectations, response to new regulatory requirements, market volatility, the need for more data, etc.
- Implementing AI
- How are firms utilizing or thinking about applying artificial intelligence amongst finance and operations teams?
- Where is human intervention needed in PE?
- What is the process for getting new technologies approved at firms?
- What types of technologies offer the most ROI for PE?
- Vendor verification: how are you sourcing and reference checking your vendors?
- What are typical budgets for new technologies at firms at various stages and with various AUMs?
- What types of technologies do you prioritize when you have a limited budget?
Moderator:
Steve Bullock, Vice President of Sales, Kyriba
Panelists:
Jessica Duran, Managing Director, Chief Financial Officer, TSG Consumer Partners
Ivor van Esch, Chief Financial and Compliance Officer, Knox Lane
LeAnn Kilarski, Chief Operating Officer, Entrepreneurial Equity Partners
16:15 - 16:35
Panel B: Assembling a robust technology infrastructure for venture capital firms
These sessions will be more interactive than a traditional breakout panel discussion. The sessions start with a 20-minute panel discussion and will be followed by a 30-minute interactive peer-to-peer workshop. At the end of the workshop, group leaders will come back to the panel table to present key takeaways from each small group.
During this portion, our expert speakers will share their backgrounds and tips and tricks they learned while scaling their own firms
16:35 - 17:15
Workshop B
Jason Miller,
Peter Keenan,
Tom Pierce,
Mary Kelley
During the workshop portion, the audience will be broken into small groups for peer-to-peer discussions led by the panelists. Topics for discussion in small groups include:
- What are the key drivers for technology adoption at your firm?
- Investor expectations, response to new regulatory requirements, market volatility, the need for more data, etc.
- Implementing AI
- How are firms utilizing or thinking about applying artificial intelligence amongst finance and operations teams?
- Where is human intervention needed in VC?
- What is the process for getting new technologies approved at firms?
- What types of technologies offer the most ROI for VC?
- Vendor verification: how are you sourcing and reference checking your vendors?
- What are typical budgets for new technologies at firms at various stages and with various AUMs?
- What types of technologies do you prioritize when you have a limited budget?
Moderator:
Jason Miller, Founder and CEO, Foresight Data
Speakers:
Pete Keenan, VP of Finance, 645 Ventures
Tom Pierce, Partner / CFO / CCO, Sorenson Capital
Mary Kelley, Chief Operating Officer, MPowered Capital
End of day one
17:15 - 19:00
Cocktail reception
Agenda
Day Two - Wednesday 9th
08:00 - 09:15
Registration & Breakfast
Private Funds CFO Network Membership Breakfast Circles
08:00 - 08:40
Emerging Manager
James Beck
Delegates will enjoy exclusive pre-conference breakfast meetings based on membership circle involvement.
James Beck, CFO, COO &
Partner, At One Ventures
08:00 - 08:40
Women
Michaele Gobel
Delegates will enjoy exclusive pre-conference breakfast meetings based on membership circle involvement.
Michaele Gobel, CFO, Equilibrium
08:00 - 08:40
Venture Capital
Chase Paxton
Delegates will enjoy exclusive pre-conference breakfast meetings based on membership circle involvement.
Chase Paxton, Director of
Finance and Valuations, NGP
Energy Capital Management
GP-Only Think Tanks
08:45 - 09:25
CFOs & COOs GP Only
Greg Lyon
Designed to facilitate candid discussion, this closed-door session for CFOs and COOs only targets the issues and challenges impacting your firm. Attendees can benchmark ideas and share best practices to help you gain solutions for common concerns facing your office. Entry to these sessions will be verified upon scanning badges at the session room.
Facilitators:
Greg Lyon, Partner & CFO, Eclipse Ventures
08:45 - 09:25
Senior Finance & Operations Executives GP Only
Anushree Bera,
Maryna Higgins
Designed to facilitate candid discussion, this closed-door session for all other senior professionals targets the issues and challenges impacting your firm. Attendees can benchmark ideas and share best practices to help you gain solutions for common concerns facing your office. Entry to these sessions will be verified upon scanning badges at the session room.
Facilitators:
Anushree Bera, Director, Finance & Platform, World Innovation Lab (WiL)
Maryna Higgins, Director of Finance, Quona Capital
Plenary
09:30 - 09:35
Chairperson’s opening remarks
Rebecca Lucia
Rebecca Lucia, Operating Partner, CFO, Innovation Endeavors
09:35 - 10:15
Keynote: Prakhar Mehrotra, Managing Director of Applied AI, Blackstone
Prakhar Mehrotra
Prakhar Mehrotra, Managing Director of Applied AI at Blackstone will join us to share how he’s helping Blackstone’s portfolio companies apply AI and capitalize on this powerful technology. You’ll learn more about how private funds can drive innovation, efficiency, and growth as Prakhar shares some of the success stories and challenges he’s encountered while integrating AI across various sectors.
10:15 - 11:05
Strengthening cybersecurity resilience at private funds
Matthew Penney,
Michele Brown,
Michael DeCaro
- How to reduce cyber risk, prevent cyber-attacks and drive secure digital transformation at the firm in an environment of increased risk
- Leveraging technology for enhanced security
- Staying compliance with cybersecurity regulations
- Building incident response policies and procedures
- How do you extend your cyber policies and procedures throughout your portfolio?
Moderator:
Matt Penney, Partner, IT, Battery Ventures
Speaker:
Michele Brown, Chief Information Officer, Grain Management
Michael DeCaro, CISO, Lightspeed Venture Partners
11:05 - 11:35
Networking break
Breakout Panel Discussions
11:45 - 12:35
Track A: Engaging with third parties & maintaining strong relationships
Adrienne Mangual,
Hadas Sparfeld
- How are GPs identifying providers that meet their needs and requirements?
- Managing third-party due diligence
- Justifying the spend on outsourcing various tasks (fund administration, compliance, data management, IT, cybersecurity, tax, etc.)
- Grappling potential growing pains when onboarding providers
- Upholding successful long-term partnerships and ensuring that outsourcing team member(s) are an extension of the firm
Moderator:
Peter Eichelberger, Director, Information Technology, Altamont Capital Partners
Adrienne Mangual, VP Finance & Operations, The Artemis Fund
Hadas Sparfeld, CFO and COO, Group 11
11:45 - 12:35
Track B: Carried interest complexities: employing technology to maintain and produce fair and equitable programs
Aileen Keaney,
Trey Block,
Brandy Morris,
Danielle Iovino
- Tools of the trade
- What is available to assist with establishing appropriate carried interest percentages and calculations?
- Showcasing individual and firm-wide carry results/breakdowns
- Managing tax, regulatory, economic and LP concerns
- Steps GPs are taking to mitigate clawback risks
- When to use U.S. or European waterfall calculations?
- Other benefits and incentives that can be offered outside of carry
Moderator:
Aileen Keaney, Chief Financial Officer, Ethos Capital
Panelist:
Trey Block, Chief Financial Officer, OrbiMed Advisors
Brandy Morris, Principal, Chief Financial Officer, AB CarVal
Danielle Iovino, CFO, San Francisco Equity Partners
Plenary
12:45 - 13:35
Strategically scaling while keeping up with industry innovation
Vineet Singh,
Kevin Gasque,
Anthony Mirabile,
Nuno Gonçalves Pedro
- Aligning the firm’s growth plan with technological advancement
- What does growth look like for various strategies and AUMs?
- How can technology help leaders shift their focus to spend time on more strategic initiatives?
- Getting a hold of the trials and tribulations of talent management as functions are evolving in today’s market (recruitment, retention, cultural shifts amidst a newer working generation, succession planning, etc.)
- The intersection between talent, technology and resourcing
- When to grow internally, scale back or enlist outside assistance?
- Deciding when it’s time to improve upon a process/system or implement new ones to increase productivity
- Demonstrating growth plans effectively to both new and existing LPs
Moderator:
Vineet Singh, Business Development, Apex Group
Speakers:
Kevin Gasque, Partner, COO, CFO & CCO, Greycroft
Anthony Mirabile, Managing Director, External Investing Group, Goldman Sachs Asset Management
Nuno Goncalves Pedro, Founder, Managing Partner, Chamaeleon
Kathryn Cicoletti, Chief Operating Officer, GroundForce Capital
13:35 - 13:40
Closing Remarks
Rebecca Lucia
Rebecca Lucia, Operating Partner, CFO, Innovation Endeavors
End of conference
13:35 - 15:00
Lunch
Pre-Event Resources
2024 Speakers
Contact Kellie Green at Kellie.g@pei.group for speaking opportunities in 2024.
Sophie Bedoya
Co-head of Valuations, Private Equity, Venture Capital, Infrastructure and Real Estate, H.I.G. Capital
Usama Fayyad
Inaugural Director, Institute for Experiential AI and Professor of the Practice, Khoury College of Computer Sciences, Northeastern University, & Chairman, Open Insights
Connect with CFOs, COOs and their teams
The Private Funds CFO conferences enable providers to highlight their unique expertise to private equity’s most influential network of c-suite decision-makers. Sponsorship gives you:
- VIP access
- Thought-leadership opportunities
- High-profile branding
- And much more …
For more information on available sponsorship opportunities please contact Josh Stoller at joshua.s@pei.group.
Where CFOs, COOs and CCOs connect, learn and grow
Value that extends beyond the event
Data & Technology attendees access unparalleled advantages that extend far beyond the scope of the event day.
With the Private Funds CFO Network membership, forum attendees expand their network, build lasting relationships and discover opportunities year-round through a personalized service plan that fits their needs.
Unlock your firm’s potential at the Forum and beyond when you join the Private Funds CFO Network.
Expand your private funds Network
Connect with a carefully curated network of private equity CFOs, COOs, and other top leaders during events year-round.
CFOs-focused professional development
Network events are specifically crafted for executive leadership, with many CPE credits available.
Stay up-to-date on industry strategies
The industry’s top CFOs gather to share their solutions to the most pressing issues at Network events. Don’t miss out on optimizing your firm.
Discover the top CFO Network
Connect with a carefully curated network of top CFOs, COOs, CCOs and other private equity decision-makers from leading firms.
The Network’s dedicated membership team will ensure your experience at the Data & Technology Forum is first class with personalized introductions and timely roundtable discussions.
Connect with top CFOs, COOs, CCOs, build lasting relationships and discuss opportunities that will help take your firm to the next level.
Stay up-to-date on the latest private market trends, compliance changes and industry-leading operational and finance strategies.
Unlock your firm’s potential for scalable growth and stay prepared for the future at the Forum and beyond with the Private Funds CFO Network.
Better connections with the Private Funds CFO Network
Purchase a 12 month membership to attend this Forum, and enjoy exclusive access to:
- Our network directory of top CFOs, COOs and other private equity leaders
- Preferential rates to attend other Network events in London, New York, San Jose and Chicago
- Invite-only peer groups, monthly virtual meetings and knowledge hubs for deeper insights
- and so much more…
Our Network makes decisions that shape markets
The Private Funds CFO Network is a trusted community of private equity CFOs, CCOs and COOs, with a wide range of resources, thought leadership and more. The Network provides members with essential information on market trends, compliance topics, regulatory insights, useful tools, online and in-person events and a comprehensive resource library. Members have access to behind-the-scenes, closed-door conversations among a community of peers who share their knowledge and expertise within our trusted Network.
Stay connected with the global communiy
Michaele Gobel
Chief Financial Officer at Equilibrium
The Network provides rich, deep content and events alongside a unique personal touch from the PEI team. I feel more engaged than ever and the Network creates no…
Karla Lombardi
Controller at InCommercial Property Group
I’ve much appreciated the High-Performance Finance teams series! It was similar to the executive coaching I’ve received at a Fortune 100 company.…
Minnie Chan
Chief Financial Officer at Instar Asset Management
It’s great to see more women’s focused events coming up in the CFO Network program. It helps to get to know other women CFOs in the industry to share best…
Michaele Gobel
Chief Financial Officer at Equilibrium
The Network provides rich, deep content and events alongside a unique personal touch from the PEI team. I feel more engaged than ever and the Network creates noticeable value for my executive team.
Marriott San Jose
301 South Market Street
San Jose, CA, 95113
All conference sessions will take place at the Marriott San Jose. We are offering hotel rooms with a discount.