Teresa Bernstein
Chief Operating Officer, General Counsel, and Chief Compliance Officer, ACON Investments
Private Funds
CFO
Network
CFO
Network
Private Fund Compliance Operations Forum
New York 2024
November 19-20, 2024
Convene, 360 Madison Avenue, New York
Exploring the role of the private funds CCO
The Private Fund Compliance Operations Forum is a collaboration-first event for compliance professionals to benchmark their processes and bring new strategies back to their firm.
Across two days you’ll take a deep dive into vital strategies needed to meet the evolving non-legal and regulatory expectations for your role.
This Forum is essential for all compliance professionals to discuss how SEC rules are being applied, improve your firm’s practices, and ensure your firm is on pace with the rest of the industry.
Hear from compliance experts this November
Why the Private Fund Compliance Operations Forum?
Benchmark against peers
Benchmark your back-office operations against peer organizations and learn how they are writing their AI, cyber, and data policies.
Build a cohesive strategy
Improve your firm’s risk and data management, cybersecurity, tech solutions, LP relations and much more.
Broaden your understanding
Expand your knowledge base of all things related to the SEC to help guide your firm forward.
Hear straight from an SEC examiner
Brian Caravello
Exam Manager, Private Funds Unit
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Join us on day one for an exclusive fireside chat with Brian Caravello as he delves into the SEC’s exam priorities for 2024.
This session will cover:
- Common misconceptions about the SEC’s focus areas
- Key trends and recent changes in their approach to exams
- Issues that are most frequently referred to enforcement
- How to properly prepare for an exam
- Key takeaways from recent sweeps
“Event was a great opportunity to hear from three important constituents: SEC staff, industry advisors, and peers in the trenches who deal with the same challenges I deal with.
“
Daniel Gewanter, Kohlberg & Co
“The selection of topics were all very relevant and it was helpful to learn of insights from the panels…”
Eli Oh, Crow Holdings Capital
Featured speakers
2024 attendees included:
Build an expansive knowledgebase
Collaborate with your peers through conversational sessions to solve the biggest issues facing the industry. Topics of discussion include:
- What to expect when you’re examined and how to prep
- Talent implications for complying with the private fund adviser rules
- Cybersecurity protocols that reduce exposure across your portfolio
- Firmwide risk management strategies
- And more…
View agenda page
Agenda
Day 1 - Tuesday 19th
Registration - Breakfast
08:00 - 09:00
Registration and Breakfast
Pre-Conference Breakfast Meeting
08:00 - 08:50
Breakfast Meeting
Tara McCarthy,
Jason Scoffield
A 15-minute panel discussion followed by a 30-minute interactive conversation between moderator, panelists and audience members.
Bringing along the troops: Communicating and training with employees approaches and processes that work
- Tailor training and information based on job function
- Evaluate effectiveness of different formats (e.g., live, recorded, written, in person or hybrid) for different outcomes
- Maintain ongoing communications with employees
- Completing training for compliance violations
- Engagement of senior leaders and establishing the importance of trainings
Panelists
Tara McCarthy, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, Nitorum Capital
Jemima John, VP, Compliance, Shamrock Capital
Jason Scoffield, Chief Compliance Officer, Audax Group
Plenary
08:55 - 09:00
PEI Welcome
Brian Anderson, Senior Conference Producer, Private Equit International
09:00 - 09:05
Welcome Remarks
Bruce Karpati,
Joann Harris
09:05 - 09:50
Keynote – Fireside Chat SEC Examination Illumination
Laura Ferrell,
Brian Caravello
- Addressing common misconceptions about what staff are doing
- Surveying 2024 exam priorities, especially recent trends or changes
- Identifying issues that are most often referred to enforcement
- Illuminating what proper and improper proactive preparation looks throughout process
- Providing the latest key takeaways from sweeps
Moderator
Laura Ferrell, Partner, Latham & Watkins
Keynote
Brian Caravello, Exam Manager, Private Funds Unit, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Roundtables | Peer-driven conversations, facilitated by two industry leaders. Throughout the session, facilitators will rotate tables every 30 minutes to ensure all delegates discuss each of the three roundtable topics.
09:50 - 11:20
Compliance considerations during fundraising (Large Departments)
Heather Zuzenak
- Where to go for research and guidance
- What is your role during fundraise
- How to review and approve marketing materials
- Milestones for backwards planning
Heather Zuzenak, Chief Compliance Officer, Advent International
09:50 - 11:20
Protocols and solutions to off-channel communications (Large Departments)
- What technologies work and don’t work
- Explore user-friendly systems for maximum adoption and impact
- Learn why certain protocols work or don’t work
- What’s the ease of review once assortment records are being maintained accurately and completely
- Identifying and mitigating risks and how much is enough
- Discuss nuances of rules (e.g. screen captures)
- What does compliance do with additional data and does it comply with protocols you have in place already
Facilitator
Bradley West, Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel, Pritzker Private Capital
09:50 - 11:20
Ongoing operations throughout the year that ensure SEC exam readiness (Large Departments)
Jae J. Lee,
Michael Henry
- Get the most out of your mock exams and audits
- Having the business ready for exam throughout year through continuing monitoring of processes
- Get compliance buy in from the rest of your firm and ensure they are doing their job
- Define and observe proactive transparency
Facilitators
Jae Lee, SVP, Internal Audit & Compliance Monitoring, Brookfield Asset Management
Michael Henry, Senior Managing Director, Chief Compliance Officer, Wafra
09:50 - 11:20
Compliance considerations during fundraising (Small Departments)
Jacqueline Cangero
- Where to go for research and guidance
- What is your role during fundraise
- How to review and approve marketing materials
- Milestones for backwards planning
Facilitator
Jackie Cangero, Counsel, GI Partners
09:50 - 11:20
Protocols and solutions to off-channel communications (Small Departments)
- What technologies work and don’t work
- Explore user-friendly systems for maximum adoption and impact
- Learn why certain protocols work or don’t work
- What’s the ease of review once assortment records are being maintained accurately and completely
- Identifying and mitigating risks and how much is enough
- Discuss nuances of rules (e.g. screen captures)
- What does compliance do with additional data and does it comply with protocols you have in place already
Facilitator
Vivian Hadis, General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer, Odyssey Investment Partners
09:50 - 11:20
Ongoing operations throughout the year that ensure SEC exam readiness (Small Departments)
Michele Reing,
Nha-Uyen Hua
- Get the most out of your mock exams and audits
- Having the business ready for exam throughout year through continuing monitoring of processes
- Get compliance buy in from the rest of your firm and ensure they are doing their job
- Define and observe proactive transparency
Michele Reing, CFO, COO and CCO, Long Range Capital
Nha-Uyen Hua, Compliance Director, Carlyle
Break
11:20 - 11:50
Networking Break
Plenary
11:50 - 12:40
Set up your compliance department for success
Renata Malavazzi,
Lindsay Antoniello,
Karen Hager
- Stay abreast of regulatory environment
- Develop customized policies and procedures
- Develop a robust training program
- How to partner with the business
- Determine how much to use outsourcing vs. in house
- Emphasizing the importance of networking and partnerships
- What experience, expertise or credentials, beyond a law degree, are needed to balance out group
Renata Malavazzi, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, Paine Schwartz Partners
Lindsay Antoniello, Managing Director and Deputy Chief Compliance Officer, TPG
Karen Hager, CCO, Blue Owl Capital
11:50 - 12:40
Hear from leaders from other departments on cross-departmental collaboration to manage risk
- At what point is compliance expected to interact to create timely and efficient interactions ·
- Breaking down silos and building alignment
- Where does compliance get it right and where do they get it wrong
- Common pain points across platforms and how to resolve
- Designing programs that are practical but provide what SEC needs
- Development of appropriate committees
- Training and awareness approaches that work
Lunch
12:40 - 13:40
Luncheon
Think Tanks | GP ONLY gatherings for candid discussions in a closed-door setting. Join your peers for candid discussions in a closed-door setting, with no media, vendors, or service providers in the room.
13:40 - 14:35
CCO
Designed to facilitate candid discussion, this closed-door session for CCOs 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. Expect to address most pressing matters facing CCOs post PFAR and post election.
13:40 - 14:35
Senior-level professionals
Designed to facilitate candid discussion, this closed-door session for senior compliance 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. Expect to address most pressing matters facing CCOs post PFAR and post election.
Workshops | These sessions are more interactive than a traditional breakout panel discussion. The sessions begin with a 25-minute panel discussion and are followed by a 35-minute interactive peer-to-peer discussion group. In the final ten minutes group leaders will come back to the panel table to present key takeaways from each small group.
14:35 - 15:40
Build tech-enabled compliance programs and AI
Junaid Subhan,
John Jacobs
- How should you use AI for public facing material
- Examine criteria and approval process that should be used
- Explore potential use cases and limitations and possibilities of AI
- Weigh the pros and cons of creating technological tools in house
- Discuss how AI may be used to eliminate forensic processes and testing, including NDA reviews
- Discuss different technologies peers are using or not using and why or why not
Junaid Subhan, Vice President, Legal Affairs and Chief Compliance Officer, Sagard
John Jacobs, Managing Director, Chief Compliance Officer and Deputy General Counsel, Gryphon Investors
Sabina Haq, Chief Compliance Officer, Atalaya Capital Management
14:35 - 15:40
Compliance strategies for using third-party technology
Haris Vrahliotis,
James Gaven
- Defining what you are trying to accomplish
- How to identify and familiarize yourself with the third-party technology landscape
- What does your vendor management plan look like
- Assess/review security environment of tools
- Address issues related to adoption (ease of use, relevance)
- Evaluate cost/benefit of using technology
Panelists
Kevin Rooney, Managing Director, Cerberus Capital Management
Haris Vrahliotis, Compliance Director, Towerbrook Capital Partners
James Gaven, General Counsel & CCO, SK Capital Partners
Break
15:40 - 16:10
Networking Break
Roundtables
16:10 - 17:00
Hone your annual review process and testing strategies
Jerry Sanchez
- Areas of focus among compliance teams
- Frequency and scope of testing
- Engagement of third-party consultants
- Timing, completion and documentation of annual reviews
- Best practices for your annual review
Moderator
Kathleen Servidea, General Counsel and CCO, Gallatin Point
Panelists
Darilyn Olidge, General Counsel and CCO, Brightwood Capital Advisors
Jerry Sanchez, CCO, New Enterprise Associates
16:10 - 17:00
Wearing multiple hats
Lisa Costello,
Eve Mongiardo,
Michael Altschuler
- Learn what other hats are peers wearing (IT, ESG, Office Admin, CFO)
- Keep compliance issues in the foreground
- Streamline and manage multiple projects/tasks with technology that works for you
- Opportunities and resources to keep abreast of trends and developments
Panelists
Lisa Costello, CAO, CCO & Managing Director, HCI Equity Partners
Eve Mongiardo, Chief Financial Officer, Blue Wolf Capital Partners
Michael Altschuler, General Counsel, Comvest Partners
Plenary
17:15 - 18:00
LP Panel: LPs share their perspective on their view of what makes a good compliance program
- What do they like to see in a compliance program during due diligence
- What are common areas of deficiencies
- What are best practices in compliance programs
Moderator
David Richards, Senior Director, Alvarez & Marsal
End of Day One
18:00 - 19:00
Networking Reception
Agenda
Day Two - Wednesday 20th
Registration - Breakfast
08:00 - 08:50
Registration and Breakfast
Breakfast Meetings | 15-minute panel discussions followed by a 30-minute interactive conversation between moderator, panelists and audience members.
08:00 - 08:50
Breakfast Meeting A: Firmwide risk-management strategies
Adan Araujo
- Distinguish between compliance risks and risks that are operational Assessment and re-assessment of key vendors
- Create and evaluate processes and policies to mitigate risks
- Hear common risks associated with different risk types
- Determine which safeguards to prioritize and when and how to implement them
- Best practices for post-PFAR and post-election (what to expect from federal government)
Panelists
Jennifer Mello, General Counsel and CCO, Altamont Capital
Adan Araujo, Senior Managing Director and Chief Compliance Officer, Jasper Ridge Partners
Michelle Bergman, General Counsel & CCO, Vestar Capital Partners
08:00 - 08:50
GP-Only Breakfast Meeting B: Technology potluck: Peer-to-Peer reviews of technological tools and service providers
Nate Saint Victor
- Comprehensive compliance software
- Discuss tracking LPA, side letters, and political contributions
- IR systems and modules, including marketing materials
- Third-party software monitoring
- Vendors for off-channel communications
Moderator
Nate Saint Victor, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, Engine No. 1
Workshops | These sessions are more interactive than a traditional breakout panel discussion. The sessions begin with a 25-minute panel discussion and are followed by a 40-minute interactive peer-to-peer discussion group. In the final ten minutes group leaders will come back to the panel table to present key takeaways from each small group.
09:00 - 10:15
Workshop A: Prepare for your exam and learn how to conduct your firm
Leigh Rovzar ,
Daniel Gewanter,
Erin Nelson
- Determine your firm’s exam team composition
- Hear examples of firm’s steps and priorities when preparing
- Trends in referrals to enforcement and how to avoid it
- Hear lessons learned from sweeps
- What procedures should you have in place
Moderator
Aaron Gilbride, Partner, Latham & Watkins
Panelists
Leigh Rovzar, Partner, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, BayPine LP and Declaration Partners LP
Daniel Gewanter, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, Kohlberg & Company
Erin Nelson, Regional Head Compliance, Americas, Partners Group
Usman Shakeel, General Counsel and CCO, Wind Point Partners
09:00 - 10:15
Determining to use compliance consultants and other third parties
Adam Freedman,
Letti de Little,
Devin Holden
- Questions to ask consultants when vetting/selecting and red flags to watch for
- Questions to ask yourself when determining what level of outsourcing you want
- Pros and cons of using regulatory arm of law firm vs using an independent consultant
- Strategies for supervising consultants
- Benefits and challenges related to off-shoring
Adam Freedman, Managing Director, Chief Compliance Officer, Harbourvest
Letti de Little, Chief Compliance Officer, Grain Management
Devin Holden, Chief Compliance Officer, NovaQuest Capital Management
Break
10:15 - 10:45
Networking Break
Plenary
10:45 - 11:35
Keynote Fireside Chat Succeeding to and in the role of CCO
Bruce Karpati,
Joann Harris
- Pathways to leadership and what figures into success
- Dealing with frictions that are inherent to the CCO role
- Effect changes with your teams and cope with disruptions
- Trends in exam preparation and systems that ensure preparedness
- Key points for implementing new regulations
Bruce Karpati, Partner, Global Chief Compliance Officer, KKR
Joann Harris, Firm Partner and Chief Compliance Officer, TPG
Carousel - Efficiencies, best practices and hacks
11:35 - 12:45
Carousel
Brian Anderson
A hybrid of the roundtable and think tank formats, groups will share best practices in three areas. Each table will report back to the whole group the key practices in one category.
Processes
People
Technology/Data Management
Brian Anderson, Senior Conference Producer, PEI Media Group
Plenary
12:50 - 13:40
Cybersecurity protocols that minimize risk
Giulianna Ruiz,
Teresa Bernstein,
Noah Becker
- Hear lessons learned from conducting pen testing and tabletop exercises ·
- Establish live and recorded trainings that bolster security ·
- Review impactful technological tools ·
- Increase awareness and get buy in from board and other stakeholders ·
- Most critical procedures that you should have in place ·
- Working in concert with CTO ·
- Balance safeguards with the needs of company to work efficiently
Giulianna Ruiz, Partner, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, Trilantic North America
Teresa Bernstein, Chief Operating Officer, General Counsel and CCO, ACON Investments
Noah Becker, VP and CFO, LLR Partners
Lunch
13:40 - 14:40
Luncheon
Lead the discussion in 2024
Firms leading the discussion in 2024 include:
- Brookfield Asset Management
- HCI Equity Partners
- KKR
- And more…
Have a topic you would like to discuss at this year’s forum? Contact Brian Anderson at brian.a@pei.group to discuss speaking opportunities.
Teresa Bernstein
Chief Operating Officer, General Counsel, and Chief Compliance Officer, ACON Investments
John Jacobs
Managing Director, Chief Compliance Officer and Deputy General Counsel, Gryphon Investors
Kevin Rooney
Managing Director, Senior Compliance Officer, and Associate General Counsel, Cerberus Capital Management
Pre-Event Resources
Connect with a community of CFOs, COOs and senior finance executives
The Private Fund Compliance Forum offers a unique opportunity for providers to engage and connect with senior compliance professionals in the private equity sector through thought leadership, networking, and more.
For exclusive sponsorship packages for 2024, contact Josh Stoller at joshua.s@pei.group or call +1 646 970 3923.
2024 Sponsors
Make essential connections
Be a part of the largest gathering of compliance leaders in the industry. Over two days you’ll build up your book of contacts while discussing solutions to shared challenges with this expansive community.
Join compliance professionals from 100+ firms as they discuss SEC best practices and how to strategically prepare your firm.
Sessions promoting collaboration
Breakfast meetings and think tanks
Cover critical issues and exchange solutions on curated topics with your peers at our breakfast meetings and GP-only think tanks.
Networking breaks
Catch up with your peers to build your network and discuss session takeaways during the many designated networking breaks.
Workshops
More hands-on than a traditional panel, our workshops start with a 25 minute discussion followed by a 40 minute peer-to-peer workshop.
Participants at a glance
“Great networking opportunities, interesting topics, and fabulous guest speakers.”
Alexandra Maisel, Sun Capital Partners
“One of my go-to events each year due to the timely program content and excellent panelists.
“
Liz Staley, Leerink Capital Partners
2024 attendees included:
Advisory Board
Teresa Bernstein
Chief Operating Officer, General Counsel, and Chief Compliance Officer, ACON Investments
Venue
Traveling from out of town and need a place to stay? Check out some of the hotels near the venue here.
Thanks for your interest
Thank you for your interest in this year’s Private Fund Compliance Operations Forum. Your requested resource will be emailed to you shortly.
Explore our event website for more information and be sure to secure your place when ready. We hope to see you at the forum this November in New York.
Stay ahead of new compliance regulations
Swap strategies for building an effective compliance program through engaging roundtables, think tanks, and collaborative workshops. Learn how to create cybersecurity protocols, fundraising strategies, and training programs tailored to your needs.
Join a community of compliance leaders
Meet with the largest gathering of compliance experts during peer-driven conversations at this year’s forum. You’ll learn how your peers tackle key issues, ensuring your firm stays aligned with industry standards.
Hear from KKR, TPG, and SEC keynote speakers
Hear from KKR and TPG about exam prep trends, coping with disruptions, and new regulations. Meet Daniel Faigus, the SEC’s Senior Specialized Examiner, Private Funds who will discuss proactive strategies considering enforcement actions, risk alerts, and more.
