2022 Agenda
Registration and morning coffee
Chairperson’s welcome and opening remarks
Talya Misiri, Editor, Real Deals
Opening panel session
State of the market: what does the future look like for mid-market debt?
- War in Ukraine, supply chain disruption, energy prices, rising interest rates and inflation: how are the macro headwinds affecting the cost, availability, and appetite for debt?
- What has been the impact on existing portfolios?
- What strategies are managers using to take advantage of the bifurcation in the market?
- Predictions for 2023: how will the market adapt through a potential downturn?
Moderator: Andy Kolacki, Partner - Banking & Finance, Mayer Brown
Eric Gallerne, Managing Partner - Private Debt, Eurazeo
Stuart Hawkins, Managing Director, Ardian
Richard Oliver, Partner, Ares Management
Amyn Pesnani, TDO Investment Advisory
Panel session
Borrowers’ perspective: sourcing debt in today’s crowded market
- What are the biggest changes that have been seen in terms of sourcing finance over the past 12 months? How easy has it been to secure funding?
- What rates should borrowers expect? How do you determine what ‘normal’ looks like in a rapidly changing market?
- Traditional vs. non-traditional debt: which do borrowers prefer and why? What are the pros and cons of each type of financing?
- Relationship lending: does it really exist or is lending purely transaction driven? What are the key characteristics borrowers look for in a lender?
Moderator: Talya Misiri, Editor, Real Deals
Philip Edmans, Partner, Inflexion Private Equity
Michael Fletcher, Commercial Director, Independent Growth Finance
David Merriman, Head of European Private Debt, Beechbrook Capital
Coffee & networking
Panel session
Analysing the mid-market lending landscape
- How competitive is mid-market lending today? What is the role of banks, debt funds, insurance companies and alternative lenders?
- How are lenders differentiating themselves beyond pricing and documentation?
- What factors separate good sponsors from bad? Has COVID-19 impacted who and what lenders will finance moving forwards?
- How are lenders competing in the context of innovative products?
Moderator: Stuart Brinkworth, Head of Leveraged Finance Europe, Mayer Brown
Mat Deering, Partner, Tosca
Walid Fakhry, Co-Managing Partner , Soho Square
Tristan Nagler, Partner, Aurelius
Ian Sale, Senior Director, Leveraged Finance, HSBC
Natalia Tsitoura, Partner, Apollo Management International
Panel session
Fundraising: how are investors viewing the opportunity set in private debt?
- How is the macro environment affecting fundraising? To what extent has investor sentiment shifted in the face of inflation and rising interest rates?
- How are investors allocating to private debt? What structures and products are investors using to gain access to the debt markets?
- How are investors assessing the risk/return profile of specialist versus conventional debt strategies?
- How are investors’ selecting their debt managers? What are the key elements to look for?
Moderator: Talya Misiri, Editor, Real Deals
Claire Madden, Founder & Managing Partner, Connection Capital
John Stake, Co-Head Fund Investment Team, Hamilton Lane
Francesco di Valmarana, Partner, Pantheon
David Wilmot, Founding Partner, Apera Asset Management
Case study
Loan servicing: how large asset managers handing over their portfolios is gaining traction
Serenity Morley, Head of Loan Servicing Europe, Mount Street
Lunch & networking
(running concurrently)
WORKSHOP STREAM A: Loan restructuring and workouts
- How to efficiently structure workouts
- Managing defaults and dealing with enforcement issues
- Are restructuring and creditor negotiations the only way to clear indebtedness?
Discussion leaders:
Matthew Callaghan, Senior Managing Director, FTI Consulting
Amy Jacks, Co-Head Restructuring, London, Mayer Brown
WORKSHOP STREAM B: Analysing the growing importance of ESG in debt strategies
- What are investors’ expectations for engagement of ESG?
- How far has the implementation of ESG come?
- How are sustainability metrics being included in decision making?
Discussion leaders:
Alan O’Dea, Associate Director, Beechbrook Capital
Paolo Morrone, Vice President, Private Debt, Tikehau
Coffee & networking
Panel session
Beyond traditional sponsor-backed lending: the rise of specialty and niche finance
- How are you originating for sponsorless deals?
- How does origination now compare to 2 or3 years ago?
- Don’t sponsorless deals mean you are competing with PE houses?
- How is diligence on execution evolving?.
Moderator: Kimberly Romaine, Director, Private Equity Communications
Luca Di Rico, CEO, Racing Capital
Nick Holman, Director, Kartesia
Joe Petrusic, Director, All Seas Capital
James Stirling, Fund Manager, Westbrooke Alternative Asset Management
Champagne roundtable discussions
A: Asset-backed lending (ABL) - Michael Fletcher, Commercial Director, Independent Growth Finance
B: Fund finance and NAV loans - Stephen Quinn, Co Head of Credit, 17Capital and Adam Grimsley, Investment Director - Private Credit, abrdn
C: ESG’s role in debt strategies - Cedric Rozier, Investment Director and ESG Lead for Private Credit, abrdn
D: Venture and growth debt strategies - Craig Netterfield, Managing Partner, Columbia Lake Partners