IQ-EQ Podcast

IQ-EQ’s Jack Standen sits down with Charles Peck and Mark Maynard, co-founders of boutique executive search firm March Consultants, to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on working practices within the private equity industry.

With Charles and Mark at the helm, March Consultants focuses on delivering creative hiring solutions for C-suite roles within the private equity sector and wider alternatives industry. The London-based firm places top players into leading multi-national corporations, alternative investment firms and their portfolio companies.

In this episode of The Alternative Series hosted by funds director Jack Standen, Charles and Mark dive into the working culture and recruitment-related challenges presented by this year’s COVID-19 disruption and how leaders within private equity firms are navigating and adapting to suit the ‘new normal’ in order to sustain productivity, engagement and retention.

In this episode, Serge Krancenblum sits down with Phil Davis, Director of ESG at Africa-focused private equity firm, Helios Investment Partners. Together they discuss Phil’s experience with ESG investing to date as well as his predictions for how this crucial area will continue to evolve, grow and impact the global investment sphere.

Phil Davis is a leader in his field with over 14 years of industry experience, during which he has worked on the ESG frameworks of some of the leading global private equity firms. Before joining Helios earlier this year, he was Head of Sustainability, EMEA at The Carlyle Group. 

Helios is among the trailblazers in this space, having integrated ESG considerations into its investment framework since its inception. The firm’s recent Certification B achievement is further evidence of its adherence to the highest standards of corporate governance, transparency, accountability and social and environmental performance. 

 During this podcast, Phil explains how Helios intends to further advance and expand the scope of its ESG investments and shares key insight into how ESG is shaping the world of investments.

IQ-EQ sits down with CMS Law’s Charles Kerrigan, chair of the AREF Technology Working Group, to discuss recent PropTech developments and the role that technology has to play in the real estate sector moving forward.

Technology is proving to be the answer to many of today’s challenges, including in the real estate sphere. PropTech trends were already influencing the UK real estate market, but Covid-19 may be accelerating such innovation to help overcome new pandemic-related hurdles and drive the market forward post pandemic.

In this episode, funds director Tom Miller is joined by FinTech expert Charles Kerrigan to shed some light on this interesting subject. Together they discuss the significance of PropTech for the real estate sector, the role it has to play in relation to post-pandemic market recovery and what developments are likely to have the biggest industry impact in the next 12 months.

Charles is a partner at CMS Law in London where he acts on finance and technology transactions and projects. The Blockchain Industry Landscape Overview 2018 names him as one of the UK’s leading influencers on blockchain, and he is the UK’s “recommended lawyer” for blockchain and digital technology in the UK Parliament Hub. Charles also chairs the Technology Working Group of the Association of Real Estate Funds (AREF).

IQ-EQ hosted a webinar with IFI Global, Morgan Lewis, PwC and Edelweiss Asset Management on Thursday 22 October, focused on ‘Private Debt in Asia’.

North America may be leading the region when it comes to private debt, but a number of key Asian LPs – such as Temasek and the Japan Government Pension Funds – are allocating capital to private funds. On the back of our exclusive white paper, ‘Private Debt: Expect the Unexpected’, which was launched by IQ-EQ in collaboration with IFI Global, this webinar session focuses on the key findings of the white paper from an Asian perspective.

The webinar starts with an introduction on the results and takeaways of the white paper by Simon Osborn, CEO of IFI Global, followed by a panel discussion and a live Q&A session.

The panel was moderated by Jimmy Leong, IQ-EQ’s Chief Commercial Officer for Asia. Our panellists comprised:

·       Sukanya Lal, Business Development Director, IQ-EQ

·       Joel Seow, Director, Morgan Lewis

·       Hermant Daga, President and Head, Edelweiss Asset Management

·       Anuj Kagalwala, Partner, Asset and Wealth Management Tax Leader, PwC Singapore.

ATAD 2 / BEPS and its impact on Luxembourg-based private equity funds. IQ-EQ’s third webinar in our CFO eLab series focuses on the impact that ATAD 2/BEPS will have on Luxembourg-based private equity funds. 

Moderated by Christian Heinen, Managing Director, IQ-EQ Luxembourg, we are honoured to be joined by two prestigious speakers, Raymond Krawczykowski - Tax Partner, Merger and Acquisition, Deloitte Tax & Consulting, Luxembourg and Frank van Kuijk - Partner and Head of the Investment Management Tax team at Loyens & Loeff, Luxembourg.

Can ESG metrics enhance the value of your portfolio company at exit?

Geetha Tharmaratnam, CEO of Aequalitas Capital Partners, talks about the current accelerated growth and popularity of ESG-focused funds amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Morningstar, funds that invest according to ESG (environmental, social and governance) principles attracted net inflows of $71.1 billion globally between April and June this year, pushing the total value of ESG fund assets under management to a new high of just over $1 trillion.

In this episode, our Group Executive Chairman, Serge Krancenblum, sits down with Geetha Tharmaratnam, CEO of Aequalitas Capital Partners, to discuss the surge in interest in ESG-focused funds, particularly following the disruption caused by COVID-19. Geetha further elaborates on the frameworks and processes to make a fund manager’s fund ESG compliant and the various metrics used to disclose this compliance.

Geetha is the CEO of Aequalitas Capital Partners and leads its Impact Investment practice. She advises investors, intermediaries, international development players and companies interested in creating and implementing impact investment objectives and Sustainable Development Goals in relation to investment products.

An in-depth look into the new Hong Kong LPF regime opened by Alice Lyu, ComplianceAsia / Regional Director, HFA as moderator.

You will then hear from our panelists:

·       Kenny Yeung, Business Development Director, IQ-EQ

·       Jiang Jingjing, Partner, Funds, King & Wood Mallesons

·       Vanessa Chan, Partner, International Tax and Transaction Services, Asia-Pacific Financial Services, EY

IQ-EQ’s Head of Real Estate for Luxembourg, Tamas Mark, shares his insight into real estate corporate governance issues and trends amid ongoing COVID-19 disruption

In this episode, we’re keeping this close to home as funds director Tom Miller is joined by Tamas Mark, our head of real estate in Luxembourg, to discuss corporate governance within the real estate sector in the context of COVID-19.

This conversation builds upon and provides an update following Tamas’ April article sharing tailored corporate governance guidance for each of the key real estate sectors in line with how they would likely be impacted by COVID-19 disruption. 

As we’re now a few months into the pandemic and lockdowns are gradually lifting, Tamas discusses how things are looking in the real estate space at present. From his experience as a non-executive director of client companies, he shares valuable insight into the common themes and pressing issues discussed in board meetings, key trends and changes, the role and lasting impact of technology, as well as some specific points from a Luxembourg perspective.

Tamas Mark joined IQ-EQ in Feburary 2020 with more than 15 years’ experience in the corporate services and tax industry, during which he gained significant experience managing complex real estate structures across a multitude of property sectors. He has held a number of strategic senior leadership roles, building a strong understanding of the European real estate market as well as key global client relationship management expertise. Tamas is a chartered accountant, certified tax adviser and is MRICS qualified. He is also an active member of multiple Luxembourg-based industry working groups.

Is the back office function moving forward?

In this CFO e-Lab session, we examine how the role of the private fund CFO has evolved and how their position enables them to play a pivotal role in leveraging and managing data to drive financial performance and create value.

Leading the masterclass are:

·       Shaun Collins, CFO for Europe and Asia at Apollo Global Management, one of the world’s top 10 private equity firms. Shaun joined Apollo in 2013 as European Chief Financial Officer before taking on his current role. Before Apollo, he spent 13 years at Goldman Sachs, latterly as a Managing Director and European Corporate Controller. He also previously spent four years with NatWest Bank focused on statutory and regulatory reporting for global financial markets, after qualifying as a chartered accountant in 1992 with Ernst and Young.

·       Barnaby Piggott, Founder and CEO of Holland Mountain, a leading European consulting firm that delivers operational improvements and maximises efficiency in the private equity, private debt, real estate and infrastructure sectors. Barnaby is a highly accomplished PE project specialist with more than 15 years’ experience working with PE fund managers, administrators and investors throughout Europe and the US. He has completed over 50 client engagements with leading industry names, including Coller Capital, Bridgepoint, UBS (now MUFG), IK Partners and Octopus Investments.

Silverfleet’s Chairman, Neil MacDougall, talks about the current ‘hotspots’ for alternative fund managers amid COVID-19 disruption

In this episode, our Group Executive Chairman, Serge Krancenblum, sits down with Neil MacDougall, Chairman of both Silverfleet Capital and the British Venture Capital Association (BVCA), to discuss the opportunities and ‘hotspots’ available to alternative fund managers against the backdrop of COVID-19.

While the pandemic has not spared the alternative assets sector, in all crises there are also opportunities. Neil shares his insights on the factors that have been driving the popularity of private equity and real estate. In particular, he talks about the ‘sweet spots’ that the private equity sector is well poised to take advantage of, especially in the light of accelerating digital trends, as well as the future of private equity and private credit following the likelihood of an increase in distressed debt in the current crisis.

Neil joined Silverfleet Capital in 1989, and became the firm’s fourth Managing Partner in 2004, a position he held until 2019, when he became Chairman of the firm. Having led some of Silverfleet’s most successful investments, including Finnish Chemicals and Sterigenics, Neil currently chairs the Investment Committee for Fund II and the European Development Fund. Neil is also Chairman of the BVCA, and with more than 30 years’ experience of investing in the European mid-market, his views and opinions are frequently sought by the media and industry alike. Prior to joining Silverfleet, Neil was a management consultant at Bain & Co, which he joined having read Natural Sciences and Computer Science at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge University.

BNP Paribas Real Estate’s Head of Research shares her insights on the future of office space in light of COVID-19

In this episode, IQ-EQ’s Tom Miller sits down with Stephanie McMahon, Head of Research for BNP Paribas Real Estate, to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the short- and medium-term future of office space. 

Throughout the discussion, Stephanie provides insight into the effect of COVID-19 on existing trends such as co-working and hot desking, the increased focus on redevelopment and space modification, new pandemic-related considerations around office location and common spaces, the rise of smart buildings, the renewed importance of occupier due diligence in relation to business resilience, and what all of this means for offices as an investment asset. 

Stephanie has 19 years’ experience in real estate research, strategy and insights across all sub-sectors including commercial, residential and rural. She and her team at BNP Paribas Real Estate undertake strategic insight and market analysis for all UK real estate markets, with emphasis on structural rather than cyclical market shifts. Previously, Stephanie set up and led the research team at Strutt & Parker and before that was the strategic research lead for the Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) team in the UK. Stephanie sits on the Urban Land Institute (ULI) UK Residential Council, the Investment Property Forum (IPF) Research Committee and the British Property Federation (BPF) Compact Living Committee.

IQ-EQ’s Jimmy Leong explores the rising significance of ESG investing with two leading voices in the sector

Following IQ-EQ’s appointment to administer the very first ESG-focused variable capital company (VCC) fund, GoImpact Singapore VCC, Jimmy Leong sat down with GoImpact’s founder Helene Li and investment consultant Sasja Beslik to discuss the surge in interest in ESG investing (particularly in light of COVID-19), the latest trends, opportunities and challenges in this space, and how GoImpact is driving forward the sustainable finance agenda in Asia.

Helene Li is a seasoned finance industry executive and passionate advocate for sustainable finance. After more than 10 years leading on strategic planning and marketing for the Asia-Pacific region at global financial institutions such as J.P. Morgan, Lombard Odier and BNP Paribas, Helene co-founded GoImpact in January 2019 as an action-driven ecosystem to drive forward the sustainable development agenda in Asia. Having worked in the private wealth space for most of her career, she is committed to leveraging the financial power and heart of the ultra-wealthy to make a positive social and environmental impact. She has spearheaded and curated industry recognised next-gen family business programmes and been a regular contributor to impact and entrepreneurship research throughout her career, and is now a top-ranked sustainable finance influencer.

Sasja Beslik, too, is a top-ranked influencer in this space. He is an international financial expert known for promoting sustainable finance across the world, having spent 10 years as head of responsible investments and sustainable finance for Nordea, the largest financial services group in Northern Europe. He joined sustainability-focused Swiss private bank J. Safra Sarasin in 2019, taking up the newly created role of Head of Sustainable Finance Development. He was named ‘Sustainability Leader of the Year by The New Economy magazine in 2017. In 2013, he received the Order of the Seraphim from the King of Sweden for outstanding contributions to Swedish environmental and sustainability theory.

IQ-EQ is pleased to introduce the first in our new CFO e-Lab Series, focused on Singapore’s new variable capital company (VCC) regime, which launched in January 2020. 

The session explored: Is the Singapore VCC creating new opportunities for asset managers looking to unlock ASEAN markets?

Feng Fumin, Deputy Director at MAS provided an overview of the Singapore funds landscape and share insight into the development and detail of the VCC framework.

Mark Voumard, Founder of Gordian Capital shared his own experience with the VCC structure and discuss its practical advantages.

IQ-EQ’s Hugh Stacey discusses the impact of COVID-19 on fund managers with Foot Anstey’s Karl Bradford 

Amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis, our Head of Investor Solutions, Hugh Stacey, caught up with Karl Bradford, a legal director at Foot Anstey LLP in the UK, to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on fund managers 

IQ-EQ hosted an exclusive webinar, in collaboration with Real Deals, on Tuesday 28 April 2020.

The topic of discussion was “The growing importance of technology in the current private equity landscape” with the panel moderated by Real Deals.

IQ-EQ’s Justin Partington and Hugh Stacey were joined by Barnaby Piggott from Holland Mountain, Neil Mehta from DWS and Rajen Shah from 17 Capital.

IQ-EQ's Serge Krancenblum recently appeared on the Flex and the City podcast, hosted by FTC Global's Rachel Treece, to discuss his career journey, the importance of having both the IQ and the EQ and how having courage and conviction to take risks can lead to success for financial services firms. 

IQ-EQ hosted an exclusive webinar, in collaboration with Real Deals, on Wednesday 18 March, in conjunction with the launch of our Real Estate white paper.

The topic of discussion was “Are investments in real estate an effective hedging tool against the current global economic environment?”.

IQ-EQ’s Stuart Pinnington was joined by Alastair Balfour, Partner at Metric Capital Partners, Ian Houston, Partner at St Bride’s Managers and Stephanie McMahon, Head of Research and Senior Director at BNP Paribas Real Estate.