Private Equity Talks

Real Deals Media

For over 25 years, Real Deals have been the independent voice of European private equity providing essential market intelligence, deal information, and insight to Europe's leading GPs, their advisers, & LPs.

The Drawdown provides vital insight and analysis for operational professionals in private equity and venture capital. Our mission is to empower & celebrate operational professionals who ensure funds are managed in a robust and compliant manner, lead on in-house technology strategies, regulations & compliance, ESG, & other vital functions that ensure the well-being of the industry.

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79 episodes
Updated April 15

Episodes79

Newest first

April 15 · 25 min
TOTO: Succession battlescars
In this episode of Top of the Ops, The Drawdown team speaks to Glen Roberts, director and co-founder of Aria Partners, a recruitment firm focusing on fund finance and operation placements.
March 6 · 28 min
TOTO: Levelling up
In this episode of Top of the Ops, The Drawdown team speaks to Gurpreet Manku, CEO of Level 20, the leading industry body for women in private equity.
January 7 · 32 min
TOTO: The transfer window
In this episode of Top of the Ops, The Drawdown team speaks to Aidan O’Flanagan of Highvern about the drivers and challenges related to fund admin transfers.
Nov 19, 2025 · 33 min
TOTO: Day of the debt
In this episode of Top of the Ops, The Drawdown team discusses competition between lenders in the fund finance market with Mirza Mulic of HSBC Innovation Banking. Lots of debt providers see opportunities in a growing market but how much will the market remain driven by relationship as it continues to expand and innovate?
Oct 6, 2025 · 31 min
Top of the Ops: Retail therapy
In this episode of Top of the Ops, we take a look at how private markets’ ‘retailisation’ efforts are progressing. We interview Tim Boole, head of product management and co-head of structuring at Schroders Capital, about the growing popularity of evergreen structures and how managers are coping with the operational burdens associated with serving greater volumes of wealth investors. While it is the largest managers who account for the bulk of this market activity, are they setting templates that the midmarket will want to follow?
Jul 23, 2025 · 24 min
Top of the Ops: Have a CTO at it
In this episode of TOTO, we look at how private markets managers are investing in their tech and data teams to meet future challenges. We interview Josko Grljevic, the chief technology officer at Mayfair Equity Partners and hear his views on ROI for in-house tech spend and how GPs should move to a 'rent' rather than 'buy' model for software. Grljevic is Mayfair's first ever CTO and it is a role that remains rare in the midmarket, so we also ask him about the drivers for this strategic hire.
Jun 9, 2025 · 30 min
Top of the Ops: The Indies
This episode of the podcast takes a look at independent sponsors, their unique operating models and why LP interest is rising After The Drawdown’s attempt earlier this year to raise our own fund but eventually pivoting to the deal-by-deal model, TOTO sits down and discusses alignment with LPs, valuations and independent sponsors in the spotlight. For this episode, we sat down with Jason Howard, COO/CFO and partner at Headway Capital Partners to unpack the topic from his unique perspective as both a GP and LP for independent sponsors, specifically.
May 19, 2025 · 30 min
Top of the Ops: Price of nothing, value of...
The latest episode looks at the roles of accountability and technology in developing a standardised and transparent valuations process Following our tour through GPs’ valuation studios, TOTO sits down and discusses the findings, in light of the publication of the FCA’s review of valuation processes which pointed towards independence and managing conflicts of interests as areas of improvement. We speak to Ryan McNelley, managing director and EMEA portfolio valuation leader within Kroll’s valuation service line, about the roles technology and accountability play in creating a standardised and transparent valuation process.
Apr 14, 2025 · 25 min
Top of the Ops: Filling you in
TOTO takes another trip to the DORA dentist to see if there is any greater clarity on the implications of the EU’s latest mega-regulation, following its less than perfect introduction in January 2024. We speak to Adrian Whelan, managing director and global head of market intelligence for investor services at Brown Brothers Harriman, about how he has been advising his clients on DORA, and the opportunities the regulation presents to the best prepared managers.
Feb 26, 2025 · 21 min
Top of the Ops: Tick Tick Boom!
In the first episode of Top of the Ops in 2025, The Drawdown’s editorial gang discusses the importance of operational due diligence and how it is weighed differently depending on whether a firm is an emerging or established manager. Following on from our recent cover story ‘ODDenheimer’, we speak to Peter Haskopoulos, founder and managing director of Petra Funds Group, who regularly works with emerging managers. We discuss the particularities of ODD for emerging managers and what they can do to prepare.
Jan 9, 2025 · 27 min
Top of the Ops: NAV faith
In this episode The Drawdown team discusses the chances of defaults for NAV facilities raised against a PE buyout fund. Given the chasm between perceptions of market participants and market observers on the risk of these facilities, could the truth lie somewhere in the middle? Following on from our recent cover story Anatomy of default, we speak to Samantha Hutchinson, partner at King & Spalding, about the risk of default for NAV facilities, why these transactions are coming under increased regulatory and press scrutiny and whether the fund finance industry requires greater transparency.
Oct 31, 2024 · 29 min
Top of the Ops: Generation yap
This latest episode of Top of the Ops sees The Drawdown team assess the challenges of succession planning in PE operations. As the industry elders enter retirement, how can firms ensure the next generation of CFOs and COOs are prepared to take over? Picking up from our recent cover story, No country for old men, we speak to Khuram Bajwa, director at executive search firm One Ten Associates about how to hire future operational leaders and ensure your team has the right balance between specialists and generalists.
Sep 23, 2024 · 25 min
Transatlantic alignment
In this episode of Top of the Ops, The Drawdown team debates whether the operations of US private funds are beginning to look more European due to regulatory and investor pressures. Following on from our recent cover story, Bridging the Atlantic, we investigate whether the global nature of private markets means the gap between the US and Europe in terms of operational complexity has narrowed, despite the SEC’s proposed Private Fund Adviser Rules being quashed in court. To help us analyse the difference between US and European operations, we speak to Amy Knapp, partner and COO at Corsair Capital, a US-based firm that also has a team in London.
Aug 5, 2024 · 27 min
Top of the Ops: Diverse Ecosystems
The latest episode of Top of the Ops, The Drawdown’s podcast in which the editorial team discusses a recent cover feature, is all about diversity and inclusion. In the corresponding article - Ecosystemic Change - we investigate the commonly accepted narrative that LPs are the main drivers behind DEI initiatives in private equity and what GPs can do to make the industry more inclusive for everyone. Enter: Lucie Mills, partner for value creation and ESG at Northedge. Her focus is on creating an inclusive environment. Because if your firm is inclusive, diversity will naturally follow. Lucie’s thoughts guided the editorial team in this episode of TOTO.
May 22, 2024 · 29 min
Top of the ops: Me, myself and AI
The Drawdown trio tickles your eardrums once more, with our monthly podcast accompanying our latest cover feature. This time, we talk about gen AI trends. But with some substance - trust us. The cover story, entitled Strength Tr -AI- ning, examines how technological innovation is linked with operational resilience. It focuses on the emerging use of gen AI in operations with Microsoft Copilot, legal tech and in valuations processes. We attempt to satiate our avid listeners with what the cover feature did not have scope for: addressing AI risk management techniques and adopting the appropriate guardrails. For this, we were guided by our conversation with CTO at Sure Valley Ventures, John Frizelle. Click on the link to listen to what John has to say.
May 2, 2024 · 30 min
Top of the ops: Be young, be foolish, be PE?
The Drawdown team is back again, this month discussing talent attraction and retention in private equity. Following on from a recent cover story on PE’s relative attractiveness as a career destination, we speak to Kerry Heaton, chief people officer at Hg, about how her firm is adapting its offer to younger generations. We assess how central the promise of carried interest is to PE’s appeal and how GPs are working hard to create the right culture for their employees.
Mar 26, 2024 · 21 min
Top of the ops: Who was the Third Party?
The latest from your favourite PE operations editorial team! In this episode, we’re talking fund finance and credit rating agencies off the back of The Drawdown’s latest cover feature. The issue gave shape and form to the ominous third party which has recently sneaked up on the fund finance marketplace. In conversation with Gopal Narsimhamurthy, managing director and global head of fund ratings at KBRA, we discuss his view on the increase of rating providers in this space, what it means for industry dynamics and the role agencies play in private equity. Whether or not this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship, we’re too early in the story to say. But one thing is certain: Credit rating agencies are here to stay.
Mar 5, 2024 · 22 min
What do LPs want?
In this podcast, Real Deals is joined by British Patient Capital’s Christine Hockley to discuss the importance of patient capital, what VCs must do to appeal to LPs and how GPs can build a value proposition that aligns with their investors’ interests.
Feb 29, 2024 · 32 min
Podcast: The struggles of ESG reporting
In this exclusive podcast, Real Deals reporter Xhulio Ismalaj is joined by Richard Burrett, chief sustainability officer at early-stage cleantech investor Earth Capital, where he also holds a board director position. During the discussion, he covers the breadth of competing reporting requirements, the volume of activity it creates for GPs, the importance of materiality and the inherent issue with ESG reports as they currently are. To find out more about the topic, check out Real Deals’ recent article on ESG reporting below, in which we speak to representatives from ICG, Livingbridge and Suma Capital.
Feb 21, 2024 · 33 min
Top of the ops: Is the grass evergreener?
Your favourite PE operations editorial team is back! This time, the trio tackles evergreen fund structures, off the back of The Drawdown’s latest cover feature on the challenges of setting up semi-liquid fund structures for traditionally closed-ended fund managers. The Drawdown speaks to Luc Maruenda of Eurazeo, who explains how to set up an evergreen structure. We discuss the complexities of managing liquidity expectations, potential investors to target, navigation fluctuations in the economy, and much more. The hows and whys of the strategy are uncovered, but the decision to launch an evergreen fund remains up to you.