May 2022 Roundup: BluWave Client Insights

BluWave works with over 500 PE firms from around the globe as well as their portfolio companies and proactive independent companies, connecting them with pre-vetted, best-in-class, third-party service providers across a variety of resource and functional areas. From information technology and manufacturing to healthcare, consumer goods, and beyond, our clients are expert business builders. In other words, they have their heads in the game and their hands on the pulse of news and insights you can use.

Check out the latest, curated collection of our clients’ musings on digital transformation, PE management, human capital, and more. 

The continuous digital transformation of our world has completely changed the way consumers interact with retail brands. In this article, Macquarie dives into how new direct-to-consumer strategies are enabling brands to create personalization at scale, fundamentally changing the future experience of e-commerce.

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Ever since private equity was “institutionalized” about 40 years ago, this thriving ecosystem has grown from roughly 20 PE firms to over 5,000 in the US alone. New Mountain Capital (NMC) CEO Steve Klinsky shares NMC’s growth story, style, and path to success. Klinsky outlines a $5.7B gain from just one company and a replicable process to create value for both businesses and the economy.

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Monomoy Capital Partners investment team members, Matt Farrell (VP) and Charlie Johnson (Associate), sit down to share a little about themselves and what it’s like to be with the organization. This interview shares a peek at their company culture and the investment team.

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In honor of May being mental health awareness month, MiddleGround Capital’s Founding and Managing Partner John Stewart announced their strategic partnership with BetterHelp, the world’s largest therapy service. MiddleGround Capital is working towards ending the stigma surrounding mental health by providing these professional resources to their employees.

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ParkerGale Operating Team Partner, Jimmy Holloran, is joined by Ted Bililies, Managing Director at AlixPartners, on this episode of The Private Equity Funcast to discuss The Great Resignation, the rising prominence of talent recruitment and retention, and more.

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Here’s what some of our clients had to say last month about retail industry news, ESG, and CEO perspectives.

 

ACG InterGrowth 2022: Dealmaking Trends

ACG InterGrowth 2022, known as the premier dealmaking conference, was conceptualized to build and strengthen relationships between private equity firms and investment banks. This annual conference allows PE industry leaders to gather and discuss key trends. Last week was filled with cybersecurity, DE&I, and supply chain thought leadership conversations, plus some Las Vegas style poolside networking.

As hundreds of private equity professionals and investment bankers filled the ARIA Resort & Casino from April 25-27, 2022, our team was able to re-connect with familiar faces as well as meet new ones.

“You could feel the eagerness to be back in person the moment you arrived. From founders to deal teams to business development professionals, the atmosphere was engulfed by ideation and excitement,” says Michael Mahan, BluWave Account Management Director.

Here are some of our team’s top takeaways from our largest conference back in person:

  • Quality Deal Flow Challenges
    PE firms broadly shared that activity is slower compared to last year at this time. Our data confirms this as due diligence projects have declined YoY, from 28% of the BluWave Activity Index in Q1 2021 to now 22% in Q1 2022. While overall deal flows are beginning to increase, deal teams expressed that quality deals are hard to come by.
  • Lights, Deals, Action!
    While ‘digital transformation’ remains a top buzzword, we know that top-performing, proactive PE firms and their portfolio companies are looking to transform their businesses, not just optimize them. Industries such as manufacturing and supply chain are dependent on new technologies to scale growth and meet the industry demand post-pandemic.
  • Market Differentiation
    Building brand equity to differentiate your firm is important in today’s crowded landscape. With less quality deals in the market, it is mission critical for firms to remain top of mind with investment bankers. PE firms are finding creative ways to do this through utilizing specialized resources that can help them with their internal branding, & more.

ACG InterGrowth 2022 exceeded our expectations, and it was great to have the opportunity to connect with so many individuals in person. If you were unable to attend the conference, but are interested in connecting with us, contact us here.

BluWave Account Manager Morgan Murphy concludes, “This year’s conference was instrumental in continuing to build our relationships with PE firms face-to-face. Until next year!”