OUR GUEST SPEAKERS

Amelia Rosenberg

Vice President, Advent International

Amelia Rosenberg joined Advent in 2021 and is a Vice President in London. She is a member of the Limited Partner Services Group and focuses on investor relations and fundraising activities.

Prior to joining Advent, Amelia worked at G Square Healthcare Private Equity, where her responsibilities included sourcing new transactions and working with existing portfolio companies. Before that, Amelia worked as an Investment Banking Analyst on the Healthcare team at Rothschild & Co.

Amelia holds a BA (Hons) in Political Economy from King’s College London.

Danielle Candfield

Director, Hg Capital

Danielle is responsible for leading its Customer Success function. This means execution of all of Hg’s client facing activities, including driving fundraising process, client communications and events, and ensuring Hg’s clients receive best-in-class service across the board. She has been involved in all of Hg fundraisings since 2011, and previously led Hg’s co-investment syndication efforts.

Danielle has been at Hg for 14 years, after starting her career in corporate finance at Gleacher Shacklock in their M&A, ECM and debt restructuring teams. Danielle holds a degree in Economics & Management from the University of Oxford.

Michail Zekkos

Partner, Global Co-Head of Technology

Michail is Global Co-Head of Technology, serves on the Investment Committee and chairs the Portfolio Review and Realisation Committee for the Buyout Funds. He also headed Permira's London office from 2019 to 2022.

He focuses on buyout and minority growth investment opportunities in the Technology sector, with a particular focus in software.

He has worked on a number of transactions including The Key, Mimecast, Curriculum Associates, Teraco, Exclusive Group, Netafim, GoCardless, Sysdig, Tract and Findus Italy, and currently serves at the board of The Key, Mimecast, Exclusive Networks, Sysdig and Curriculum Associates.

Prior to joining Permira in 2007, Michail worked for eight years in technology investment banking at JPMorgan in London.

Qualifications

Michail has degrees in Political Sciences and Economics from Athens Law School, Greece, and the American College of Greece, respectively. He also holds a Master's in Economics and Finance from Warwick Business School, England, and an MBA from INSEAD, France.

Peter Lockhead

joined ICG in June 2017 and is a Managing Director and Portfolio Manager of the Senior Debt Partners strategy

Prior to joining ICG, Peter was the Portfolio Manager for Avenue Capital’s direct lending business in Europe, having joined Avenue in September 2012 to establish that business. Previously Peter was a Managing Director and Head of Sponsor Leveraged Finance at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and before that a Managing Director in the Financial Sponsor Coverage and Leverage Finance groups at Merrill Lynch. Previously, he worked for Barclays Capital in their Leveraged Finance & Sponsor Coverage Group and NatWest Markets in their Acquisition Finance team.

Peter received a first class honours degree in Banking and Finance from Loughborough University.

Ralph Schlosstein

Chairman Emeritus of Evercore, the global investment banking advisory firm, Senior Advisor to Warburg Pincus, the global private equity firm and Chairman of Hill Castle, the investment vehicle for the Schlosstein-Hartley family

Prior to 2022, Mr. Schlosstein served as co-chairman of the Board of Directors and co- CEO of Evercore, positions he held since July 2020. Prior to that, he served as president and CEO of Evercore for more than 11 years.

Prior to joining Evercore, Mr. Schlosstein served for twenty years as the President of BlackRock, the largest asset management firm in the world, with more than $11.5 trillion of assets under management.  Mr. Schlosstein co-founded BlackRock in 1988, was a director since the company went public in 1999, chaired BlackRock’s management committee and was a member of the executive and investment committees.

From 1981-1988, Mr. Schlosstein worked in investment banking at Lehman Brothers, the last four years as a managing director. From 1974 until early 1981, Mr. Schlosstein worked for the US Government, the last four years as an Associate Director of the White House Domestic Policy staff under President Carter

In addition, to being a trustee of Lincoln Center, Mr. Schlosstein is a director of New Visions for Public Schools and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Previously, he was a member of the Visiting Board of Overseers of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University; a trustee of Denison University; a trustee of Trinity School in New York City; a trustee of the American Museum of Natural History; and a trustee of The Public Theater in New York City.

He graduated cum laude with a B.A. from Denison University and completed his coursework for a Master of Public Policy from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh.

Bawa Kiwanuka

Principal in the Capital Markets team

Bawa Kiwanuka is a Principal in the Capital Markets team. He joined Apax Partners in 2021 and is currently based in London. 

Prior to joining Apax Partners, Bawa was a Vice President in HSBC's Leveraged Finance and Acquisitions Group in London, where he advised both private equity and corporate clients. Previously, Bawa was an Associate in Credit Suisse's Investment Banking division in New York and focused on M&A and financing transactions in the Global Industrials Group. 

Bawa holds an MBA from New York University's Stern School of Business. He also holds a BBA in Finance and Marketing from the University of Miami.

Franziska Kayser

Joined KKR in 2011, a member of the European Private Equity team where she leads TMT activities

Franziska Kayser is a member of the European Private Equity Investment Committee and Portfolio Management Committee. Prior to joining KKR, she worked in the investment banking division of Credit Suisse in London. Ms. Kayser holds a B.A. with First Class Honours from McGill University, Canada.

Andrew Fairbairn

Executive Vice President, SEO USA

Andrew Fairbairn is the Senior Vice President of SEO, overseeing SEO’s five professional programs: Career, Tech Developer, Alternative Investments, Law, and Leadership Institute.

Andrew has been involved with SEO for almost three decades, beginning in 1995 as an SEO Career intern for Lehman Brothers, which launched his career in finance, consulting, and executive leadership. In 2000, Andrew co-founded SEO London while on assignment with Deutsche Bank, and after many years on the board of directors, he became the CEO in 2016. Under his tenure at SEO, Andrew oversaw the growth of all SEO London programming. Andrew knows firsthand the power and impact of SEO and believes that SEO is a “powerful vector for hope in our society.”

Andrew’s upbringing has been influential throughout his life and has solidified his focus on racial equity and social justice. Although he was born in Massachusetts, Andrew spent his first 10 years in Jamaica, West Indies, in his mother’s hometown. He moved back to the Boston area for middle school and high school. Being mixed race, Andrew is simultaneously an insider and an outsider in many of the conversations on race and differences in our society. Throughout his formative experiences, he saw how systemic factors can be limiting for so many individuals and communities, which solidified his commitment to ensuring opportunity is available to all.

Andrew brings an entrepreneurial and cross-industry perspective to his role and is passionate about seeing young people succeed.

Helene Schutrumpf

Founder, Drake Advisory

Helene Schutrumpf is the founder of Drake Advisory, a specialist placement and advisory firm supporting private market managers and deal sponsors in raising institutional capital. Ms Schutrumpf is an accomplished private markets fundraising and investor relations leader with 15 years of experience raising capital from top-tier institutional investors worldwide. Having worked both as a consultant and in-house, she is a trusted partner to CEOs, CIOs, and investment committees, known for delivering targeted, efficient fundraising strategies and cultivating long-term investor relationships. Her background in investment bank proprietary trading brings a risk-aware, investment-led perspective to capital formation. She has raised capital across private equity, private credit, and real estate strategies.

Suzana Perić

Managing Director and Co-Head of Sourcing & Origination, Oaktree

Ms. Perić is a managing director in Oaktree’s Sourcing & Origination group, focusing on private credit sourcing and deal origination across Europe. She joined Oaktree in 2023 from Bridgepoint Credit (previously EQT Credit), where she served as a managing director and Head of Origination and Opportunities for its opportunities fund and built the fund’s pan-European origination function. Previously, Ms. Perić led Santander’s EMEA Loan Sales team across project finance, real estate, leveraged finance, corporates and infrastructure. In her early career, she worked at HSH Nordbank, Natixis and Hamburg Hafencity. She graduated from ESCP Europe Business School (London/Madrid) and holds an M.A. in philology from the University of Hamburg, Germany. Ms. Perić is a native German and Croatian speaker, and business fluent in Spanish.

Ric Lewis

Executive Chairman and Chief Investment Officer of Tristan Capital Partners

Ric Lewis is Executive Chairman and Chief Investment Officer of Tristan Capital Partners, an independent real estate investment management firm with €16 billion of assets under management across the UK and continental Europe. Ric founded the firm in 2009, continuing the collaborative track record he established with former partners at Curzon Global Partners/ AEW Europe, a €20+bn real estate private equity company (1998‐2008) where he played a leading role in their European expansion.

Ric was awarded the 2021 Urban Land Institute (ULI) European Leader Award for his contribution to urban development and real estate. Ric is the only two‐time recipient of Real Estate Private Equity Professional of the Year 2013 and 2015; and he ranked first in the JP Morgan/EY Powerlist 2019 as the UK’s most influential person of Afro‐Caribbean heritage. In 2019, Ric was also included in Facebook’s global list of ‘50 over 50’ of the world’s leading entrepreneurs and innovators.

In 2009, Ric founded The Black Heart Foundation dedicated to improving educational access, quality, and outcomes for underprivileged young people. The foundation has provided educational scholarships to over 850 Black Heart Scholars at 160 intuitions completing 155 degrees, courses, training, and education programmes throughout the UK (and US).

Ric also serves on a number of Boards, including Trustee of the Royal National Children’s Springboard Foundation and Non‐Executive Director of Legal & General Group Plc. In 2024, Ric joined the Board of Trustees of The Earthshot Prize and in July 2025, Ric was appointed Chair of The Crown Estate.

Ric graduated from Dartmouth College and Harvard Business School and holds an Honorary Master’s Degree from Dartmouth College. He has dual British and American citizenship and has resided in London since 1998 with his two daughters.

Charlie Tafoya

Co-Founder and CEO, Chronograph

Charlie is the Co-Founder and CEO of Chronograph, provider of next-generation portfolio monitoring and reporting solutions to private capital LPs and GPs. He previously was a private equity secondaries investor with Pantheon Ventures and investment banker with Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Charlie is an SEO alum and current mentor of both the Investment Banking Career program and Alternative Investment Fellowship and joined the SEO Junior Leadership Board in 2018.

SEO Investment Banking Career Alum 2008, Mentor

SEO Alternative Investments Fellow 2012, Mentor

SEO Junior Leadership Board 2018

Joanne Yoo

Partner, Development Partners International (DPI)

Joanne Yoo is a Partner at Development Partners International (DPI), a leading Pan African private equity and venture investment firm with over $3 billion under management targeting investments in high growth and innovation-led companies across the continent. DPI’s successful track record includes a long-term approach to investing with a focus on value creation, and partnering with strong management teams, while delivering returns for leading global investors. Ms. Yoo serves on a number of Advisory Boards and Investment Committees including the endowment of the Executive Leadership Council endowment. In 2020, Ms. Yoo was appointed by the Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to the Investor Advisory Committee. Ms. Yoo’s industry contributions have garnered global recognition, including being named one of Private Equity International’s Women of Influence in 2024, and receiving the 2023 Influential Women in Institutional Investing award by Pension & Investments.

Dami Lalude

Managing Director, Bregal Sphere

Dami Lalude is a Managing Director at Bregal Sphere, the impact investing platform of Bregal Investments, investing in climate and nature-based solutions. Prior to joining Bregal, Dami was a senior investment professional with Helios Investment Partners where she was part of the founding team of the firm’s climate impact fund.

She started her career in investment banking at Goldman Sachs where she worked in European mergers & acquisitions and high-yield capital markets.

Dami is currently an independent member of the Ethical Investment Advisory Group of the Church of England. She holds an MEng in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College (first class honours) and received her MBA from Harvard Business School.

Philipp Freise

Co-Head of European Private Equity at KKR

Philipp Freise is Co-Head of European Private Equity at KKR. Philipp led KKR's investments in FGS Global, Superstruct, Axel Springer SE, BMG Rights Management, Fotolia, GetYourGuide, GfK SE, Leonine, Mediawan SAS, Scout24 Switzerland and Trainline, and played a significant role in various other KKR TMT and German transactions. Prior to joining KKR, Philipp worked at McKinsey & Company and subsequently co-founded Berlin-based venture investment firm Venturepark, Europe's first pan-European incubator.

Assia Belkahia

Partner, Antin Infrastrucure Partners

Assia Belkahia joined Antin in 2017 and is based in London.

Ms. Belkahia holds board positions for CityFibre, the UK’s largest independent full fibre network; Wildstone, Europe’s largest owner of outdoor media infrastructure; Hippocrates, the leading Italian independent pharmacy platform; Consilium Safety, a global leader in safety management infrastructure; and Aquavista, the UK’s largest marina infrastructure owner and operator.

Ms Belkahia led the feasibility phase, preparation, and launch of Antin’s NextGen infrastructure strategy.

Prior to joining Antin, Ms Belkahia worked at CPP Investments, where she focused on core infrastructure.

Ms Belkahia began her career in mergers and acquisitions at Rothschild and holds an MSc in Business from ESSEC Business School.

Dana Haimoff

Managing Director, JP Morgan Asset Management

Dana Haimoff, a managing director, joined the Private Equity Group in 2002. She is a senior portfolio manager in the London office.

Ms Haimoff is responsible for sourcing, due diligence and monitoring private equity primary venture capital, growth and buyout funds, as well as secondary and co-investment opportunities, on behalf of the group’s commingled and separate account funds.

She currently serves on a number of private equity limited partner advisory committees.

Ms Haimoff is the co-founder of Level20, a not-for-profit organisation established to encourage women to succeed in the private equity industry. She is also a member of the British Venture Capital Association’s Limited Partner Committee.

Ms Haimoff is a director on the boards of JPMorgan Asset Management International Ltd and JPMorgan Asset Management (UK) Ltd, and is responsible for the firm’s Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SMCR) coverage for EMEA Alternatives.