The Future of Private Equity

Who is earning from Private Equity, and what are the returns? How will new regulations affect the industry and who will refund it if important agents choose to leave? These are among the questions when PE researchers and practitioners come together for a conference and a symposium this week.

04.09.2012 - Hallvard Lyssand

The Argentum Centre for Private Equity was established at NHH in early 2012.The research centre is a joint initiative between NHH and players from the Norwegian financial sector in connection with the state owned investment company Argentum's 10th anniversary.

This week practitioners and academics come together at Solstrand Hotel & Bad for two days to discuss different Private Equity related topics.

The Argentum Conference 2012 takes place on Wednesday, and is followed by the Argentum Centre for Private Equity Symposium on Thursday. The former event is hosted by Argentum, while the latter is arranged by the research centre.

- The idea is to bring together practitioners and researchers and discuss issues and questions of importance for the industry. The main topics on the agenda are mostly the same for both events, but they are viewed from different perspectives, and thus we aim to create synergy between the events, says Associate Professor Carsten Bienz, who is head of the research centre.

- We've actually done this twice before under different names, first in connection with the EFA conference in 2009, and then in Stockholm in 2010. But after the centre was established it has become more formalised, he adds.

Returns and regulations

Carsten Bienz.

Times of extreme economic turmoil and uncertainty in Europe and the USA, also casts its shadow on Private Equity. In turn, several big questions need to be answered.

- One important question is what kind of return private equity investments give and how returns are shared among investors and fund managers, says Bienz.

- Another major question is the consequences of new regulations, he continues.

- Regulations both in Europe and the US have forced banks out of Private Equity and made it more difficult for insurance companies. Especially the latter have been an important source of capital, but who will fund PE if they don't?

- To ask these kind of scientific questions and find answers based on evidence is the centre's mission. Whether the answers are good or bad for the investors remains to be seen, Bienz concludes.

For further information and full programs for the conference and the symposium, please visit the following pages:

The Argentum Conference 2012 - The value of Private Equity

The Argentum Centre for Private Equity Symposium 2012