Preview your onsite experience
The Forum agenda is built around the issues operating partners are working through now, spanning value creation across tech, GTM, finance, operations, and talent. Download the agenda to see how those discussions take shape.

For more information about the 2026 program or to inquire about speaking at this year's event, please contact  Marc Mele at marc.m@pei.group.
Download the agenda (opens in a new tab)
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5:30 PM
  1. Pre-Event Welcome Reception (invitation-only for operating partners)
    105 mins
    Join the operating partners attending the NY Forum at our opening reception. Exchange insights with your peers in a relaxed setting and build your connections before the Forum kicks off.
7:15 PM
  1. Pre-Event Dinners (invitation-only for operating partners)
    105 mins
    Join us for private networking-style dinners designed exclusively for value creation team leaders, functional specialists and generalist operating partners attending the NY Forum. You will receive an …
7:30 AM
  1. Registration and breakfast
    30 mins
8:00 AM
  1. Think tanks for full-time operating partners: value creation war rooms (invitation-only for operating partners)
    40 mins
    These closed-door discussions led by your peers will allow you to learn and share best practices of successful operating partners with your peers.   Think Tank 1 Human Capital/Talent Operating Partner …
8:40 AM
  1. Breakfast deep dive discussion 01 (invitation-only for operating partners) Putting AI aside, what makes a great operating partner team today?
    40 mins
  2. Breakfast deep dive discussion 02 (invitation-only for operating partners) Commercial value creation roadmaps across the lifecycle: high impact execution
    40 mins
  3. Breakfast deep dive discussion 03 (invitation-only for operating partners) AI builder value creation workshop — what every operating partner needs to know and do
    40 mins
  4. Breakfast deep dive discussion 04 (invitation-only for operating partners) What makes a great portco CFO in the age of AI?
    40 mins
  5. Breakfast deep dive discussion 05 (invitation-only for operating partners) The evolution of due diligence and its impact on VCPs
    40 mins
9:20 AM
  1. PEI’s welcome and chairman’s opening remarks
    20 mins
9:40 AM
  1. Panel 01 The shift from financial engineering to commercial engineering — the new pathway to value creation
    40 mins
    A conversation with the legends of value creation: • The views of 100+ Operating Partners—how the role is changing and where is it heading next? • What's driving the shift to “commercial engineering”? …
  2. Panel 02 The PE backed CEO: what does great look like in the age of AI?
    40 mins
    • How is the CEO mindset evolving, and what skills do leaders need to successfully lead in an AI-focused world? • How can leaders successfully reframe AI strategy to focus on making faster, better bus …
10:20 AM
  1. Panel 03 Case study: how operating partners and portco executives deliver value creation in tandem successfully
    40 mins
    • A first-hand case study revealed: operating partners and a portco management team together on stage will share their value creation journey: what worked and what didn’t
  2. Panel 04 The rise of AI operating partners and the future of value creation
    40 mins
    • Sharing career paths/journeys to becoming a PE AI Operating Partner • AI Operating Partner-Tech/Digital Operating Partner dynamics: how these roles impact each other now and how it will change how v …
11:00 AM
  1. Networking break
    20 mins
11:20 AM
  1. Panel 05 Driving alignment and buy in as operating partners with your deal teams and management teams
    40 mins
    • Sharing success stories as operating partners driving alignment internally and with your portcos • What makes the operating partner — management — investment team relationship work • What are the bi …
  2. Panel 06 Unlocking AI-adept leadership for the portfolio
    40 mins
    • Building and developing AI-ready leadership teams for your portfolio companies • How do you assess AI leadership readiness? What are some key signals that indicate potential risks in AI readiness an …
12:00 PM
  1. Panel 07 DNA of a successful portCo CFO: a central lever for value creation
    40 mins
    • Sharing experiences from work within portfolio companies with CFOs, and hands-on support strengthening finance leadership
  2. Panel 08 Accelerating pre-exit value creation: an operating partner’s guidebook
    40 mins
    • Exit readiness: what you need to know • Overcoming roadblocks and accelerating the right initiatives: what are you mostly focused on? • How are you most effectively working with management teams to …
12:40 PM
  1. Interactive Working Group 01 (for operating partners only) | Progressive approaches to hiring and assessing AI talent at your companies
    40 mins
    • What is the archetype of a Head of AI to hire? Who leads AI at your organizations and what do AI org charts look like? • What key AI roles are you focused on recruiting for your companies? What role …
  2. Interactive Working Group 02 (for operating partners only) | Brand as a value creation lever — what operating partners are missing post-close
    40 mins
    • A strong brand strategy accelerates commercial outcomes, supports premium positioning, improves talent acquisition, and contributes to stronger multiples at exit • How to reposition your brand for g …
  3. Interactive Working Group 03 (for operating partners only) | How tech/digital operating partners align and deliver value creation with AI operating partners
    40 mins
    • Tech operating partner-AI operating partner collaboration and alignment: comparing models
  4. Interactive Working Group 04 (for operating partners only) | Working with CEOs in today’s climate: operating partner insights
    40 mins
    • What are the biggest challenges when working with CEOs today? • What makes a great CEO from a PE alignment and value creation mindset point of view? • What are the skills and traits necessary to suc …
  5. Interactive Working Group 05 (for operating partners only) | AI’s impact on operating partner-deal team dynamics and the future of PE
    40 mins
    • How is the role of the operating partner and deal partner evolving with the rise in application and implementation of AI in PE? • How will AI impact future dynamics between operating and deal teams? …
1:20 PM
  1. Lunch discussion 01 (invitation-only for operating partners) | Driving value through pricing excellence: sector perspectives
    60 mins
  2. Lunch discussion 02 (invitation-only for operating partners) | A “do-no-harm” approach to health plan focused value creation
    60 mins
    • Why a standardized process will be more effective than a standardized product/vendor mix • How to minimize broker and vendor friction/disruption • How to think about timing, timelines, and value exp …
  3. Networking Lunch
    60 mins
2:20 PM
  1. Track 01 The Chief of Staff as a value creation engine in private equity
    40 mins
    • The execution gap in PE portfolios: why value creation plans often stall post-close due to stretched leadership teams, lack of cross-functional ownership, and limited change management capacity • Th …
  2. Track 02 Case study: best practices for capturing the full value from pricing
    40 mins
    • Reasons why pricing upside is not fully captured at most companies, and approaches to make it happen • Describing the overlooked value creation upside in the last 12-18 months of ownership • Sharing …
  3. Track 03 Spotlight interview: What I learned as a tech operating partner in 10+ years
    40 mins
    • How is AI changing the role of the tech and digital operating partner? What comes next? • Sharing genuine career advice from 10+ years to help tech and digital operating partners on their journey • …
  4. Track 04 CFO and finance function optimization for exit readiness and success
    40 mins
  5. Track 05 The fundamentals of value creation for mid-market PE
    40 mins
3:00 PM
  1. Track 06 Unlocking AI for talent acquisition and retention: what are you doing?
    40 mins
    • What are your main concerns and challenges of using AI in recruitment? • Leveraging and comparing AI tools for recruiting, interviews, benchmarking and scorecards • Sharing practical use cases of wh …
  2. Track 07 Commercial due diligence: strategic groundwork for long-term growth
    40 mins
    • How do operating partners work with deal teams on commercial due diligence? How do you influence the deal process? • What are the biggest challenges associated with commercial due diligence? How hav …
  3. Track 08 AI/data-driven operational value creation in industrials
    40 mins
    • Unlocking value for PE-backed industrial/manufacturing services companies identify and through advanced analytics/AI/IoT and other operational technologies • Working with leadership teams to uncover …
  4. Track 09 Spotlight interview: What I learned as a finance operating partner in 10+ years
    40 mins
    • Sharing genuine career advice from 10+ years to help finance operating partners on their journey • What are some unique war stories from your journey? What accomplishments/success stories are you mo …
  5. Track 10 Operating partners on boards: the role, the opportunities, and the fundamentals
    40 mins
    • How are you making an impact as an operating partner on boards? • Exposing dynamics, dos, and don’ts for value creation leaders on boards • Looking at the evolution of boards: what is new? compositi …
3:40 PM
  1. Break
    10 mins
3:50 PM
  1. Track 11 Comparing human capital operating partner models and functions
    40 mins
  2. Track 12 Commercial excellence 100-day plans: getting it
    40 mins
    • Creating a repeatable 100-day commercial value creation acceleration engine • Getting your data in shape to unlock commercial transformations early • How is AI impacting and accelerating commercial …
  3. Track 13 The modern portco CTO: uncovering excellence in the age of AI
    40 mins
    • Can you share examples of what makes a great AI focused CTO? • How do AI operating partners align and work best with CTOs? What are the biggest challenges for CTOs? • What do we expect to see in fut …
  4. Track 14 LOI: using AI to find, size, and capture procurement value at every stage of the deal
    40 mins
    • AI-powered due diligence: sizing the procurement prize before you sign — how operating partners are using AI to analyze spend data, benchmark supplier contracts, and model savings potential during d …
  5. Track 15 The data dividend: turning portfolio-company data into a valuecreation asset the AI labs will pay for
    40 mins
    • Why portfolio-company data has become valuable to frontier AI labs, and who is buying • What operational and workflow data labs will actually pay for, and what they will not • How operating partners …
4:30 PM
  1. Track 16 Chief Transformation Officers as a key lever in value creation
    40 mins
    • Understanding the importance of this role to drive transformation across functions • How are they pushing and overcoming roadblocks and challenges to implement transformation • How are they prioriti …
  2. Track 17 The fundamentals of AI commercial value creation: most urgent challenges and high impact opportunities
    40 mins
    • Uncovering how top teams are building AI into their revenue systems • How are leading companies making the commercial shift and overcoming the challenges of implementations? • Sharing real examples …
  3. Track 18 Cyber challenges and opportunities in the age of AI
    40 mins
    • The new cyber-attack surface GenAI creates across portfolio companies • Data exposure risks and emerging threats: how to stop it • Securing innovation: practical frameworks for AI cyber governance
  4. Track 19 Supply chain and procurement playbooks: unlocking opportunities for transformation
    40 mins
  5. Track 20 Sharing successes and wins of value creation initiatives in different sectors
    40 mins
    • Operating partner value creations war stories across companies in different sectors • What is replicable across sectors? What makes your sector unique in delivering value creation vs others? • What …
5:10 PM
  1. End of day one and grand reception
    70 mins
7:45 AM
  1. Registration and breakfast
    15 mins
8:00 AM
  1. Think tanks for full-time operating partners: value creation war rooms (invitation-only for operating partners)
    45 mins
    These closed-door discussions will allow you to learn and share best practices of successful operating partners with your peers.    Think Tank 1 New Operating Partners (1-2 years in PE)   Think Tank 2 …
8:45 AM
  1. Breakfast deep dive discussion 06 (invitation-only for operating partners) | How leadership has changed: coaching for high performing executives today
    40 mins
  2. Breakfast deep dive discussion 07 (invitation-only for operating partners) | What does a high impact commercial leader look like in the age of AI?
    40 mins
    • How has the role of Chief Revenue Officers and commercial leaders changed in the age of AI? • What are new commercial skills and traits needed today? • How will the role keep changing and evolving i …
  3. Breakfast deep dive discussion 08 (invitation-only for operating partners) | The portfolio engineering playbook: repeatable modernization across the book
    40 mins
    One portco win is a project. Twenty is portfolio capability. Most PE firms can land an engineering win at one portfolio company, but few systematize it across the book. Here we will discuss how firms …
  4. Breakfast deep dive discussion 09 (invitation-only for operating partners) | Alignment to deliver value creation with CFOs: operating partner views
    40 mins
    • Maximizing finance value creation with strategic partnerships from day one to exit • What does a great CFO look like today? What does a great finance operating partner look like today? • What are th …
  5. Breakfast deep dive discussion 10 (invitation-only for operating partners) | The five pillars of value creation: what every operating partners needs to do
    40 mins
    • How do you treat management team quality as a direct return lever? • How do you translate the value creation thesis into the annual operating budget? • What does a rigorous Full Potential Plan look …
9:25 AM
  1. Chairman’s welcome
    5 mins
9:30 AM
  1. Keynote: how macro trends are shaping private equity and value creation
    40 mins
10:10 AM
  1. Spotlight interview: What I learned as an operating partner in 10+ years
    40 mins
    This dynamic interview will allow our audience to hear key insights from Cory Eaves’ journey in value creation. The audience will also be allowed to submit questions about what they would like to hear …
10:50 AM
  1. Networking break
    20 mins
11:10 AM
  1. Investment partner and operating partner views on VCP alignment
    40 mins
    • How are deal partners most effectively working with operating partners? How are operating partners most effectively working with deal partners? • What are the biggest challenges when it comes to ach …
11:50 AM
  1. Heads of value creation teams: how are you thinking about the future?
    40 mins
    • How is your operating team structured? Did you grow your operating team in recent years and is your team still growing? • How are you measuring operating partner/team performance across the lifecycl …
12:35 PM
  1. Interactive Working Group 06 (for operating partners only) | Assessing and building high-performance management teams: how are you thinking about it?
    40 mins
    • Identifying strengths and gaps to mitigate investment risk • When to swap out the whole team and when not to, when to make C-suite changes and when not to • What does a high performing and aligned m …
  2. Interactive Working Group 07 (for operating partners only) | Operating partner-LP dynamics: dos and don’ts
    40 mins
    • How are you showcasing value creation and operating partner performance to LPs? • How to best engage with your LPs: how do you build trust? How do you effectively communicate with them? Can you shar …
  3. Interactive Working Group 08 (for operating partners only) | The new and revised 100-day VCP playbook: what has changed and what must stay
    40 mins
  4. Interactive Working Group 09 (for operating partners only) | Cash excellence and financial discipline in PE-backed companies
    40 mins
    • Discussing effective communication and regular measurement in cost transformation initiatives • Maintaining a relentless commitment to cost reduction targets and the need to be prepared to find cost …
  5. Interactive Working Group 10 (for operating partners only) | Navigating extended hold periods: key steps to best position your companies
    40 mins
    • How have extended hold periods impacted your role as an operating partner at your firm? What have you done to address these challenges? • What levers for value creation are most important in an exte …
1:15 PM
  1. Lunch discussion 03 (invitation-only for operating partners) | The data center effect: how AI infrastructure is reshaping value creation across PE portfolios
    45 mins
  2. Lunch discussion 04 (invitation-only for operating partners) | Operating partner perspectives: how to create alignment and synergies with investment partners
    45 mins
  3. Networking Lunch
    45 mins
2:00 PM
  1. Track 21 How operating partners collaborate across functions to deliver the VCP: sharing what’s real and actionable
    40 mins
    • Clear strategies for engaging portfolio leaders: share successful strategies to engage portfolio leaders, ensuring the goals are both ambitious and achievable • Key metrics for value realization: di …
  2. Track 22 Personalizing and refining your GTM playbooks
    40 mins
    • GTM tech practical use cases and implementations at your portcos • Uncovering GTM tailored playbooks: how has your playbook evolved over the years? • What do you focus on most in your GTM strategy a …
  3. Track 23 The evolution of the human capital function in the AI Revolution: dissecting past, present, and future
    40 mins
    • AI practical uses today: how do you identify core human capital value creation to dos with AI: scorecards, templates, interview guides, innovative projects • Where is AI less invasive/relevant in hu …
2:40 PM
  1. End of conference
    20 mins