
Carmela Mendoza
New EU rules on ESG, corporate carve-outs and higher taxes driving dealflow could dominate the European private equity scene this year.
More SPACs, a return of big deals, a greater focus on the homeland and government policies to fuel economic growth are key themes to watch for this year.
Cast your vote and help decide the outcome in 71 categories making up the 2020 Private Equity International Awards.
Ben Meng stepped down from his post in August, only weeks after announcing a long-term plan to introduce more leverage and push further into private equity and private debt.
Four out of seven private equity transactions worth more than $1bn in enterprise value this year involved VC-backed companies, according to investment firm Atomico.
Almost two-thirds of investors said they expect capital calls to exceed distributions in 2021, according to a survey by Montana Capital Partners.
The industry stepped up its diversity efforts this year, with major players setting new targets for women and minorities, hiring diversity and inclusion champions and signing onto an ambitious DEI initiative.
A joint statement in March by California State Teachers’ Retirement System, Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund and UK’s USS Investment Management signaled a significant shift in reallocation of capital.
From Blackstone to Eurazeo to Partners Group, PE firms and their executives stepped up in response to the pandemic, forgoing salaries, setting up employee assistance funds and shifting capital to pandemic response companies.
For GPs, teaming up with strategic buyers and tapping assets on smaller listed indices could lead to an increase in public-to-private deals over the next year, say industry practitioners.