WHU Private Equity Conference 2018 | Campus for Finance | 22 March 2018 | Germany

Over the last decade, Europe has become known to the world as the perpetually challenged continent. Be it Brexit, the refugee movement, or several sovereign debt crises – Public frustration and overall uncertainty have steadily increased. These incidents have revealed the fundamental structural weaknesses of the concept that constitutes the European idea. Shining across the oceanthe United States seems to be a better haven for investments due to a less restricted economy and a predominant entrepreneurial culture. However, all that glitters is not gold.

Even though investment possibilities seem to dry up in Europe, they do as well in North America and in fact, over the last years, PE investments in Europe have performed just as well as the ones in the US or even outperformed them. Nevertheless, there are many factors to be considered. The healthcare and technology industries have seemed to withdraw themselves from the past crises, while other industries have suffered severely even with strong governmental interventions. Besides, geographical factors play a vital role in the investment decision. With value and supply chains spread over the whole continent and further, any due diligence must not neglect the country's risk profile and no less the possibility of Europe breaking apart.

2018 Speakers

Birger Berendes
Head of M&A GAS, Bank of America Merrill Lynch

Kariappa (Kary) Bheemaiah
Head of Research, Uchange

Peter Chun
Founder and Managing Partner, Silverbear Capital

Dr. Michael Drill
CEO Germany, Lincoln International

Rainer Effinger
Managing Director, NORD Holding

Florian Funk
Head of Mid Market DACH & Benelux, EQT

Inna Gehrt
Head of German Office, Mandarin Capital Partners

Volker Hichert
Partner and Founder, Deutsche Private Equity

Hannes Hinteregger
Partner, Avedon Capital Partners

Georg Hochleitner
Managing Director, Alvarez & Marsal

Dr. A. Stefan Kirsten
Chief Financial Officer, Vonovia

Dr. Franz-Robert Klingan
Partner, Bain & Company

Daniel Koller
Managing Director, Ginkgo Tree Advisors

Dr. Markus Mentz
Head of Private Equity Practice Germany, Oliver Wyman

Yasir Piracha
Partner, Quadriga Capital

Helena Quinn
Private Equity Leader, SGG United Kingdom

Arndt Rautenberg
Founder & Managing Partner, Rautenberg & Company

Philipp Schack
Managing Director, Armira

Dr. Boris Schilmar
Partner & Head of Legal China Country Practice, KPMG Law

Dr. Burkhard Varnholt
Chief Investment Officer, Swiss Universal Bank, Credit Suisse

Jürgen Zapf
Managing Director, Alvarez & Marsal

2018 Sponsors

• ACXIT Capital Partners
• Alvarez & Marsal
• Armira
• Avedon Capital
• Bain & Company
• CAIA
• Capiton
• Cinven
• Coparion
• EQT
• Haniel
• JLL
• Lincoln International
• Main Capital Partners
• Nick Beteiligungen
• Nord Holding
• Oliver Wyman
• PAI Partners
• PwC
• Quadriga Capital
• Rautenberg & Company
• Roland Berger
• Strategy&
• Triton Partners
• Venture Capital@WHU
• Waterland