Private Equity Power Talks: Map of the Maze

The 8 Steps to AI Adoption – Graham Donoghue, CEO, Forge Holiday Group

This special episode, recorded live with 250 PE-backed CEOs at the PepTalks Conference, features Graham Donoghue’s 8 steps that have helped Forge become an AI-first business.

Graham breaks down how he has utilised AI to enhance efficiency, unlock margin, and drive real enterprise value by staying at the cutting edge of the newest tech and enabling his team to thrive.

You can download the accompanying documents here.

Greg Nieuwenhuys, Senior Partner, Generative AI Strategy

This episode of the PepTalks Podcast focuses on how PE-backed leaders can implement quick and sustainable change using Generative AI.

We are joined by Greg Nieuwenhuys, a PE-backed CEO turned Chair, and partner at Generative AI Strategy, who are actively helping PE houses and portfolio companies implement generative AI to improve efficiency, achieve companywide adoption and most importantly, drive value.

Mark Banfield, Chief Revenue Officer, TeamViewer

This episode of the PepTalks Podcast is all about building an effective sales function and driving organic growth under PE ownership. We are joined by Mark Banfield, Former CEO at 1E, which he recently sold to TeamViewer, where he now drives growth as Chief Revenue Officer.

Mark is a sales enablement and GTM expert and shares his insights on developing an organic growth plan, assessing sales team capabilities, strategic data and segmentation techniques and sales methodologies.

Andy Doyle, Chief People Officer, Kantar

Our guest on this episode of the PepTalks Podcast is experienced Chief People Officer, Andy Doyle. Andy is CPO at Kantar, the world’s leading marketing data and analytics business, who work with 96 of the world’s 100 biggest advertisers.

Andy explains the mindset of a CPO who can drive meaningful growth under PE ownership, especially when it comes to aligning the people strategy around the value creation plan.

We also discuss the emerging CPO role in AI implementation, and how both businesses and individuals need to embrace this evolving technology to get ahead of their competitors.

Pippa Begg, Founder & CEO, Board Intelligence

In this episode of the PepTalks Podcast, we are joined by Pippa Begg, Founder and CEO of Board Intelligence, Europe’s largest board technology and advisory firm.

 

Pippa and her team have helped hundreds of boards become more effective through AI-enabled board software, a capability now central to their investment thesis with PE House K1 who acquired the business in August last year.

 

Pippa shares practical insights on building a board that has the time and focus to address the issues that truly matter, as well as how to embed AI into your business in ways that drive clarity, performance, and value.

Predictions for the PE Deals Market - Tim Morris, UK CEO, DC Advisory

In this annual PepTalks Podcast episode with DC Advisory, we’re joined by Tim Morris, UK CEO, to explore the current state and future outlook of the private equity deals market.

 

Tim reflects on deal activity over the past year and shares his predictions for the next 6–12 months, providing a practical lens on what this means for PE-backed CEOs and management teams.

 

We discuss:

• What will spark the market back into life
• How to position your business to attract buyers and run a successful process
• The role of AI in shaping investor interest and valuations
• How to get the most out of your advisors at every stage of the deal

Essential insight for PE-backed management teams navigating a challenging and uncertain market.

Simon Crowe, Former CFO of ERM and Wood Mackenzie

In this episode of the PepTalks podcast, we speak with Simon Crowe, a seasoned CFO with deep experience navigating private equity-backed businesses through growth and exit. Simon served as CFO at energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie and ERM, the world’s largest sustainability consultancy, where he led the company through its fifth PE transaction, valuing the business at $2.85bn.

We dive into the fundamentals of a PE-backed finance function, including how to build a growth-oriented and finance-led business, craft board packs that support strategic decision-making, manage leverage and debt relationships effectively and cultivate a high-impact CFO–CEO partnership.

Emma Lancaster, CEO, AAB

In this episode of the PepTalks Podcast, we’re joined by Emma Lancaster, CEO of AAB, who brings a rare dual perspective as both a former CFO and now a successful CEO under private equity ownership.

Emma shares how she navigated the transition from CFO to CEO, and what she’s learned about building a high-performing partnership between these two critical roles. Emma also talks us through the M&A strategy that has driven significant growth at AAB.

Jon Andrew & Matt Lyons - The Changing PE Landscape

This episode of the PepTalks Podcast explores how Private Equity ownership has evolved and what that means for CEOs and C-suite leaders today.

Our guests are Jon Andrew and Matt Lyons, two highly experienced former Private Equity professionals who now work closely with CEOs and leadership teams through PepTalks training programmes.

They share practical insights on:

• What PE firms are really looking for in today’s market
• How to build trust and engagement with investors
• And what it takes to create a high-impact value creation plan

Whether you’re new to PE or planning your next phase of growth, this is a must-listen.

David Kassler, Group CEO, Framestore and Company 3

For this episode of the PepTalks Podcast, we are joined by Group CEO of Framestore and Company 3, David kassler…

David is an expert in taking on challenging roles and producing great results out of complex and dynamic situations. In this podcast, he recounts his journey as CEO of EMI Music, which was subject to very public industry disruption and challenging debt obligations and Williams Lea Tag, which required a strategic repositioning and transformation process resulting in two successful trade sales.