[This episode originally aired on December 7, 2023] Today on the show, I have a lively conversation with Ashby Monk, the executive director of the Stanford Research Initiative on Long Term Investing . Ashby studies the inner workings of pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and foundations — in short all of those LPs that sit somewhere in between the public and private sectors. “That means that they are optimizing for things that are not entirely evident to just the casual observer,”...
May 27, 2025•19 min
This past December, I joined the M&A Science Podcast for a wide ranging interview about my 30 year career at Bain and the evolution of the private equity industry. My host did a superb job of walking us through the pivotal moments when the industry was forced to reinvent itself. In this current moment of uncertainty, the interview serves as a timely reminder of how quickly the industry can change — and is often forced to. What you're about to hear are a few excerpts from that interview, ligh...
May 13, 2025•25 min
A 30-year veteran shares why the secondary market’s growth continues to surprise him.
Apr 29, 2025•26 min•Ep. 123
We ask a leading provider of NAV loans about the enthusiasm and the skepticism around a growing trend.
Apr 15, 2025•21 min•Ep. 122
In the second of our two-part series, we ask the Co-CEO of Hamilton Lane how they’re building an analytics engine that can serve both institutional and individual investors.
Apr 08, 2025•19 min•Ep. 121
Hamilton Lane's Co-CEO takes us inside the rapid buildout of private market infrastructure.
Apr 01, 2025•18 min•Ep. 120
In part two of our infrastructure series, we take a closer look at which sub-sectors are heating up, and how opportunities across energy and tech are converging.
Mar 25, 2025•12 min•Ep. 119
Infrastructure deals are evolving, and private capital could play a pivotal role in the space.
Mar 18, 2025•18 min•Ep. 118
Today on Dry Powder, we’re sharing a live recording from this year’s NEXUS conference in Orlando, Florida. My guest is Brian Bernasek, Co-Head of Americas Corporate Private Equity at Carlyle. We had a wide-ranging discussion about his market outlook for 2025, how he thinks about sector expertise at scale, the rising cost of alpha, and, of course, AI. Our conversation touches on many of the key themes in Bain’s Global Private Equity Report, which we've linked to below, but Brian is one of those r...
Mar 12, 2025•25 min•Ep. 117
We cover three overarching themes from this year’s report, including clear evidence of an industry recovery, continuing challenges for GP’s, and strategies for winning the future. Register for our Global Private Equity Report 2025 Webinar on March 13, here . Read the full 2025 Global Private Equity Report, here ....
Mar 03, 2025•19 min•Ep. 116
We asked the managing director of Insight Partners how they invest across venture capital, growth equities and buyouts. Register for our Global Private Equity Report 2025 Webinar on March 13, here .
Feb 25, 2025•19 min•Ep. 114
Jim Coulter reflects on the legacy of his co-founder, David Bonderman, while asking whether the industry still makes room for unorthodox investors like him today.
Feb 11, 2025•25 min•Ep. 115
In an industry where management change out rates hover around 50%, GTCR stands out as a remarkable exception.
Jan 30, 2025•21 min•Ep. 113
From strawberry-picking to brick-laying, automation is revolutionizing unexpected corners of the workforce.
Jan 14, 2025•17 min•Ep. 112
With inflation easing and public markets on the rise, the key questions are whether the Federal Reserve has overcorrected and how the new administration will impact the path to recovery.
Jan 07, 2025•24 min•Ep. 111
A few big ticket deals have raised hopes of a rebound, but investors are still wondering when deal activity will return to normal, or what normative will even look like in the coming year.
Dec 17, 2024•18 min•Ep. 110
In part two of our interview series, we explore how generative AI is prompting a radical reconsideration of how software is priced and deployed at scale.
Dec 10, 2024•14 min•Ep. 109
Hg’s head of research shares some of the more remarkable use cases of generative AI and what they reveal about the future of work.
Dec 03, 2024•23 min•Ep. 108
Healthcare IT has the potential to not only make the industry more efficient but also to revolutionize patient care.
Nov 05, 2024•27 min•Ep. 107
In part two of our interview series, we explore how private equity can continue expanding its global footprint and what it will take to thrive in a multipolar world.
Oct 22, 2024•17 min•Ep. 106
The co-managing partner of Bain Capital takes us inside of their remarkably diversified portfolio, where venture capital, private equity, real estate, and credit don't just coexist—they actively reinforce each other. If you'd like to stay up to date with my weekly series of posts on LinkedIn, you can follow me here .
Oct 15, 2024•17 min•Ep. 105
Host Hugh MacArthur takes the hot seat in this special episode about the future of private equity. You can access the original, full-length interview here . If you'd like to stay up to date with Hugh's weekly posts on LinkedIn, follow him here .
Sep 26, 2024•22 min
2024 is shaping up to be a surprisingly robust year for private equity deal activity.
Aug 29, 2024•24 min•Ep. 104
[This series originally aired on November 21, 2019] Absent certain market conditions, buyer beware.
Aug 22, 2024•19 min
[This episode originally aired on March 21, 2023] As margins shrink, private equity houses are rediscovering the vital importance of operational due diligence.
Aug 15, 2024•15 min
A small, but growing cohort of investors are taking mid-sized companies private and driving substantial margin improvements.
Jul 30, 2024•14 min•Ep. 103
Deals and exits are flat, and fundraising is down, but the real story is the tension beneath the numbers. For a deeper discussion, join our live webinar on July 9. Read Bain's 2024 Midyear Private Equity Report, here .
Jun 28, 2024•22 min•Ep. 102
Karen Khalaf, one of Bain's leading experts in sovereign wealth funds, explains how a little knowledge can go a long way on the fundraising trail.
Jun 18, 2024•17 min•Ep. 101
Jim Strang, chairman of HgCapital Trust, joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of the private equity industry. If you'd like to stay up to date with my weekly series on LinkedIn, follow me here .
Jun 06, 2024•30 min•Ep. 100
We explore a fresh approach to modeling and managing risk.
May 21, 2024•22 min•Ep. 99
