Everyone’s talking about... Redefining Value Creation in PE

The nature of value creation in private equity is undergoing a significant transformation, shifting from traditional financial engineering to a focus on operational and strategic excellence. As the industry evolves, high-impact leaders are embracing new methodologies to drive growth and innovation.

With our alumni host, Mike Ettling, this discussion will explore what these changes mean for professionals seeking to lead or advise in high-growth, high-stakes environments. Share your insights into the new playbooks for value creation across different fund types, the evolving leadership roles within portfolio companies, and the opportunities emerging at the intersection of private equity, digital transformation, and ESG.

Join us to understand how you can transition into or grow within PE environments by grasping the evolving leadership value proposition.

About your Speaker

Mike Ettling is the former CEO of Unit4, a leading global enterprise software company, where his focus on vision and culture has helped grow and transform the business into a true cloud company during his tenure. Mike is also an operating Partner with Advent International, one of the world’s largest and most experienced Private Equity investors. In his role at Advent Mike helps identify new investment opportunities in the enterprise technology sector and oversees keey initiatives across portfolio companies. Mike is highly regarded as a global thought leader in the IT, HCM and cloud software industries, holding several non-executive roles including his position as Chairman of SYSPRO, a leading global ERP software provider for the manufacturing and distribution industries. He is known as a leader who builds and motivates world class teams, champions diversity, and exudes a deep passion for how technology can transform the workplace and empower individuals to realize their full potential.Prior to joining Unit4 in 2018, Mike was President of SAP SuccessFactors, a leader in cloud human capital management (HCM) software. His previous roles included Chief Executive for NGA HR (now Strada), and several senior executive positions at Unisys.Mike is a proud South African, father, and sports fanatic, avidly supporting the Springboks and Liverpool Football Club in particular. Mike holds a Master's in Finance from London Business School and is a graduate of the University of Witwaterstrand, South Africa.

About the Series

The Alumni Business Breakfast Series is a virtual, monthly event connecting London Business School alumni and leadership programme students for insightful, informal discussions over coffee. Each session explores a timely business theme or strategic trend through the lens of alumni experience and expertise. These sessions help translate big ideas into practical, career-relevant conversations.