George Bachiashvili, deputy CEO of the Partnership Fund, is asked by the Prime Minister of Georgia to create an investment vehicle funded entirely with private capital for local investments. The goal is to spur foreign investment and stimulate long-term economic growth in the country.

In 2004, BC Partners is considering an investment in Amadeus, a major IT player in the global airlines and travel industry. In order to win in a very competitive auction BC Partners needs to evaluate two distinct business strategies as to their risk-return profile and impact on financing structure.

Duxton Asset Management, a specialist agro-business investor, is evaluating an investment in rice farming in Tanzania, Africa. Duxton has a business strategy of investing in operating farmland assets, many of which are in developing or even frontier markets. The case discusses the complexities of investing in an atypical multidimensional asset.

The case traces the evolution of the private equity investment platform of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (Teachers’). Unlike the typical traditional pension fund, Teachers’ has forged a bold, pioneering approach to investing by making a concerted push towards direct investing. The case discusses the trade-offs involved in developing a direct investing platform.

In 2011, Carlyle is considering an exit from its investment in the European fashion brand Moncler, in which it holds a minority stake. The case focuses on the complexities of preparing and executing an exit under rapidly changing market conditions taking varied interests and potential outcomes into consideration.

A consortium of private equity firms (KKR and Silver Lake Partners) is in the process of acquiring the semi-conductor division of Agilent. To prepare for the signing of the acquisition agreement and the subsequent transfer of ownership, the deal team is revisiting their investment thesis with respect to upsides and risks.

A consortium of private equity firms (KKR and Silver Lake Partners) is in the process of acquiring the semi-conductor division of Agilent. To prepare for the signing of the acquisition agreement and the subsequent transfer of ownership, the deal team is revisiting their investment thesis with respect to upsides and risks.

The topic of valuation and measurement of return (i.e. investment success) permeates the whole life cycle of private equity (PE). While the valuation part is in many ways similar to other direct investment strategies, the measuring of returns in private equity is a notoriously difficult business, mainly due to the absence of an efficient and transparent market for the asset class.

A European multi-family office is weighing whether and how to invest in Asian private equity. Part A moves from a discussion of the historical and current state of Asian private equity to the outlook and risks associated with such an investment. It also starts a discussion of returns on Asian private equity and whether they adequately compensate for the risks identified earlier.