Women in PE Forum Recap | September 2022

Every quarter we gather leading women in PE to discuss current industry topics and to offer intelligent women the chance to gather, share information, and decompress with one another. In our most recent event, we gathered to discuss the current slower deal flow when compared to last year and challenges/opportunities in the face of recession.

These forums are exclusively for women at private equity firms and follow Chatham House Rules, so listed below are high-level takeaways only.

Deal flow 

• After a historic 2021, deal flow is down across most industries. The summer months returned to a “normal” deal flow cycle, with fewer deals coming to market between Memorial Day and Labor Day. 
• There are still a considerable number of teasers, but the deals are not closing. Many seller expectations have not realigned to the market and are still expecting 2021 multiples. 
• The quality of deals coming to market is a mixed bag. 
• Looking forward, PE firms expect the rest of 2022 and early 2023 to remain slower. 

Challenges and opportunities in the face of recession 

• There are several economic headwinds facing the private equity industry and its portfolios – including inflation, labor issues, & supply chain concerns.
• While planning for 2023, PE firms are considering multiple scenarios, including a mild recession, a major recession, and a scenario where the current environment is our “new normal.”
• PE firms are working to streamline operations/processes, attract and retain top talent, reduce costs, and redefine pricing strategies.  BluWave is seeing surging demand from PE for PE-grade third-party experts across these categories.

We thoroughly enjoyed getting to gather with women in PE to discuss these current topics. We’d be happy to connect you to the PE-grade, exact-fit, third-party resources you need to assist you in this pressurized market, just contact us here.