June 4, 2025 | New York
The agenda is filled with expert-led panels and interactive workshops, that deliver valuable insights and knowledge from industry leaders discussing the latest trends and best practices.
Managing Principal, Value360 Practice
CohnReznick
Claudine Cohen is a principal and leads CohnReznick’s Northeast Transactional Advisory Practice, bringing over 25 years of experience in transactional advisory services. She advises private equity firms, family offices, lenders, and strategic investors on buy- and sell-side transactions, including standalone platforms, carve-outs, mergers, and consolidations.
Her expertise includes quality of earnings analyses, cash flow modeling, asset and liability reviews, and post-close adjustments. Named among the most influential women in mid-market M&A by Mergers and Acquisitions and Crain’s NY, Claudine is a recognized thought leader in due diligence and transaction strategy.
Join your peers for a series of lively and interactive discussions on the most pressing topics you are facing today. The small group format will enable you to make meaningful connections and come up with out-of-the-box solutions to shared challenges.
Founder and Principal
Acustrategy
Mohammed Zakir is the founder of Acustrategy and a pricing advisor with over 25 years of experience advising mid-market, Fortune 500, and private equity clients. Before founding Acustrategy in 2008, he worked at Simon-Kucher & Partners, where he honed his expertise in pricing strategy. Mohammed’s work focuses on helping businesses optimize their pricing strategies to drive profitability and growth. He holds a BA from Middlebury College and an MBA from MIT. With a deep understanding of pricing dynamics, Mohammed has become a trusted advisor to a diverse range of clients across industries.
Advisor
Ramp
CEO, entrepreneur, CFO, and CTO with a proven track record of driving growth, operational execution, and efficiency-focused turnarounds at companies like Ingram Micro, Asurion, Juul Labs, Jacuzzi Group, and Bain & Company. A seasoned executive, he has actively participated in over 200 board meetings as a board member, executive, and operating partner.
As an advisor and investor in sports, media, and entertainment at Rainmaker Holdings and TowerBrook Capital Partners, he’s passionate about growing soccer in the U.S. He also advises Ramp, a leading fintech company empowering over 27,000 businesses with finance automation solutions.
Executive Advisor Private Equity
RxBenefits
Peter Lombardi is a seasoned business development and operations professional with 20 years of experience in the Alternative Assets industry. Known for his strategic expertise and ability to penetrate complex markets, Peter helped launch leading software platforms like PitchBook, Thomson Banker, and Dow Jones Venture Source.
He has led sales organizations across private equity, M&A, investment banking, and legal sectors, gaining a deep understanding of the dynamics between LPs, GPs, and portfolio companies. Today, Peter leverages his extensive network to identify deal opportunities for middle-market and lower-middle-market private equity firms and family offices.
Business Performance Adviser
Insperity
Managing Director
ECA Partners
Burton Francis is a Managing Director of Business Development at ECA. He works with clients to fill permanent and project based roles. Burt has wide-ranging experience in engineering, business leadership and management consulting in various industries including aerospace, software, financial services, and manufacturing. This includes notable tenure with Oliver Wyman, The Boeing Company, General Dynamics and Starbase Technologies Inc.
Chief Executive Officer
Aspen HR
The mid-market remains a dominant force in the U.S. Private Equity landscape, representing over 60% of deal flow and driving the industry’s value creation. However, in 2025, the stakes are higher: rising valuations, fierce competition, and shrinking margins require a focused strategy for value creation, whether through operational improvements, digital transformation, or ESG initiatives.
Moderator
Managing Principal, Value360 Practice
CohnReznick
Claudine oversees an integrated team of transaction, valuation, restructuring, project finance, and dispute resolution professionals serving clients throughout the lifecycles of their businesses. With specific expertise in managing opportunities and roadblocks that can impact a business moving forward, Claudine and her team help clients achieve optimal outcomes in protecting and growing stakeholder value.
Claudine serves as an adviser to public and private companies, both domestically and internationally. Her clients comprise the full gamut of financial sponsors including private equity investors, independent sponsors, family offices, alternative investment funds, lenders, and strategic investors. Her areas of knowledge include strategic advisory, quality of earnings analyses, identifying revenue sources and profitability drivers, examining operating cost structure and sustainability factors, investigating business models including cash flow and financial projections, reviewing quality and realization of assets and liabilities, identifying working capital requirements and negotiating positions, post-close working capital verification, and adjustment mechanisms.
Claudine was named to Mergers and Acquisitions 2019 list of the most influential women in mid-market M&A, and Crain’s NY 2018 most notable women in consulting.
Executive Director - Value Creation Team
Has a focus on accelerating growth and driving margin expansion through technology, talent optimization, stakeholder alignment, and innovation. With extensive global experience, Hormuzd has managed a $1.7B P&L with 20K professionals while achieving exceptional customer satisfaction. He has led value creation plans using key SaaS metrics, scaled operations, and driven generative AI adoption. Hormuzd also spearheaded international expansion initiatives, SaaS transformations, and start-up growth, scaling a $20M unit to $120M in emerging markets. Proficient in six languages, he brings expertise in cross-functional collaboration and customer-centric strategies to deliver lasting impact.
Chief Operating Officer
LogicSource
Artificial Intelligence has evolved from a buzzword to a game-changer, with companies leveraging AI and technology to streamline operations and drive successful digital transformations—delivering results that directly impact value creation.
This panel dives into the tools and strategies delivering real-world wins, exploring how to unlock value technology driven value creation in Portcos to outpace competition and drive growth.
Moderator
Director
Citrin Cooperman Advisors
Smija Simon is a director in Citrin Cooperman’s Digital Transformation Practice, specializing in aligning strategy, business models, processes, and technology to drive long-term success. With expertise in technology and management consulting, Smija leads strategic planning and project management for process and technology improvement in complex environments. She has a deep understanding of business processes, operating models, and systems strategy, specializing in enterprise architecture and technology vendor engagement for mid-market companies. Prior to joining Citrin Cooperman, Smija founded a boutique consulting firm and was an engagement manager for a Fortune Global 500 firm.
Bain Advisory Network, Private Equity, External Advisor
Bain & Company
Director, Portfolio Analytics, Warburg Pincus LLC
Kristy Khoury is based in New York, joined Warburg Pincus in 2022, and is a Director in the Portfolio Analytics group. Prior to joining Warburg Pincus, she was a Director in the Value Creation Group of EY-Parthenon. Prior to that, she was an Operating Manager in the Portfolio Operations group at Apollo Global Management, and a Quantitative Analyst at First New York Capital Management. Kristy is on the Board of Directors of a Non-Profit called Common Denominator, which provides free 1:1 math tutoring, and mentorship to in-need NYC middle school students. She holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University.
VP of Business Development for Private Equity
Symphony
Anichya Shah is the VP of Business Development for Private Equity at Symphony, where he partners with top-tier PE firms and their portfolio companies to drive value creation through AI-powered, revenue- and cost-focused solutions. He brings deep experience as a senior operator at growth-stage SaaS, services, and e-commerce businesses, with a track record in P&L ownership, go-to-market strategy, and scaling systems. Previously, he was an Associate Partner at Bain & Company and Kearney, advising PE clients across software, healthcare, and consumer sectors. He holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business.
For portfolio companies to thrive, they require more than just a great product, a strong market, and a solid growth plan. None of that matters without the right people and a strong organizational culture to connect the dots between people, culture and business strategy. In this session we'll explore how to evaluate portfolio company teams, the key factors that prompt them to recommend changes, and the proven strategies they use to achieve impactful results.
Director Executive Search
Accel-KKR
Partner
Source Capital
Ben is a Managing Director at Source Capital, responsible for sourcing, leading, and executing new investments while managing portfolio companies. He serves on the Investment Committee for both equity and debt practices and assists with the firm’s overall management.
Previously, Ben was a Managing Director at Gladstone Capital, overseeing equity investments in the Southeast. Before that, he held the same role at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, focusing on senior debt facilities. Ben’s prior experience includes roles at Sun Capital, CIT, Cratos Capital, and Bank of America, specializing in investment and corporate banking.
2025 is a high-stakes year for private equity. Exit delays are piling up, competition is fierce, and operational excellence is now the #1 driver of value creation. Operating partners aren’t just managing the playbook—they’re rewriting it. This session cuts through the noise to show how the best operating partners are transforming companies, driving EBITDA growth, and commanding premium exits. If you’re not leveraging operating partners to their full potential, you’re leaving money on the table.
Operating Partner
Rotunda Capital Partners
Ellen joined RCP in 2022 and works with portfolio companies to enhance value creation through sustained growth and strategic execution. She has served as Interim CFO for several portfolio companies and currently oversees Siegel Egg Co.
Previously, Ellen held roles at Roti Modern Mediterranean, AlixPartners, the US Small Business Administration, and Citigroup. She earned her MBA from Stanford University and her BS from MIT.
A food enthusiast, Ellen enjoys exploring new restaurants, cooking, hosting friends, and traveling to experience local cuisine—balanced by just enough movement to offset her love of food.
Operating Partner
ElevenX Capital
Amanda is an Operating Partner at ElevenX Capital, where she leads value creation initiatives both pre and post investment for Bloom’s portfolio companies. Amanda has worked in private equity operations for five years at both Vista Equity Partners and Centre Lane Partners. Amanda has partnered with fifteen portfolio companies and has seen multiple buy and sell transactions. Prior to her time in private equity, Amanda was an operator focused on go-to-market in technology and technology-adjacent companies for twelve years.
Head of Value Creation Team & Operating Partner
Garnett Station Partners
Christopher Kozina is the Head of the Value Creation Team and an Operating Partner at Garnett Station Partners. Chris serves as Special Assistant to the Chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, focused on entrepreneurship. Prior to joining GSP, Chris also served as Assistant Vice Chancellor for Industry Engagement and Economic Development at UW-Madison and Advisor to the University Research Park Real Estate Board. Chris formerly served as Chair, President, and Chief Executive for Coors Distributing Company, as well as Group President at Driven Brands prior to its IPO. Chris also served as Chief Information Officer, Chief Human Resources and People Officer, Chief of Staff to the CEO, and Senior Vice President of Marketing within the operating companies of South African Breweries Ltd. Chris started his career at Andersen Consulting, now Accenture, where he last served as a Partner in the Global Consumer Goods and Services Practice. Chris graduated with Distinction from UW-Madison with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration in Finance, Real Estate, and Urban Land Economics, and with High Honors with a Master’s in Globalization and Educational Policy from the University of Illinois. Chris also holds an Advanced Business Management certification from Northwestern University.
Founder And CEO
Audacia Strategies
Katy Hew is the founder and CEO of Audacia Strategies, an advisory firm supporting value-driving transformations and premium valuations for private equity firms during critical transitions. Her approach integrates data-driven insights, organizational effectiveness, and strategic communications to maximize value creation. Audacia has partnered with PE firms representing over $250B in assets, helping portfolio companies and hundreds of senior executives achieve performance targets. Drawing on Katy's "in-the-seat" experience leading changes like IPOs, acquisitions, and CEO transitions at public companies, the Audacia team aligns stakeholders behind value-driving initiatives, turning moments of change into sustainable competitive advantages.
Connect with the Investment Firms or Operating Partners specializing in the industry sectors you focus on. We will provide you with a full list of attendees ahead of the event, so you can choose to meet with the most relevant contacts and evaluate the potential for future business collaborations.
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