Private Equity Diamonds awarded!

  The “Investment Forum & Private Equity Awards Gala” conference has come to an end. For the seventh time the most distinguished representatives of the Private Equity industry and investment markets debated on the future of the sector. The partners of the conference included such companies as KPMG in Poland, PZU, Bank Pekao, and ABC Data. “There are many challenges faced by the Polish business, but we can definitely say that private equity and venture capital funds are the right solution for interesting projects from the field of new technologies” – said Beata Radomska, President of Executive Club. The conference part of the event was opened by prof. Dariusz Rosati, who spoke about the challenges faced by the European Union and the euro zone. The plenary discussion was devoted to entrepreneurs, the challenges and risks associated with the foreign expansions of Polish companies, and investment opportunities for domestic enterprises. The speakers agreed that knowledge concerning the local market, culture, and legal regulations constitutes the basis for successful foreign expansion. Even though “Made in Poland” is becoming more and more recognized, we still have to educate foreign markets, and this is the reason why appropriate communication, assessment of the capabilities of a given company abroad, and business information are the necessary components for companies that want to develop abroad. The next discussion was focused on New Economy, examples of domestic and international leaders of new technologies from PE portfolios, and the strongest sectors of the Polish business. Poland has great potential, especially in the context of technology companies. Polish computer games and highly qualified programming staff are conquering the world, so it is only a matter of time before we create a giant comparable to Skype. The moderator of the debate, Michał Popiołek (mBank), stated in his summary that New Economy is within the area of interest in the funds, and its basis is constituted by a new approach to business models – making it necessary for Poland to create a better environment for such growth. The last discussion panel was devoted to M&A transactions, the Polish mergers and acquisitions market, and the accompanying stereotypes. Let us not be afraid of acquisitions – that was the conclusion of the debate. Only the influx of fresh blood can increase innovativeness; appropriate organization of this process as well as communication are paramount. The conference culminated in the “Private Equity Diamonds” gala. The ceremony was opened by Krzysztof Pietraszkiewicz, President of the Polish Bank Association. Winners of “Private Equity Diamonds”:

• Fund Manager of the Year: Innova Capital
• Personality of the PE/VC Market: Paweł Gieryński (Abris Capital Partners), Jacek Siwicki (Enterprise Investors)
• PE Portfolio Company of the Year: Wirtualna Polska (Innova Capital)
• VC Portfolio company of the Year: Polski Bank Komórek Macierzystych (Enterprise Investors)
• PE Exit of the Year: Home.pl (Value4Capital)
• VC Exit of the Year: rankomat.pl (3TS Capital Partners)
• CEO of the Year: Marcin Kuśmierz (home.pl)
• Bank of the Year: mBank
• Law Firm of the Year: CMS Cameron McKenna Greszta i Sawicki
• Corporate Finance Advisor of the Year: PwC Polska
• Special Achievement: Valores

  About Executive Club: Executive Club  is an organization bringing together the members of top management representing the most important Polish and international companies. Since 2005, the Club has assembled well-established business leaders, whose actions set standards in the development of the Polish economy. The Club organizes regular meetings for its members to provide them with opportunities for business networking and sharing ideas. It is also a leader in organizing industry conferences dedicated to various branches of the economy. For more information, please visit our website: www.executive-club.com.pl.