Following two successful PEI events in London and Napa, our VP, Head of Business Development, Dan Lau, shared his key takeaways from last week’s event in Napa in the post below! ⬇ Along with Dan, our Symphony PE leadership team, including Muamer Cisija and Heather Allerdice-Gerow, had the opportunity to network with industry experts and thought leaders, making these few days even more insightful and valuable. As we gather our impressions, stay tuned for a detailed recap of the Napa event coming soon.
Really enjoyed hosting a panel about the challenges of digitally transforming traditionally analog portfolio companies last Friday, at the PEI Operating Partners Forum Napa. Thank you to Greg Kegeles from Newlight Partners, Alan Rozet from Clayton Dubilier & Rice, and Russell Uyeda from HGGC for joining me and sharing insights from their work. A few points that stuck with me: 🔧 Losing traction is one of the most common failure modes. Keep lazer focus on the north star and what you are trying to achieve with the transformation. Don't over think or over analyze decisions that will not make a material difference longer term and get some quick wins on the board! 👨👦 If you are installing temporary or interim leadership, do not underestimate the importance of succession planning. This can make or break the entire transformation-- and it will be your fault. 📱 A 'digital' transformation is still a transformation. Don't lose sight of the other non-technology pieces including people, processes, alignment, and incentives. I stuck around for the weekend after the conference to enjoy some wine tasting and great food with family and friends in Napa. Lawrence Dvorchik and Marc Mele, kudos for throwing a great event. Hope to see many of you in New York in October!
