Brian Moynihan, Chair and CEO, Bank of America
Private equity-backed CEOs are operating in a more demanding environment than at any point in the past decade. Capital is tighter. Exit timelines are less predictable. Sponsors expect stronger execution and clearer results.
The PE-Backed Leadership Summit is a one-day peer forum where CEOs of sponsor-backed companies compare how they are managing capital, boards and performance in this market.
You’ll hear how experienced leaders are handling refinancing decisions, sponsor expectations, leadership changes and M&A when conditions are less forgiving.
The focus is practical: what is working, what is changing and how leaders are adjusting their approach.
Sessions explore how PE-backed companies actually build value — from capital discipline and performance metrics to leadership execution and competitive strength.
You will leave with a clearer perspective on the decisions shaping PE-backed businesses today and ideas you can bring back to your board and leadership team.
The 2026 agenda focuses on the operating priorities for PE-Backed CEOs & CFOs today:
Every session connects directly to the decisions that determine value creation inside PE-backed companies.
Annual Gathering of PE-Backed Company Leaders
Years Supporting the CEO Community
A candid discussion on how sponsors and operators see the year ahead—and how CEOs should approach capital allocation, leadership decisions and value creation when markets tighten and expectations rise.
Former CEO & Executive Chairman, Dunkin’ Brands
Which economic signals actually matter for portfolio companies?
Rates. Refinancing risk. Exit windows. The operational effects that follow. This session connects macro conditions to the decisions operators must make inside their businesses.
In volatile markets, growth alone is not enough. Durability matters.
What actually protects value in a PE-backed company—and what quietly erodes it? A practical discussion on pricing power, resilience, strategic risk and exit readiness.
A direct conversation between CEOs and private equity partners on shifting expectations:
The goal isn’t consensus. It’s clarity.
Lunch discussions are organized by ownership structure and leadership challenges—not just title or industry.
Candid conversation and comparison of approaches. No generic roundtables.
Small-group sessions focused on practical operating challenges:
This is working time—not passive listening.
Value rarely breaks down because leaders lack ambition. It breaks down when teams misread signals, delay decisions or lose alignment under pressure.
This session examines how high-performing leadership teams operate differently—and how small breakdowns can compound over time.
Partner & Managing Director, AlixPartners
Decision frameworks that worked at $100M often fail at $1B.
A closing conversation on how risk perception, time horizons and strategic judgment change as companies grow and stakes rise.
Brian Moynihan opens the Summit with his perspective on how demand, credit and the rate environment are shaping strategic decisions. He’ll share pragmatic lessons from his “Responsible Growth” playbook—what to prioritize when conditions tighten and how disciplined use of AI and tech can help you build value now, not later.
Sanjay Dholakia will show you how to shift your organization’s data approach from top-down to bottom-up—unlocking insights hidden in your systems. Learn how to use that data to sharpen capital allocation, refine your go-to-market strategy, and get a clearer view of your operations.
President & CEO, Melinta Therapeutics
Managing Partner, Aquitaine Capital
Chief Investment Officer, Standard General
Partner & Managing Director, AlixPartners
CEO, Equitable Capital
These are the levers that determine whether a PE-backed company is prepared when opportunity appears.
This summit is designed to help you pressure-test each one—before the market, your board, or your sponsor does.
Sharpen your focus on profit and how CEOs are adjusting cost structures and pricing to hit EBITDA targets despite rising expenses and investor pressure.
Simplify to scale. Discover what’s working in process discipline, operational KPIs and how CEOs are pushing teams to execute better under pressure.
Know what your investors want. Learn how PE firms are shifting expectations, measuring performance and communicating around delayed exits.
With higher interest rates and a cautious M&A market, learn how executives are evaluating acquisitions, exits and strategic investments.
Here's what past attendees of the PE-Backed Leadership Summit had to say about their experience:
“Great content, speakers and format. I really enjoyed hearing from CEOs who have ‘been there and done it’ or doing it now.”
Salute
“Great topics, pertinent information, highly relevant and very fun. Definitely recommend to CEOs and strategic C-Suite, help to get macro view.”
ProSource Supply
“Practical advice, immediate quick-wins, inspiring talks and adaptive approach to current economic environment.”
Medcor, Inc.
Book by May 30
$1,095
$895/person
Book by July 11
$1,195
$995/person
Book by Aug. 29
$1,295
$1,095/person
After Aug. 29
$1,395
$1,195/person
Located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, the Harvard Club offers a private, historic setting just steps from Bryant Park, Times Square and Grand Central.
The Club blends classic architecture with modern amenities, providing a fitting backdrop for the PE-Backed Leadership Summit.
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1:00 - 5:00 pm
Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process
Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:
Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison have put together an afternoon workshop that will provide the tools you need to address these concerns. They have worked with hundreds of executives to develop a systematic approach that will enable your team to make better decisions during strategic planning. Steve and Denise will walk you through exercises for prioritizing your lists and steps that will reset and reinvigorate your process. This will be a hands-on workshop that will enable you to think about your business as you use the tools that are being presented. If you are ready for a Strategic Planning tune-up, select this workshop in your registration form. The additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.
2:00 - 5:00 pm
Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations.
Limited space available.
10:30 - 5:00 pm
General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
Sponsored by UBS
General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.
The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.