GPs, policymakers gather in Brussels to talk PE

A meeting hosted Tuesday by European economic think tank Bruegel is designed to generate more research and discussion about the impact that private equity has on the global economy.

The “workshop”, titled “The Economic Impact of Private Equity Investment”, is an invitation-only gathering in Brussels. It is the first of many planned research-oriented events and projects between Bruegel and the newly formed Private Capital Research Institute (PCRI).

Tuesday's workshop brings together senior academics, government ministers, union representatives and private equity industry participants for the stated mission of creating unbiased information upon which public officials can rely in drafting rules that affect the private capital markets.

According to a schedule of the proceedings, viewed by PrivateEquityOnline, the event will be kicked off by opening remarks from Jean Pisani-Ferry, director of Bruegel. This is followed by a panel that includes Josh Lerner, Harvard professor and academic director of the PCRI; John Monks, general secretary of the European Trade Unions Confederation; Francois Hollande, member of the French Parliament and the former head of the French Socialist Party; Richard Wilson, partner of Apax Partners and chairman of the European Private Equity and Venture Capital Association; and Vincenzo Morelli, general partner of TPG Capital and chairman of the European Private Equity Roundtable. That panel is entitled “Private Equity Investment and Employment”.

The PCRI is a follow-on entity to a private equity research effort originally launched in partnership with the World Economic Forum. The PCRI is working on an agreement with think tank The Brookings Institute to conduct further research into private capital.

Other organisations presenting at the workshop Tuesday include senior executive from the Bank of Belgium, the International Limited Partners Association, Cinven, Clayton Dubilier & Rice, and the Swedish Institute for Financial Research.

Among the more-than 50 registered participants to the event are representative from The Carlyle Group, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, the Dutch Parliament, the European Union, the City of London Corporation, the Belgian Finance Ministry, and the Chinese Mission to the European Communities.

Among the founding directors of the PCRI are Lerner and Joseph Rice, chairman of Clayton Dubilier.