Finance & Accounting

A leading executive-search pro shares her insights into what motivates top executive talent to take the private equity leap. By Fran Minogue

The traditional duties of corporate board members in the US have been reinterpreted in recent time to take on more urgent, proactive meanings. Whereas in the past, board members were held to ?hear no evil, see no evil? standards, recent scandals, legislation and court decisions have meant that outside directors must now take pains not only to respond to wrongdoing when it is detected, but to establish systems that will detect problems, as well as to spend more time engaged in actively scouring their companies for signs of trouble. Legal experts often organize the various duties of board members into ?duties.?

General partners who serve on corporate boards must carefully monitor their time, actions and communications in today's more dangerous regulatory environment. By David Snow, Editor

Israeli companies, which have always had a natural affinity with the US, are now setting their sights on the growth markets of the East. Tel Aviv-based Vertex Venture Capital is among those leading the charge into Asia. By Andy Thomson, Associate Editor

INDUSRTY FRONTLINE 2005-09-01 Staff Writer Marsh Europe names new head of private equityMarsh, the global risk and insurance services firm, has named Edwin Charnaud as its new European practice leader for private equity and M&A. Charnaud, who will be based in Marsh's Eur

The closing of a deal isn't always the end of the transaction process, as firms often have to contend with purchase price adjustment disputes and portfolio company integration issues. By Art Janik, Associate Editor

MATLINPATTERSON'S ONGOING LABOR DRAMA SHOWS THE LIMITATIONS OF SOME UNION PRESSURE TACTICS

PRIVATE EQUITY GPS SAY ONE THING ABOUT FAIR VALUE BUT BELIEVE ANOTHER

?What forms of regular communications do you maintain with your portfolio companies?? 2005-08-01 Staff Writer The most important channel of communication is the relationship between the executive responsible for the deal and portfolio company's CEO. We try to keep requests for information, beyond that contai

Advent International was established in 1984 and since then has invested in more than 500 companies in 35 countries across Western and Central Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia Pacific. Since inception, the firm has raised more than $6 billion in capital and closed its most recent global buyout fund in April this year with commitments of €2.5 billion ($3.3 billion). Tom Lauer came on board in 1987 with no experience in private equity. He has overseen the financial dimension of Advent's transition from a small venture firm to today's global, multi-fund manager that boasts over 100 investment professionals of 19 nationalities in 14 offices and 13 countries. With responsibility for the financial management of the firm's worldwide operations and a member of Advent's Executive Committee, he describes the highs and lows, challenges and opportunities that have marked his almost two decades as a CFO in private equity.