Credit Suisse Small and Emerging Private Equity Manager Conference

Business Wire,  April 18, 2007  

Tags: Credit Suisse First Boston, private equity

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Credit Suisse, Bracewell & Giuliani LLP and Rice University to hold summit on Emerging Private Equity Managers

Showcase speakers to include investment officers from Texas, Connecticut, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, New York State and New York City based institutional investors, as well as other leading industry participants

HOUSTON -- Approximately 300 U.S.-based pension plans, endowments, foundations, private equity fund managers, and other industry participants convene in Houston, Texas on Thursday April 19 for the "Credit Suisse Small and Emerging Private Equity Manager Conference." The Conference will take place at Rice University's Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management in the Janice and Robert McNair Hall from 8:00AM to 4:30PM.

Credit Suisse's Customized Fund Investment Group, in partnership with Bracewell & Giuliani LLP and Rice University's Jones Graduate School, has organized the Conference to provide a broad universe of participants personalized access to a diverse set of small and emerging private equity managers ("SEMs") and key institutional investors active in the space. Through open networking sessions and panel discussions led by market-leading investors and high quality emerging managers, the Conference sponsors intend to provide critical investor and fund manager insights and a venue for developing strategic SEM programs.

"At a time when most of the market is focused on large private equity transactions, Credit Suisse is pleased to spotlight through this Conference the opportunity that exists to invest in funds where greater market inefficiencies exist with prospects for outsized returns," said Michael Arpey, Co-Head and Managing Director of the Credit Suisse Customized Fund Investment Group, the private equity fund of funds division of Credit Suisse Alternative Investments. "The SEM space is clearly one that is rapidly evolving, and we anticipate continued expansion of our activities in this area."

"The momentum we have experienced for this event is a strong reflection of the increasing appetite we continue to experience among our clients for additional exposure to SEMs," said Kelly Williams, Co-Head and Managing Director of the Credit Suisse Customized Fund Investment Group. "Investors' growing demand for SEM exposure has largely been driven by their desire to identify and develop relationships with the next generation of top-tier fund managers, as well as to access niche markets that, despite their high return potential, have generally been overlooked by larger, more established fund managers."

The Conference's Opening Remarks will be presented by Mr. Jarvis V. Hollingsworth, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Teacher Retirement System of Texas ("TRS") and a Partner in the Houston, Texas office of the law firm of Bracewell & Giuliani LLP, followed by a Keynote Speech by U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Alphonso Jackson.

"As fiduciaries, diversification is very important to the success of our investment program, and emerging managers expand our universe of investments. Empirical evidence has shown that over time, emerging managers perform as well, if not better, than traditional firms," said Mr. Hollingsworth. "Moreover, our emerging manager program also increases our relationships with women and minority-owned private equity firms. These emerging managers are extremely important to our program at TRS."

Secretary Jackson provided his perspective on the linkages between SEMs and the efforts of the U.S. Department of Housing and Development, commenting: "Through the housing market, we can encourage investment programs that make the American Dream possible for millions of Americans. Through your vision, you make America more inclusive, just, and fair. If we step forward, working together, we can transform a serious situation into an opportunity to vastly improve lending practices and create a more enviable investment environment."

"At Rice, we recognize the business imperative regarding diversity; most companies can tangibly identify the benefits associated with diversity," said Sean Fergusson, Director of MBA Programs at the Jones School, a co-host of the Conference. "This conference is a great opportunity to educate our students that there are tremendous investment opportunities in underserved markets and that there is a need for managers who can identify and bring these opportunities to the appropriate plan sponsors."

Speakers and panelists participating in the Conference include investment officers from Teacher Retirement System of Texas, the Office of the State Treasurer of Connecticut, the Indiana Public Employees' Retirement Fund, the New Jersey Division of Investment, the Office of the Comptroller of the City of New York, New York State Common Retirement Fund, Venture Michigan Fund and the Michigan Strategic Fund.

The Conference will be preceded by an evening Welcome Reception hosted and sponsored by Bracewell & Giuliani LLP, to be held on April 18th at the firm's Houston office.