Private Equity Fund Investments New Insights on Alignment of Interests, Governance, Returns and Forecasting

Why invest in private equity funds? Returns are the obvious reason. However, not all investors are looking for the same level, occurrence, and recurrence of returns, nor indeed the same level of associated risks. Moreover, the selection of a fund manager can lead to a great number of uncertainties, such as fluctuating alignment of interests, evolving macroeconomic conditions, and declining marginal returns. This book presents new, advanced, evidence-based guidance on investing in private equity funds: first by assessing the investor's environment and motivations, then by looking into the risks, returns, and overall performance of funds and finally, by offering practical solutions to the illiquidity conundrum. This book has been developed from extensive, bank-sponsored research, and provides both practical and theoretical insights.

Cyril Demaria specializes in private equity and combines practical and entrepreneurial experience, academic knowledge, and lecturing experience. Prior to founding and managing Pilot Fish, a series of private equity funds, he was Chief Investment Officer of Tiaré Investment Management AG (Zurich). He previously created a multi-strategy fund of funds focused on environment (Pionat Viable Investments). Prior to that, he was an Investment Associate in a Swiss private equity fund of funds; a Portfolio Manager responsible for private equity funds investments for a French insurance group; and Head of Corporate Development of a French IT firm in charge of acquisitions and financing. He started his career in an American hybrid venture capital and fund of funds firm.

A French citizen, Cyril holds a BA in Political Sciences from the Institut d'Etudes Politiques (Lyon), a Masters in Geopolitics applied to Money and Finance (Paris); a Masters in European Business Law (Paris); and is a graduate from HEC (Paris, specialized in Entrepreneurship). He is a doctoral candidate at University Sankt-Gallen and an Associate Professor at EDHEC (Nice, Lille, London), ESCP-Europe (London), ESCE (Paris), EADA (Barcelona), Fipecafi (Sao Paulo), USP (Sao Paulo) and IFP Business School (Paris). He lectures on "Private Equity", "LBO", "Money and Finance", and "International Finance". He notably holds executive training sessions at the Association Française des Investisseurs en Capital (Paris) and the Société Française des Analystes Financiers (Paris). Cyril collaborates regularly as an expert with the SECA, AFIC, and EVCA.

1. Introduction
2. Sub-Optimal Risk-Return Profiles in Private Equity
3. Fee Levels, Performance and Alignment of Interests in Private Equity
4. The Predictive Power of the J-Curve
5. Conclusion