The Private Equity International Awards – Global Winners’ Celebration

Click here to see all the photos and the PEO editorial coverage from this year's Global Winners' Celebration

On 4th June 2008, over 300 of the leading players in the global private equity community gathered for the inaugural PEI Global Award Winners’ Celebration at the Natural History Museum in London.

The evening was a celebration – a toast to the industry’s finest as determined by the industry itself in PEI’s annual online poll. The poll has been running every year for the last 7 years, with each edition attracting huge levels of interest and increasing levels of competition – the 2008 edition receiving tens of thousands of votes in more than 60 categories: a true reflection of the expanding reach and influence of private equity around the world.

The participants gathered in London represented every corner of the global private equity industry with winners from Latin America, China, India, Canada, Central Europe and the Middle East, they gathered to toast their success with their colleagues, investors, advisors and peers from around the world.

The evening began with a networking cocktail reception in the west wing of the museum before guests gathered for dinner in the extraordinary surroundings of the main hall of the Natural History Museum, complete with the splendidly illuminated and dramatic backdrop of the resident 26-metre long, 150 million year old Diplodocus dinosaur.

PEI Charity Partners II - Information Memorandum

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Before dinner began, the assembled guests saw the launch of PEI Charity Partners I, a limited partnership supporting two charities: Down Syndrome Education International and Sparkles Playgroup, introduced by Nicholas Lockley, Deputy Director of Conferences at PEI, and Sue Buckley, chair of DSEI. Complete with pitch book and aided by some of the finest placement agents in the business, when the fund closed less than 3 hours later, it had collected commitments in excess of £107,000 – an incredible achievement on the night.

After dinner, two special events took place – the first was a riveting keynote address from the Editor-in-Chief of The Economist, John Micklethwait, who shared his views on the nature of globalization, its impact on private equity in emerging markets and also gave some predictions on the outcome of the forthcoming US elections.

       
John Micklethwait                                        Sir Ronald Cohen                                         Sue Buckley
Editor-in-chief                                                 Chairman                                                        Founder
The Economist                                               Bridges Ventures                                          Down Syndrome Education International

Then, to round off the evening, PEI made its inaugural presentation of the Private Equity Leader Award. Each year this is presented to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the private equity industry. The 2008 recipient was Sir Ronald Cohen, the former Chairman and co-founder of Apax Partners, who made a gracious and stirring acceptance speech upon receipt of the award.

The evening concluded with cocktails in the bar as the award winners continued to celebrate their success and mingle with their peers from every corner of the global industry.

The 2009 Global Winners’ celebration will take place in the equally stunning surroundings of the V&A Museum in London on the evening of 4th June 2009.

For more information about taking a table at the event, please contact Colm Gilmore: colm.g@peimedia.com (+44 (0)20 7566 5447)