Nazim Azimbaev

Private Equity: A Continuing Evolution of Capital Access

Glen August, Nazim Azimbaev, Maggie Finari, Ray Thorne, Andrew Weinberg, Mark O'Lean

Leading institutional investors including Glen August of Oak Hill Advisors and Maggie Finari of Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan convened to debate strategies for securing 20% net returns in a private market increasingly constrained by 11–12% historical averages. The panelists outlined divergent approaches ranging from Ray Thorne's asset-intensive company building to Andrew Weinberg's focus on the middle-market family business wealth transfer, all while integrating ESG principles and data science to hedge against technological disruption. Despite optimistic targets, the group emphasized that geopolitical tensions, potential policy shifts, and the inevitable credit cycle downturn necessitate strict covenant protections and selective operational value-add to sustain performance.