Podcasts are a unique and powerful medium for learning new topics, being exposed to new ideas, and staying informed about what is going on in a particular industry. They adapt to your lifestyle and are a convenient on-the-go option, perfect for the busy schedules of Wall Street and private market professionals.
This article offers our list of the best private equity podcasts our team here at 4Degrees regularly listens to. Whether you are a seasoned private equity fund manager, work with PE firms, or are looking to get into the world of finance, these shows will keep you abreast of industry developments and give you a glimpse into the minds of the top movers and shakers in the private equity world.
(Looking for something to read? Check out our favorite private equity books: The Best 5 Private Equity Books You Should Read)
Most of these podcasts can be found on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.
1. M&A Science
The M&A Science podcast explores the intricate world of mergers and acquisitions by sitting with industry leads and practitioners. The show’s host, Kison Patel, is a former M&A buy-side advisor. He’s also the CEO and Co-Founder of DealRoom- an M&A software company.
In this podcast, Patel interviews experts from advisory banks, management teams, corporate development teams, private equity firms, and more, including guests from Paynet, Cisco, AMD, and Google. The show focuses on the changing world of mergers and acquisitions and how you, as a practitioner, can be unique.
2. Voices of Private Equity
Voices of Private Equity is a podcast series sponsored by the Institutional Limited Partners Association that features influential individuals in the world of private equity. Each episode is an open conversation with leading practitioners in the industry.
Guests include Managing Directors at top funds and famous private equity investors who tackle topics including deal origination, value creation, and ESG, DEI, among others.
Guests tell honest, candid, and often quite personal stories of their experiences in the industry. Voices of Private Equity is a great show to listen to if you want to learn how people at the top of their game make decisions, weigh risks and rewards, navigate market dynamics, and overcome challenges.
3. The Private Equity Podcast
Alex Rawlings, the Managing Partner at Raw Selection, hosts the Private Equity Podcast, where he interviews private equity experts to learn how they got into the industry, the mistakes they made along the way, and their secrets to success.
With the help of his executive search firm (Raw Selection, which works with PE firms worldwide and their portfolio companies), Rawlings has unique access to the PE industry, so his guests are top-tier leading experts. Some recent topics discussed have included”: Driving the Pipeline of Proprietary Deal Flow, How PE Firms Can Avoid Bidding Wars and Building Better Relationships with Portfolio Companies and LPs.
Episodes We Recommend:
- Ferdinand Roberts On the Importance of Using Technological Processes in PE Firms: Goes over whether PE and VC firms should implement new technologies or keep the traditional processes they have followed for decades. Ferdinand argues how many VC and PE firms lack appreciation for technological advancements and are set in their ways and processes.
- Rami Cassis on Diversifying Private Equity: Traditionally, the level of engagement between management teams and their PE owners have always been limited to financial performance as the key metric tracked by PE. Rami Cassis argues there should be more diversity by having Marketing, HR, and other areas in meetings between management teams and PE owners.
4. Private Equity Fast Pitch
Private Equity Fast Pitch is a podcast by Northstar, a company that organizes events for private equity professionals. The host is Jeff Henningsen, President and Partner at Lockton, the world’s largest independent insurance brokerage.
In this podcast, Jeff Henningsen interviews private equity and investment banking experts, including managing partners and other industry professionals, discussing their firms, recent private equity deals, acquisition profiles, and more.
5. Private Equity FunCast
Private Equity FunCast is hosted by Devin Mathews and Jim Milbery Partners at ParkerGale Capital, a middle-market PE firm. This show dives deep into the weeds of PE firms, especially those that focus on middle-market tech companies. The hosts do an excellent job of getting perspectives from people on different sides of the deal, from employees of PE-backed firms to GPs at mid-market firms.
Notable episodes have included private equity investing in technology, the private equity industry in a post-pandemic world, etc.
Episodes We Recommend:
- Defining Your Ideal Customer Profile: Discusses how portfolio companies can find their best-fit customers to avoid being a “Swiss Army Knife” and being everything to everyone. The guests go over a framework they use of how portfolio companies can focus on building their ICP instead of being everything to everybody.
- What is Human Capital Due Diligence: Laura Queen- a human capital consultant, discusses how strategic human capital management contributes to the value creation process.
6. The Family Office Podcast
This podcast provides valuable insights to high-net-worth individuals and families looking to navigate the world of wealth management and investment strategies.
Each episode is a deep dive into the intricacies of managing and growing billions of dollars in assets within a family office structure. It provides actionable takeaways and offers insights, interviews, and expert discussions to help listeners make informed decisions about their substantial wealth and financial legacies.
7. Deal Junkie: Cracking the Private Equity Code
This podcast is unique because it’s not designed for private equity professionals. Instead, it’s produced for entrepreneurs who want to grow their businesses by accessing private equity capital. PE is one of the largest sources of capital for middle-market businesses, but the industry is hardly transparent. Host Kevin Fechtmeyer (who’s been in the industry for over 25 years) helps young companies decide when they’re ready for a deal and how to go about it. These episodes address common questions about working with private equity firms and are brutally honest and often funny.
8. BDO Private Equity Perspectives Podcast
The Private Equity Perspectives podcast is where dealmakers discuss the ever-changing investment environment. Industry leaders discuss new opportunities, challenges, investment strategies, and portfolio company optimization. Some topics discussed have included ESG, relationship building, the rise of fintech, etc. Episodes are short, usually just 20 or 30 minutes, so they’re perfect for enjoying during your commute.
9. The Tech M&A Podcast
The Tech M&A Podcast repurposes content from the best of the Tech M&A Monthly webcast hosted by Corum Group, a leader in global mergers and acquisitions. The podcast features special reports on trends, deals, sectors, and the M&A process. They also host interviews and panel discussions with big players in the tech industry from Google, Salesforce, and Microsoft as well as other private equity software service providers.
In one episode, PE titans Rene Yang Stewart from Vista Equity, Jeremy Holland from Riverside Company, and Matthew Picciano from Alpine Investors conducted a roundtable discussion on the future of the PE market.
Episodes We Recommend:
Pro Tips for Developing Your Story: The executive summary is one of the most important documents in the M&A process. In this episode, founders and CEOs go over how to write a story that gets the attention of potential buyers.
10. Private Equity 360
As the name implies, Private Equity 360 gives listeners a comprehensive view of everything related to private equity. This is a relatively new show, and it doesn’t publish very often, so there are only a handful of episodes, but each one dives deep into a PE topic. For instance, one episode walks you through the evolving trends in the due diligence requirements of PE firms.
Other episodes include PE valuation, industry trends, and M&A industry case studies. This podcast is hosted and produced by Frazier and Deeter, a U.S. accounting and advisory firm.
11. Privcap Private Equity & Real Estate Podcast
The Privcap Private Equity & Real Estate Podcast features in-depth conversations with professionals and experts in PE and institutional real estate. It covers topics ranging from investor relations, and general partnership management, to regulations, sector-specific strategies, fundraising, performance, and portfolio operations. For example, one episode brings three experts to discuss private equity in healthcare and life sciences as the industry moves from a volume-based to a value-based system.
12. Capital Allocators Podcast
Capital Allocators Podcast is hosted by Ted Seides, the founder of Capital Allocators, LLC, a platform and educational forum that explores best practices in the asset management and hedge fund industry.
Seides also serves as an advisor and consultant to allocators and asset managers, so he’s still in the game. His podcast allows you to meet the people who allocate vast pools of capital and the processes they employ. Brunswick Group named it the top institutional investing podcast. If you would like to hear the experiences of over 300 private equity practitioners, we highly recommend listening to this podcast. The success of this podcast has also led Seides to create other programs like the Capital Allocators Univesity.
13. Dry Powder: The Private Equity Podcast
On Dry Powder, Hugh MacArthur, head of Bain & Company’s Global Private Equity practice, interviews leading experts on private equity trends and investment opportunities that define – and will redefine – the industry. For instance, in one episode, MacArthur muses how super-granular data will change how investors perform diligence and make investing decisions. These short episodes are usually 20 minutes or less, making them perfect for commuting or performing daily chores.
14. The Unquote Private Equity Podcast
The Unquote Private Equity Podcast is hosted by Unquote, a well-known and popular news source for Europe’s private equity markets. In their twice-monthly episodes, the Unquote team discusses trending topics in European investing, private equity, and venture capital. Recent episodes have included conversations on GP-led secondaries markets and growth equity.
15. EY NextWave Private Equity
In this podcast, host Winna Brown EY America’s Financial Accounting Advisory Services Private Equity Leader, explores the emergence of new trends in private equity and their impact on the economy and society.
She believes the future of private equity is inspired by purpose, transparency, digital transformations, diverse workforces, and the focus on value. Guests have included various EY subject matter experts and external guests who explore topics such as how PE firms can win tech deals, why family offices are investing in PE, and why PE must aspire to long-term value.
16. Acquired
The Acquired Podcast, hosted by Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal, explores the playbooks behind the biggest acquisitions, IPOs, and business strategies in tech. It covers all types of companies, from successful SaaS startups to industry titans such as Microsoft. This podcast is ideal for those looking to learn from industry leaders and understand the strategies that lead to growth and success in tech and beyond.
Never Stop Learning
To break into the industry or be successful in private equity, you must constantly keep learning. By listening to experts, talk about their prior experiences, you can become a better private equity investor and deliver more value to your LPs and portfolio companies.
Podcasts are an amazing format for learning since you can listen to them during your downtime. To get the most value from listening to an episode, we suggest you take the time to network with the hosts and guests, add them on LinkedIn and follow them on Twitter. If you enjoy their content, you should also recommend it to your friends and colleagues since word of mouth is how most podcasts acquire listeners.
Please let us know if there are any private equity podcasts we did not include on this list. We are always looking to grow our knowledge by reading more books and listening to more content.
If you are looking for venture capital podcasts, we have compiled a list of our favorite VC podcasts.
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