The event featured a by Astorg’s managing partner François de Mitry and partner Lorenzo Zamboni, followed by an on-stage interview by Lafo president Pascal Rapallino and questions from the audience.
De Mitry focused on the resilience of private equity, highlighting the asset class’s success even in times of crisis and comparing it, for example, to the volatility of the stock market. “Private equity is the best performing asset class,” said de Mitry in his keynote. For him, the lesson learned from the past is to “never stop investing.” Despite uncertainty, “you never, never stop,” he stated.
Zamboni, on the other hand, emphasised the importance of “focus,” both “in terms of strategy, and focus in terms of how much time you spend on a specific asset.” The private equity firm focuses on “healthy” companies in four sectors. What makes the real difference, said Zamboni, “is the time you spend on a deal,” establishing a dialogue with entrepreneurs and getting to know the pros and cons of each company.
Questions from the audience, which included experts from tax firms, the private banking sector and investment firms, covered recommendations on creating value, building portfolios and the importance of ESG criteria. The keynote and Q&A session was followed by a networking cocktail.