Bernard Vaughan

This article first appeared in the August 11 issue of Buyouts. Catterton Partners has sold Wellness Pet Food, a provider of natural pet food products, to a strategic buyer, earning 7x its investment and a 60 percent gross internal rate of return, sources close the transaction told Buyouts. The buyout shop, headquartered in Greenwich, Conn., […]

If you’re general partner looking to raise a fund, here’s a little tip: don’t tell prospective investors to cut you a check because you get a lot of “proprietary dealflow.” It’s simply not enough to differentiate yourself and LPs (not to mention reporters) wince at the platitude. “I think everyone concedes that every deal is […]

Madison Dearborn Partners is resigned to that fact that it’s going to take a lot longer to raise its $10 billion sixth fund. The Chicago buyout shop typically needs three to four months to raise its funds, Paul Finnegan, Co-CEO, said during a keynote interview at PE Networking Chicago. That hasn’t been the case with […]

The constricted debt market isn’t just curbing buyouts, it’s also hindering portfolio companies’ ability to make acquisitions because lenders increasingly want to refinance the potential acquirer’s entire capital structure before agreeing to finance add-ons. “It’s one of my least favorite phone calls,” said Ron Kahn, managing director at Lincoln International, referring to a hypothetical portfolio company […]

Union members of the Indiana Public Employee’s Retirement Fund are keeping quiet on the pension’s investments in private equity funds, said Shawn Wischmeier, CIO of PERF, during the opening interview of PE Networking Chicago. PERF began it’s private equity program in 2002, though it didn’t really kick into gear until Wischmeier’s arrival in 2006. Nonetheless, […]

Allied Capital Corp. (ALD) plans to raise a traditional limited partner-supported buyout fund this year, with Goldman Sachs serving as a cornerstone investor. The publicly-traded business development company has not yet begun raising cash from other investors, but hopes to have the fund closed by the end of the year, a source familiar with the […]

A large rolodex is crucial factor in expanding for any buyout pro’s career, and business school is one way to start filling it. But as a panel of young buyout pros showed today at Buyouts Madness, it’s not essential. Joel Osnoss, director at Silver Lake, said business school is great a way to build your […]