Buyouts magazine, a leading authority in mid-market private equity industry intelligence, data and trend analysis, interviewed McGuireWoods partner Jon Finger for its June 2024 cover story on emerging managers.
Headlined “The exit race goes to the small,” the story projects a bright future for the emerging manager community despite a challenging fundraising environment. The upbeat assessment was based in part on feedback from attendees at the second annual McGuireWoods Emerging Manager Conference, held earlier this year in Dallas. Attendees told Buyouts that the overall feeling “was one of ebullience.”
“There was rightful optimism at the conference,” said Finger, who leads the firm’s Emerging Manager Program. “I’m not painting a picture of all unicorns and roses, but in that segment of sub-$500 million, first-, second- or third-time funds, it’s not easy but it’s not as bad as people are saying it is. Yes, fundraising is down but that doesn’t mean the sky is falling.”
The two-day McGuireWoods Emerging Manager Conference drew about 1,000 emerging managers and limited partners with diverse investment strategies. One of the major themes to come out of the conference was how to prepare for fundraising as a new manager, Buyouts reported.