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Private Equity Certificate

Master the Art of Private Equity with Our Comprehensive Certificate Program

Private equity is complex and often difficult to understand. The Private Equity Certificate, produced in collaboration by CFA Society Toronto and Mink Learning, is designed to help you increase your knowledge to:

  • Make better investments in private equity; and
  • How to advise your clients on investing in private equity

Whether you're an emerging investor or a seasoned finance professional, this course is your blueprint for success in the private equity universe.

Who Will Benefit?
This course is for you if you are:

  • An investor looking to invest in private equity
  • A finance professional looking to better advise your clients on investing in private equity
  • A service provider, such as lawyers and accountants, looking to better understand the complex needs of your private equity-focused clients
  • Anyone who is interested in diving deeper into the world of private equity

What You Will Gain

  • A Wealth of Knowledge: Access over 70 engaging videos that demystify the private equity landscape.
  • Real-World Acumen: Tackle over 60 real-world problems and solutions to hone your practical skills.
  • Test Your Mastery: Challenge yourself with 200+ multiple-choice questions that reinforce your learning.
  • In-Depth Case Studies: Dive into 40 real-world PE case studies, and absorb 70 essential PE tips that will guide you to excellence.
  • Exclusive Guide: Receive the Ultimate Private Equity guide, referencing more than 150 prominent PE companies.

Why You Should Enroll

  • Expert-Curated Content: Our course content is designed by seasoned industry veterans with a track record of success.
  • Practical & Current: Stay ahead with current case studies and practical tips that reflect today's market realities.
  • Flexible & Accessible: Learn at your pace, on your schedule, with a course structured for busy professionals.
  • Certify Your Expertise: Upon completion, you'll emerge with a certification that validates your expertise, equipping you with the confidence to make informed investment decisions and the credentials to back them up.
Program Overview:

Each module is designed to provide comprehensive knowledge and practical skills, ensuring a deep understanding of private equity.

Module 1: Alternative Investments

Overview: Delve into the world of alternative investments. Understand how private equity, along with hedge funds, real estate, commodities, and tangible assets, differ from traditional investment vehicles.

Key Learnings: Explore the role of alternative investments in diversifying portfolios, managing risk, and enhancing returns. Analyze market trends and the impact of economic shifts on alternative assets.

Topics Covered:

  • Why Alternative Investments?
  • Private Equity
  • Private Debt
  • Real Estate
  • Infrastructure
  • Natural Resources
  • Hedge Funds
  • Other Alternative Investments
  • Interpretations of Alternative Investments

Module 2: Private Equity

Overview: Establish a solid foundation in private equity. Learn about its evolution, key players, and the current landscape.

Key Learnings: Differentiate between various private equity strategies such as venture capital, growth equity, buyouts, and distressed investments. Understand fund structures, capital commitments, and the lifecycle of a private equity fund.

Topics Covered:

  • Venture Capital
  • Buyouts
  • Dry Powder
  • Multiples
  • ESG
  • Fund Investing
  • Direct Investing
  • Co-Investing
  • Secondary Investing
  • Fund of Funds Investing
  • Public Private Equity Firm Investing
  • Investing Through Intermediaries

Module 3: Private Equity Fund Investing

Overview: Master the art of analyzing private equity funds with performance metrics and compensation models.

Key Learnings: Learn how to analyze the details of the limited partnership agreement used for a private equity fund. Learn how to calculate different performance metrics used in private equity. Understand the compensation model for private equity funds.

Topics Covered:

  • The Limited Partnership Agreement
  • Calculating IRR and MOIC
  • Using IRR and MOIC Together
  • DPI, RVPI, TVPI and PME
  • Issues with Committed Capital
  • IRR-Driven Motivation to Sell Early
  • Subscription Lines of Credit
  • Compensation Structure
  • Waterfalls
  • Clawback

Module 4: Finding Companies

Overview: Learn how to identify the right potential private companies and how to build a powerful investment funnel.

Key Learnings: Understand how to identify which private companies are right for you. Understand how to build a funnel of private companies to buy. Understand investor expectations, effective communication strategies, and techniques for building long-term investor trust.

Topics Covered:

  • Understanding Investor Motivations
  • How to Develop Criteria for Investments
  • Stable and Recurring Cash Flows
  • Sustainable Competitive Advantage
  • Strong Market Position
  • Strong Management Team
  • How to Build a Funnel to Buy Companies
  • How to Start the Relationship
  • How to Deepen the Relationship
  • How to Maintain the Relationship

Module 7: Selling Companies

Overview: Gain insights into the final and crucial phase of private equity investing - the exit.

Key Learnings: Evaluate the pros and cons of different exit options. Learn how to properly select third parties for private equity transactions. Learn the tips and best practices to negotiating a private equity deal. Understand the timing of exits, preparation for exit, and how to maximize returns for investors.

Topics include:

  • Selling Overview
  • Sale to a Strategic Buyer
  • Sale to a Financial Buyer
  • Going Public Through an IPO
  • Other Exit Strategies
  • Terms in a Purchase and Sale Agreement
  • Terms in a Venture Capital Term Sheet
  • Tips to Selecting Third Parties
  • Tips to Negotiating a Private Equity Deal

Module 5: Buying Companies

Overview: Journey through the entire deal process, from identifying targets to closing the deal.

Key Learnings: Gain insight into how to conduct a thorough due diligence plan, including commercial due diligence, financial due diligence, management due diligence, and legal due diligence. Learn different valuation methods for direct private equity investments. Learn to identify and mitigate risks associated with private equity deals.

Topics Covered:

  • Non-Disclosure Agreement
  • Confidential Information Memorandum
  • Letter of Intent
  • Data Room
  • Purchase and Sale Agreement
  • Commercial Due Diligence
  • Financial Due Diligence
  • Management Due Diligence
  • Legal Due Diligence
  • Relative Valuation
  • DCF Analysis
  • LBO Analysis

Module 6: Value Creation

Overview: Uncover strategies for adding value to portfolio companies.

Key Learnings: Gain insight into three different methods to creating value in private equity. Understand how value is created in current private equity deals. Explore case studies that illustrate successful value creation in private equity.

Topics Covered:

  • Value Creation Overview
  • Operational Improvement
  • Multiple Expansion
  • Buy and Build Strategy
  • Deal Structuring
  • Carlyle and Vogue Deal
  • Palamon and Il Bisonte Deal
  • Cressey and VetCor Deal
  • PAI Partners and Froneri Deal
  • Value Creation to Follow in the Future