About Us

Dear friends of the Campus for Finance – WHU Private Equity Conference,

It has been a great pleasure to welcome everyone at the Campus for Finance – WHU Private Equity Conference over the course of the last 16 years. The WHU community is delighted to welcome so many distinguished speakers and international participants.

The past four decades have witnessed a tremendous growth in the private equity industry. The growth in private equity funds has outperformed almost any other asset class. Much of this growth reflects investors' growing appreciation of the effectiveness of the organizational structures and control mechanisms employed by private equity funds.

The more recent past reflects similar developments, with high investment, strong exit markets, attractive returns, and hot fund-raising activity, with an unprecedented $3 trillion raised over the past five years. At the same time, we observe a drop in deal count since 2014. Such developments may be indicative of a maturing industry. Indeed, banks are reconfiguring their operations to serve such a transaction-heavy clientele and limited partners are playing a more active role—developments that may suggest a reconfiguration of the private equity ecosystem.

The speakers in the program are uniquely placed to debate and highlight the key themes, trends, and current practices for the audience. Especially interesting will be to learn the priorities and developments from several local and international private equity investors, companies, and other influencers.

All members and friends of WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management are proud that the WHU Private Equity Conference has established itself as an internationally respected platform for exchanging ideas on key issues around the private equity industry. This accomplishment would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of a small group of student organizers. Each year, they  put a large amount of time and energy to organize the WHU Private Equity Conference. At the same time, this effort is a demonstration of their entrepreneurial spirit and their commitment to excellence—key elements of the WHU’s DNA. I cannot thank them enough for this achievement.

We all look forward to two days of inspiring talks, lively panel discussions, enlightening break-out sessions, and networking possibilities. I wish all participants a wonderful and stimulating time at the Campus for Finance – WHU Private Equity Conference 2025.

Prof. B. Burcin Yurtoglu