Manfred Puffer

"We won't be investing in anything unless it's AI." We hear a lot of Boards decare this going into 2026. Yet across many portfolios, AI adoption at the company level remains uneven, under-scaled, or disconnected from tangible value creation. As hold periods lengthen and traditional levers deliver diminishing returns, the gap between GP ambition and portfolio company execution in AI deployment is becoming harder to ignore. Join this session to hear where and how AI deployments are truly making a difference:

• Where is Ai truly paying off?

• Why so much value remains trapped?

• How long does it take for you to expect realistic ROI from AI deployments?

• What does it take to translate experimentation into measurable EBITDA impact?

The Buy & Build model has long been a playbook for PE funds, but the game has changed. Investors now demand proof that these roll-ups can generate real value beyond financial engineering. The problem? Most PE-backed boards struggle to make it work. The result? Stagnation. Frustrated management. Struggling exits. Join this session to tackle the hard truths and find a way out:

• Don't let your buy & build become a house of cards - Integration tools incl. pre mortems, value distraction watch outs, repeatable playbooks

• Overcoming the finance-first mindset and build the strategic and operational expertise

• Putting the capital where it matters the most: Investing in operations, tech, and commercial levers that drive growth

• The CEO vs. the Boardroom Standoff – How to align financial decision-makers with operational execution.