Any private equity firm that has been around for more than three decades must know a thing or two about business cycles. Therefore, such a firm might reasonably be expected to greet headlines about chaos in financial markets and economic decline with a degree of calm. In this respect, Adams Street Partners’ chief executive Bon French and partner Hanneke Smits, who is also global head of the firm’s partnership investments, do not disappoint.
Privately Speaking – Bon French & Hanneke Smits
Established in 1972, and responsible for private equity's first-ever fund of funds, Adams Street Partners is not the kind of organisation to flee in fright when a market downturn looms over the horizon. Andy Thomson and Philip Borel met with Bon French and Hanneke Smits in London to find out more about the firm's history, its take on current conditions and its broad-mindedness when it comes to manager selection.
