Please
note the unorthodox format of this course, which meets all day on two Sundays
COURSE
NUMBER: MBA237.14
COURSE
TITLE: Private Equity: A Focus on Leveraged Buyouts
UNITS
OF CREDIT: 1 Unit
INSTRUCTOR:
Mark R. Poff
E-MAIL
ADDRESS: mark_poff@haas.berkeley.edu
CLASS
WEB PAGE LOCATION: https://bspace.berkeley.edu/portal
MEETING
DAY(S)/TIME:
Sunday,
January 31, 2010 from 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
and
Sunday,
March 14, 2010 from 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
PREREQUISITE(S):
Basic Excel skills
CLASS
FORMAT: Combination of lectures, cases, and interactive discussion
REQUIRED
READINGS: Cases and articles
BASIS
FOR FINAL GRADE: Group assignments and class participation
ABSTRACT
OF COURSE'S CONTENT AND OBJECTIVES:
This
class will focus on leveraged buyouts (LBOs), a component of the larger private
equity industry, and will offer an introduction and overview to all aspects of
leveraged buyouts. The course will cover all activities performed by investment
professionals in an LBO fund, such as deal sourcing, transaction structure,
financing, legal negotiation, and portfolio management. Additionally, the
course will discuss private equity fund structure and current issues in private
equity. As such, the course is a primer for those interested in exploring a
career with a private equity fund. Given the far-reaching impact of
private equity, the course is also recommended for students interested in
careers in investment banking, commercial banking, and management consulting as
the content discussed will offer a deeper understanding of the issues facing
their clients in the midst of a financial transaction. The course will
also be relevant to those interested in investment management as
alternative investments, including private equity, are often a significant
portion of asset allocation decisions. Finally, the class will be applicable
to students interested in entrepreneurial management as they will face many
similar issues as private equity investors (financing choices, corporate
governance) and may ultimately choose to partner with or sell to a private
equity fund.
The
course will be taught in two all-day Sunday sessions. By the end of the course,
students should have a working knowledge of the tools and approaches employed
by private equity professionals in making LBO investments, as well as a strong
understanding of the private equity industry structure and current issues.
MODIFICATIONS
TO COURSE FROM ITS MOST RECENT OFFERING:
The
course will be substantially similar to the Fall 2009
offering.
BIOGRAPHICAL
SKETCH:
Mark
R. Poff is a Managing Director of Swander Pace
Capital, a middle-market buyout fund focused on investing in consumer products
companies. Mark has over 15 years of experience in buyouts and private equity
and has been with Swander Pace Capital since it began
investing its first fund in 1997. Prior to joining SPC, Mark was a senior
consultant with Bain & Company in its private equity consulting practice in
San Francisco. While at Bain, he led due diligence projects for private equity
sponsors across a wide range of industries. Prior to Bain, he was a
consultant with LEK Consulting in both Los Angeles and
London, where he specialized in valuations, privatizations, and acquisition
advisory.
Mark
received an MSc in Economics, with a finance
concentration, from the London School of Economics and a B.A. summa cum laude
in economics from the University of California at Davis. He currently serves as
Chairman of two SPC investments, a sporting goods manufacturer and a premium
women's accessory brand, and is a director of several additional SPC portfolio
companies in the food and consumer products sectors.