Improving transparency and disclosure : Good practice reporting by portfolio companies

Private Equity Reporting Group - The Guidelines for Disclosure and Transparency in Private Equity

On 13 December 2016 an update was held regarding Walker Guideline Reporting for Portfolio Companies owned by Private Equity investors.We've a restricted number of places available, so please respond quickly to reserve places. The workshop was of particular interest for Non-Executive Directors and Audit Committee members of Private Equity and Venture Capital Funds as well as Finance Directors of Companies that are owned by Private Equity houses.

Overview

The Private Equity Reporting Group and PwC have published the latest version of the Good Practice Reporting Guide for Portfolio Companies. Applicable to portfolio companies complying with the Walker Guidelines, the Guide has been updated to reflect the increasing standards seen in corporate reporting by the FTSE 350, the benchmark against which compliance with the Guidelines is judged. The Guide highlights examples of good practice aimed at helping portfolio companies with their narrative reporting. It included detail on how to comply with the new requirements on gender diversity and the business model.

Programme

• Introduction – Nick Land, Chair of the Private Equity Reporting Group (formerly the Guidelines Monitoring Group)
• Overview of the 2016 reporting process
• Walker disclosures by Portfolio Companies
• Data collection requirements
• Closing remarks

Speakers

Nick Land spent most of his career within a Big Four Accountancy Firm. He became a partner in 1978 responsible for a small number of multinational clients until 1992 when he became UK Managing Partner. In 1995 he was elected Executive Chairman and served three terms retiring in 2006. From 1992 he was a member of the Global Executive Board and from 2001 was also Managing Partner of the Northern European, Africa, India and Middle East Area. Nick is a non-executive director and chairs the audit and risk committees of Vodafone Group plc, Alliance Boots GmbH, BBA Aviation plc and the Ashmore Group plc. He is also the senior independent director for BBA Aviation plc and Ashmore Group plc. He is an advisor to the boards of Alsbridge plc and Dentons UKMEA LLP. He is also chairman of the board of trustees of both the Vodafone Group Foundation and Farnham Castle and is a member of the National Gallery’s Finance and Audit Committees.

Nick is a director of the Financial Reporting Council and member of the FRC’s Codes and Standards Committee.

Claire Browne is an Assurance Senior Manager with PwC based in the East Midlands office and working with a number of listed, inbound and large corporate group clients. She has also significant experience working with Private Equity clients and has supported clients throughout their journey including assisting companies in their exit transition supporting successful IPO transactions.ain Selfridge is a partner in our Accounting Consulting Services group and leads the Business Combinations team. He advises the firm and its clients on a wide range of financial reporting topics, dealing with both International Financial Reporting Standards and UK GAAP. He is an author on the firm’s Manual of Accounting and is closely involved with many of the firm’s initiatives concerning the future direction of financial reporting. He has worked in the UK, Canada and Japan.