Dry Powder (Bain)

Recent Episodes

1. Looking Over the Horizon w/ CVC's Rob Lucas

   Jul 29, 2026

   Rob Lucas, CEO of CVC, discusses navigating the current fundraising environment in private equity, emphasizing how strong performance and LP trust remain foundational to the LPGP model. He outlines CVC's firm-wide embrace of AI across operations and portfolio companies, tracing the firm's early recognition of large language models back to 2018-2020. Lucas also argues that Europe remains one of the most compelling markets for generating alpha in buyout investing due to its complexity and inefficiencies, where CVC has demonstrated superior returns through operational value creation and local expertise.

2. Himalayan Heights w/ CVC's Rob Lucas

   Jul 22, 2026

   Rob Lucas, CEO of CVC, discusses the firm's distinctive approach to private equity investing, drawing parallels between mountaineering (he has climbed the 7 summits and K2) and deal-making. The episode covers CVC's localized, relationship-driven sourcing strategy, long-hold strategic opportunities investing, and its unique deal-team carry structure that aligns executives with portfolio company performance.

3. Employee Ownership at Scale w/ KKR's Pete Stavros

   Jul 1, 2026

4. The Hard Truth About Operational Excellence w/ KKR's Pete Stavros

   Jun 23, 2026

5. Bain's Private Equity Midyear Report 2026: Executive Summary

   Jun 8, 2026

6. Software as a Coworker w/ Vista's Robert Smith

   Jun 2, 2026

7. Exiting Well in Tough Markets w/ Apollo’s David Sambur

   May 26, 2026

8. Buying Well at Scale w/ Apollo’s David Sambur

   May 19, 2026

9. New Normal, New Opportunities w/ Triton’s Peder Prahl

   Apr 21, 2026

10. Buying Before the Theme w/ Triton’s Peder Prahl

    Apr 7, 2026