To mark the Avallon’s appointment of the first in Poland  private equity fund specialising in managerial buyouts, Avallon, along with the monthly magazine FORBES, organised an annual (the fifth already) conference dedicated to the MBO transactions. This year, the meeting place was the Izrael Poznanski Palace in Lodz, where over 170 guests arrived. The conference was divided into three thematic blocks. During the first one, Michał Zawisza, Avallon’s Vice President, presented history of the most interesting MBO transactions  completed over the years 2001-2007. In this block, the representatives of the most interesting management buyouts shared their experiences with  the other participants. The following speakers took stage:

• Tadeusz Baj representing the management of BIPROMET Ltd;
• Longin Graczkowski of KPPD Ltd;
• CEO of Ergis Eurofilms Ltd – Tadeusz Nowicki.

The second thematic block was devoted to the motivation of managers to implement buyouts. The CEO of Avallon, Tomasz Stamirowski, introduced the guests into the subject of the reasons why managers decide to participate in buyouts, as well as the risks involved. This panel also hosted representatives of the companies that participated in the process of MBO transactions:

• Jerzy Szpineter – President of Belos Ltd;
• Zbigniew Miodowski – President of Porta Eko Zinc Ltd;
• Leszek Jurasz – President of ZETKAMA Ltd;
• and Jacek Okrutny – CEO of the Organika AZOT Ltd.

After a short break, during which guests had the opportunity to  have a walk round the beautiful interior of the Poznanski Palace, the fourth thematic block began. The Conference leader Jacek Pochłopień (Forbes) with invited guests: Beata Gessel vel Kalisz (Gessel Law Firm l), Leszek Nemycki (Vice-President of the Management Board of Deutsche Bank PBC Ltd) and Zdzislaw Więckowski ( White & Case Lawyers Office) discussed the benefits buyout transactions bring seen from the point of view of economy and the Polish capital. The fourth panel was rounded off with a cutting of a ceremonial ribbon performed  by the presidents of Avallon, symbolising the opening of the newly opened Avallon MBO FUND. The final stage of the conference was called “The Forbes Couch “, whose the special guest Sławomir Lachowski, the President of the Management Board of BRE Bank Ltd,  presented the views of banks on management buyouts, highlighting the risk of leveraged transactions and shared his experiences of the buyouts performed and motivation of managers to implement them. After the conference, the guests met at a formal cocktail party inside the Poznanski Palace, during which both could talk with  representatives of the parties already involved in the transactions, as well as with potential investors. The talks continued late into the night in a nearby pub, hired especially for this occasion. The partners of the conference were Keep Walking (Johnnie Walker), a law firm Gessel,  Bre Bank Ltd,  layers office White & Case, while media partners were represented by a finance portal money.pl and TVP Łódź.