Key Takeaways
- • Michigan Ross School of Business convened nearly 70 alumni, industry leaders, and experts at Hudson Yards in New York on November 6, 2025, for its second annual Private Equity and Alternative Investments Summit, demonstrating the institution's growing institutional presence in the PE sector.
- • The summit's opening panel, moderated by Ross PE Council member Susanna Nichols (MBA '88, Amity Search Partners), examined talent acquisition and development in private equity, featuring panelists from Insight Partners, Apollo, and the Ross faculty—underscoring the school's emphasis on leadership pipeline development within the alternative investments industry.
- • The Private Equity Council, an alumni-driven leadership organization, played a central role in recruiting speakers and organizing the event, positioning the Michigan Ross network as a strategic source of PE talent and institutional expertise.
- • The event reflected what faculty described as the "collective strength" of the Michigan Ross community in private equity, with attendees representing the school's expanding footprint among institutional PE leaders and practitioners.
Summary
On November 6, 2025, the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business hosted its second annual Private Equity and Alternative Investments Summit in New York City, convening nearly 70 senior alumni, institutional leaders, and industry experts at Hudson Yards. The event underscored Ross's position as a talent pipeline and thought leadership platform within the alternative investments industry.
The summit's programming centered on practical challenges facing institutional PE firms. The opening panel, moderated by Susanna Nichols (MBA '88), a partner at Amity Search Partners, addressed the critical issue of talent acquisition, development, and retention in private equity. Panelists included Ian Sandler of Insight Partners, Mike Barger representing Michigan Ross faculty, and Tracey Byrne of Apollo. The panel examined the personal and institutional qualities that drive resilience and performance in PE organizations, with particular emphasis on how the Michigan Ross alumni network serves as a source of qualified leadership talent for the sector.
Joshua Cascade, a Michigan Ross lecturer in finance and private equity investor, characterized the event as emblematic of the institution's collective strength in the field. "To have so many private equity leaders together at one event is very special," Cascade noted, highlighting the visible energy and camaraderie among attendees. He credited the Private Equity Council—an alumni-driven leadership organization—with driving much of the event's success through its involvement in speaker recruitment and event execution.
The Private Equity Council's operational role in organizing the summit reflects a broader institutional strategy by Ross to deepen engagement with its PE practitioner alumni base and leverage that network as both a conveyor of institutional knowledge and a recruitment asset for PE firms seeking Michigan Ross talent. By hosting the event at Hudson Yards, widely recognized as the geographic and symbolic center of American private equity, the school reinforced its commitment to maintaining relevance and visibility within the institutional PE community.
The summit's programming centered on practical challenges facing institutional PE firms. The opening panel, moderated by Susanna Nichols (MBA '88), a partner at Amity Search Partners, addressed the critical issue of talent acquisition, development, and retention in private equity. Panelists included Ian Sandler of Insight Partners, Mike Barger representing Michigan Ross faculty, and Tracey Byrne of Apollo. The panel examined the personal and institutional qualities that drive resilience and performance in PE organizations, with particular emphasis on how the Michigan Ross alumni network serves as a source of qualified leadership talent for the sector.
Joshua Cascade, a Michigan Ross lecturer in finance and private equity investor, characterized the event as emblematic of the institution's collective strength in the field. "To have so many private equity leaders together at one event is very special," Cascade noted, highlighting the visible energy and camaraderie among attendees. He credited the Private Equity Council—an alumni-driven leadership organization—with driving much of the event's success through its involvement in speaker recruitment and event execution.
The Private Equity Council's operational role in organizing the summit reflects a broader institutional strategy by Ross to deepen engagement with its PE practitioner alumni base and leverage that network as both a conveyor of institutional knowledge and a recruitment asset for PE firms seeking Michigan Ross talent. By hosting the event at Hudson Yards, widely recognized as the geographic and symbolic center of American private equity, the school reinforced its commitment to maintaining relevance and visibility within the institutional PE community.
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