News & Insights

Top 3 Takeaways for Operational Leaders in the Private Markets from SuperReturn CFO/COO 

Wed, 28 May, 2025

Earlier this month, Kevin Skorzewski attended SuperReturn North America CFO/COO in Chicago. This three-day event, designed for C-suite operational leaders across the private markets, featured a series of keynotes, panel sessions, and roundtable discussions—all centred on the theme of redefining operational excellence for future growth

A major focus throughout the event was the evolving role of technology—and AI in particular—in driving efficiency across the private markets. 

With technology touching every aspect of the private capital ecosystem—from fundraising and investing to portfolio management, valuation and reporting—the conversations were as broad as they were deep. A common thread, however, was the question of how to deploy technology for maximum impact. 

As Chair of the Data & Tech Summit on Day One, and a panellist in sessions covering the use of emerging technologies in valuations and the evolution of tech in private capital, Kevin was at the heart of this timely and important dialogue. 

Here are his top three takeaways: 

1. Deploying technology to best effect 

A central question echoed throughout the event: “What should I be doing less of?”, and by extension, “What could I do more of as a result?” 

Whether it’s AI or more familiar tools, decisions around technology investment—build vs. buy, automation vs. augmentation—should be anchored in a clear understanding of which tasks lend themselves to tech. 

The consensus? Focus on processes that are: 

  • Fact-based or data-driven 
  • Procedural or repetitive 
  • High-volume 
  • Prone to human error 

This includes everything from gathering investor data for fund subscription, KYC or tax reporting, completing RFPs or DDQs in relation to investment activities through to collating data for valuations. 

There’s a clear opportunity for technology to improve efficiency across these areas.  It also makes for a great investment case, as one panellist put it – “You should be investing in tech for investment opportunities”, highlighting also the need for speed in this area as “the market doesn’t wait”.  

2. Facilitating integration and adoption: “Changing human behaviour is hard” 

Despite advances in tech, people remain central to private markets. Getting stakeholders—internal teams, investors, fund admins, and service providers—to adopt and consistently use new tools is one of the biggest challenges. 

As one panellist observed: “Changing human behaviour is hard.” 

Successful implementation thus requires: 

  • Clear timing and planning 
  • Trust-building 
  • Expectation management 
  • Robust training programs 

Ultimately, it’s not just about buying or building the right tools, but about creating a culture and mindset that embraces them, extending their utility and value across the firm and beyond.   

User-friendly technology backed by knowledgeable humans is therefore key to adoption. 

3. Data is the new oil 

Some years ago, mathematician Clive Humby coined the phrase: “Data is the new oil”—valuable, but only when refined. 

Technology plays a crucial role in that refinement. As one panellist succinctly put it, tech is an “agent for clean data”.  Used effectively, the right technology should enable: 

  • Smooth data flow across the organisation 
  • A “provide once, use many times” approach 
  • The ability to undertake tasks within a single interface 
  • Enterprise-wide visibility and cleaner data 

This supports not only to greater operational efficiency but also enables fund managers to more strategic, data-driven decision-making. 

What About AI? 

The “hammer looking for a nail” analogy came up when discussing AI. Its potential is vast, but the challenge is to identify real, high-impact use cases—both internally and from an investment perspective. 

The pace of change in private markets is accelerating, with technology as the driving force. Those firms who can harness AI and other tech tools effectively will be better positioned to stay ahead—by freeing themselves from low-value tasks and focusing on high-value, human-driven activities. 

And that brings us full circle: Redefining operational excellence for future growth. 

To discover how Sonata One is bringing scalable technology together with expert human support to drive efficiency across the fund lifecycle explore our solutions our reach out to Kevin Skorzewski.

Share

You might also like…

View All