How KKR Creates Value by Building Better Businesses | Anne Arlinghaus, Partner at KKR Capstone

How do top private equity firms actually create value? In this Fireside Chat, I speak with Anne Arlinghaus, Partner and Co-Head of KKR Capstone in the Americas, about how KKR puts operational excellence at the heart of its investment playbook. From drafting 100-day plans during due diligence to rolling out broad-based employee ownership globally, Anne shares how execution—not just capital—drives returns. ⸻ In this discussion with Anne, we unpack what “value creation” really means today and why operational focus is now central to private equity investing. You’ll learn: • How operational value creation starts during due diligence • What makes great management teams in a PE-backed context • The “governance arbitrage” advantage of private equity boards • KKR’s approach to broad-based employee ownership • Insights from Ownership Works and the future of shared wealth creation • How GenAI is reshaping operational value creation Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro & Anne’s role at KKR Capstone 01:32 – From multiple arbitrage to EBITDA execution 05:00 – What “great” looks like in diligence 08:01 – Governance arbitrage in practice 10:20 – Broad-based ownership: results & real impact 17:24 – KKR & Ownership Works: what we’re learning 20:54 – Sustainability: where it delivers real value 23:02 – What separates top-tier management teams 26:12 – The next frontier: AI and automation in value creation ⸻ Guest Bio Anne Arlinghaus (New York) joined KKR in 2008 and is a Partner and Co-Head of Capstone in the Americas. She worked in the Menlo Park and London offices before joining the New York office in 2016. Ms. Arlinghaus works with the Financial Services and Media private equity industry teams to evaluate new investments and drive value creation efforts with portfolio company management teams. She also plays a leadership role in operationalizing human capital and sustainability related value creation initiatives across KKR’s portfolio companies. She has been involved with a number of KKR portfolio companies including U.S. Foods, First Data Corporation, Sedgwick, Mr. Cooper, RBmedia, OverDrive, Apple Leisure Group, Beacon Pointe, PlayOn! Sports, Simon & Schuster, and Integrated Specialty Coverages. Prior to joining KKR, Ms. Arlinghaus worked for McKinsey and Company. She holds a B.A. with honors from Vanderbilt University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School where she was a Baker Scholar. https://www.kkr.com/about/our-people/... ⸻ Subscribe for more insights on global private capital. Comments and questions welcome—this channel is a space for all learners. ⸻ ================ Professor Zeisberger has over 30 years of experience as a finance professional with deep expertise in private equity and venture capital, corporate venturing, and risk management. As a Professor at INSEAD, the business school with campuses in Singapore, France, UAE and the US, she is a global citizen and award-winning author as well as an angel investor. She is a founding member of KKR's Sustainable Expert Advisory Committee (SEAC) and sits on the Advisory Boards of Standard Chartered Ventures (SCV), Linzor Capital, S4Learning in Mexico and KaizenVest. Passionate about the future of education, she acts as a volunteer board advisor to Girl Rising, a non-profit focused on education and empowerment. ===================================== LinkedIn:   / claudiazeisberger   Website: https://claudiazeisberger.com/ Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Claudia-Zeisbe... INSEAD: https://www.insead.edu/faculty-resear...