Episode Details

What if the best private equity opportunities are hiding inside businesses that everyone else thinks are too complicated to touch? In this episode, I sit down with Josh Adams, Partner at OpenGate Capital, to discuss why complexity has become one of the firm's greatest competitive advantages. Josh explains how OpenGate built a specialization around corporate carve-outs, why Europe offers more inefficiency than North America, and how operational improvements drive value creation in today's market. We also discuss sourcing, specialization, alignment, decision-making, and why focus has become increasingly important as private equity continues to evolve.

Highlights:

• Why Europe has become a bigger opportunity than North America
• The hidden alpha inside corporate carve-outs and orphaned assets
• Why OpenGate thinks of itself as operational engineers, not financial engineers
• How complexity creates a sustainable competitive advantage
• The sourcing strategy that puts OpenGate in front of deals before they reach market
• Why speed and certainty consistently win transactions
• Lessons learned from Platinum Equity's operating model
• The dangers of chasing trends and losing strategic focus
• Why specialist firms may outperform as private equity consolidates
• How alignment changes investment behavior and decision-making
• The compounding power of relationships throughout a career

Guest Bio:

Josh Adams is a Partner at OpenGate Capital, where he is responsible for origination, execution, fundraising, and firm management, and serves as a member of the firm's Investment Committee. Since joining OpenGate in 2012, he has helped build the firm into one of the leading specialists in complex corporate carve-outs across Europe and North America. Prior to OpenGate, Josh was a Vice President at Platinum Equity, leading the firm's European business development efforts from London. He began his career as an accountant and is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).

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Sponsor:

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-m-adams-70602126/

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Disclaimer:

This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment, financial, legal, or tax advice. Nothing in this episode should be interpreted as an offer to buy or sell any securities or to participate in any investment strategy. All opinions expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not represent the views of Weisburd Pierce. Participants may hold positions or have fi