Introduction: Navigating the Global Private Equity Frontier: Tumultuous and Opportunistic Times

At the Fifth Annual Global Private Equity Investing Conference on Thunderbird's campus in Glendale, Arizona, held in late March 2009, it was made clear the economic crisis not only has shown the world that economic globalization has come, but it also brings with it many new and surprising opportunities. For private equity in particular, globalization is imperative. This issue of the Thunderbird International Business Review offers an in-depth look into several key topics for private equity in these tumultuous times, including how to structure a successful private equity portfolio, tools for reaching liquidity, and opportunities in the secondary and distressed debt markets. Katharina Lichtner of Capital Dynamics, Hans Swildens of Industry Ventures, Roger Wittlin of Silver Lake, and Sebastien Burdel of Coller Capital explore these timely topics in the following pages. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.