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Wednesday, October 14, 2026
Retail & Consumer Private Equity: What Investors Look
For—and What Creates Lasting Value
12:00–1:00 PM ET
Richard Baum
Managing Partner,
Consumer Growth Partners
Billy Logan
Managing Partner,
KarpReilly
Howard Steyn
Partner,
L Catterton
Richard Kestenbaum
Moderator
Co-founder and Partner,
Triangle Capital LLC
Join our Retail & Consumer Private Equity webinar on October 14 at 12:00 PM ET.
What makes a retail or branded consumer company attractive to private equity? What separates the investments that deliver strong returns from those that disappoint—and what do experienced investors change after they acquire a business?
Retail Marketing Society brings together leaders from three consumer-focused investment firms for a candid discussion of the market, investment criteria and value creation. Richard Baum of Consumer Growth Partners, Billy Logan of KarpReilly and Howard Steyn of L Catterton will join moderator Richard Kestenbaum of Triangle Capital to examine what investors look for, what they avoid and what sellers should understand before entering a process.
The conversation will cover:
• The current market for retail and consumer investments
• The company characteristics, channels and metrics that matter most
• How investors assess brand strength and consumer loyalty
• What successful and unsuccessful deals tend to have in common
• How private equity works with management after an acquisition
• Why sellers choose private equity and the mistakes they should avoid
Register for a practical, inside view of how experienced consumer investors make decisions and create value.
The session will open with Patrick McKeever, Founder and Principal, DoR Consumer Research and RMS Board Member, who will provide a macro view on the state of the consumer and the retail environment, setting the stage for the discussion to follow.
Fees:
RMS Members: FREE
Non-members: $50
Date: Wednesday, Oct 14, 2026
Time: 12:00-1:00 PM ET
Location: Virtual
* If you're not an RMS member, now is the time to join.
Benefits of membership include: free webinars, reduced rates on meetings and conferences; complimentary attendance at our in-person networking events; and a Membership Directory for networking purposes.
Billy Logan is Managing Partner of KarpReilly, a consumer-focused investment firm that partners with growth companies in omnichannel retail and e-commerce, restaurants, branded consumer products, and food and beverage. He joined KarpReilly in 2008 and has worked with the firm’s founders since 1997, beginning at Saunders Karp & Megrue. He later was a Partner at Apax Partners and began his career at Morgan Stanley’s Real Estate fund.
Howard Steyn is a Partner at L Catterton, the global consumer-focused investment firm. His career has centered on investing in and supporting the growth and value creation of consumer businesses. Before joining L Catterton, he was a Principal in Bain Capital’s venture capital and growth equity funds and previously worked at McKinsey & Company.
Richard Baum is Managing Partner of Consumer Growth Partners, an independent sponsor focused exclusively on middle-market specialty retail and non-perishable branded consumer products. Before co-founding CGP in 2005, he spent 16 years as a sell-side equity research analyst at Sanford Bernstein, Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse covering specialty retail and discretionary consumer products, after six years in the merchandising organization at Bloomingdale’s. He is Chairman of the Retail Marketing Society.
Richard Kestenbaum is a co-founder and Partner of Triangle Capital LLC and has more than 35 years of investment banking experience, with a particular focus on retail and consumer businesses. He is a contributor to Forbes covering consumer and retail and is frequently quoted and invited to speak about those industries. Before co-founding Triangle, he was a Managing Director at a predecessor firm to Raymond James and earlier a Partner and First Vice President at Drexel Burnham Lambert, where he led a 14-person middle-market M&A group.