Still movin' and shakin'

Success in private equity is usually dictated by how well dealmakers tend to the numerous moving parts simultaneously and in a timely fashion. It's a daunting task, made more complicated still by the recession-era chill that's gripped markets over the past two years.

True, the results of a buyout maven's work are measured by the returns ultimately reaped from liquidity events. But in the overall scheme of things, it's what private equity folks -- and their key advisers -- do to get them there that really counts. Whether it's sourcing deals and getting comfortable with a company's Ebitda projections, or finding and structuring financing, or shepherding portfolio companies through painful restructurings or resuscitating them post-bankruptcy, the industry's foot soldiers invariably find themselves confronting challenges on many fronts.

By that measure, this year's roster of eight "Movers and Shakers in Private Equity" offers a glimpse of the multifaceted roles industry practitioners take on, in good times or bad. They're smart, young and talented. Perhaps most importantly, they're creative, which you almost have to be in an industry that thrives on complexity. Many have their fingerprints all over the architecture of key transactions. Their contributions are sometimes strategic in nature or involve specific negotiations either in the public or private realms or within bankruptcy courts and outside. But theirs are almost always important pieces of the puzzle, the means to a profitable end.

Private Equity Passages in India By Matt Miller

Akil Hirani of Majmudar & Co.

Private Equity The practical adviser By David Marcus

Kimberly Taylor of Kirkland & Ellis

Private Equity Tasty treats By Jonathan Braude

Silverfleet Capital's Guido May

Private Equity Energy source By Claire Poole

Lime Rock Partners' Jeff Scofield

Private Equity From boomer to buyouts By Vipal Monga

Morgan Stanley's Dennis Cornell

Dealmakers Under Western skies By Christine Idzelis

Blackstone Group LP's Ivan Brockman

Dealmakers Scrapping for deals with elegant financing ideas By Vyvyan Tenorio

BC Partners' Justin Bateman

Dealmakers Skilled in private investing By David Carey

Irving Place Capital's Phil Carpenter III