SecLink Podcast: Women of Secondaries with Valérie Handal

In the latest Women of Secondaries episode, Valérie Handal, a nearly 20 year veteran with the firm and current Managing Director of the European secondary team at HarbourVest Partners, joins Kristina Kulikova on the latest episode to unpack the evolving dynamics of GP-led secondaries and share market insights from the front lines.

The discussion spans everything from how her team approaches pricing and valuation, assesses GP alignment, to the trade-offs between single-asset and multi-asset CVs. Handal also touches on innovation in deal structures and the growing competition between evergreen and commingled funds, offering a candid look at how one of the industry's leading secondaries investors is navigating today’s complex landscape.

Handal focuses on secondary investments, primarily in Europe. She joined HarbourVest in 2006 and has played a lead role in a range of transactions, including multiple GP-led deals. Handal currently serves on the advisory boards of funds managed by Astorg, CapVest, Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners, Mandarin Capital, PAI Partners and Pollen Street Capital, among others.

Handal joined HarbourVest from Merrill Lynch’s Private Equity Group in London, where she was a vice president. Her prior experience includes positions in investment banking and venture capital at Merrill Lynch, Banc of America Securities, and Softbank Europe Ventures.

HarbourVest Partners is an independent, global private markets firm with over 42 years of experience and more than $143 billion in AUM as of December 2024. The firm invests across primary, secondary, direct co-investments, infrastructure and real assets, and private credit.

With more than 235 investment professionals spread across 14 global offices, HarbourVest’s team has committed more than $62 billion to newly-formed funds, completed over $62 billion in secondary purchases, and invested over $45 billion in direct operating companies.

In SecLink’s Women of Secondaries podcast, Kulikova speaks with the powerhouse women driving the secondary market. Kulikova is Senior VP of LP Advisory at Toronto-based Setter Capital. The podcast explores their experiences and performance in secondaries, perspectives on various market trends, and sheds light on their unique personalities—on and off the desk.

You can watch this, and all other episodes of ‘The SecLink Podcast: Women of Secondaries with Kristina Kulikova,’ on SecondaryLink and Spotify as well!

Valérie Handal:
  / val%c3%a9rie-handal-51448  

Kristina Kulikova:
  / kristina-kulikova-01685855  

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