Edward Little, Head of Buyout UK & Managing Director at Ardian, joins Charlie Linacre, Managing Director at Finatal, talks about his inaugural Real Deals Rising Star Award win. He shares the story of the investment that helped shape his career, what it’s been like to build Ardian’s UK franchise, and why deep domain expertise, relationships and culture will matter more as AI changes private equity.
Finatal was headline sponsor of the Real Deals Private Equity Awards 2026, where Edward received the Rising Star Award.
Private equity has always demanded strong analytical skills. Edward Little does not expect that to change. But as AI and data make more of the analytical toolkit accessible, he believes the sources of lasting advantage are shifting.
Deep domain expertise, trusted relationships, sound judgement and the culture built around teams and portfolio companies will become more important, not less.
Edward has spent close to 15 years in private equity, working at H.I.G. Capital, TPG and Ardian. He joined Ardian in 2018 and now leads its UK Buyout activity, sits on the Buyout Management Committee and focuses on investments across technology, media and services.
One of the defining investments in that journey was Audiotonix, which Ardian acquired in March 2020 just as COVID-19 shut down live events. Despite the immediate pressure on its end markets, the investment went on to become what Edward describes as one of the strongest deals in Ardian’s history. PAI Partners acquired a majority stake in the business in 2024, with Ardian retaining a minority position alongside management.
Edward sat down with us to discuss that investment, the transition from deal execution to leadership, what separates the strongest management teams from the rest, and how investors can build a reputation before they need one.
What does the Rising Star Award mean to you?
It’s a huge honour and I was delighted to receive it. But awards like this are also a recognition of the people you’ve worked with and learned from. I’ve been very fortunate to work with a number of exceptional people over the years.
At the same time, I still feel I’m in the middle of my career. I’m still learning, and there’s a great deal more I want to grow into and explore within private equity.
For those who may not know your background, how did you get into private equity?
I followed a fairly traditional route. I studied economics at LSE, spent two years in investment banking and have now been in private equity for almost 15 years.
I worked at H.I.G. Capital, then TPG, and have spent the past eight years at Ardian.
Across those three funds, I’ve been able to work on different deal sizes, deal types and geographies. That variety has helped shape me as an investor.
Today, I lead Ardian’s UK Buyout activity, sit on the Buyout Management Committee and focus on investments across technology, media and services.
Looking back, were there any decisions or moments that were especially important in getting you to where you are now?
I wouldn’t point to one specific decision. We work in a deal business, so a successful investment can often become a catalyst for career progression.
For me, one of those investments was Audiotonix.
We acquired the business just before COVID. A significant proportion of its revenue was exposed to live end markets, so it was a difficult start.
We partnered very closely with the management team, worked hard and drove a great deal of change. We ultimately completed a very successful exit, and it became one of the best deals in Ardian’s history.
The original conviction held even when live events had effectely disappeared?
Yes. The conviction we had in the sector and in the business held true.
It’s a theme we continue to believe in strongly today, both post-COVID and increasingly in an AI-first world.
Where have you made the greatest impact over the past 12 months?
I’d say there are two areas.
The first is building the UK franchise in my role as Head of Buyout UK. That means driving exits, helping grow the team, deepening the sub-sector themes we focus on and supporting our portfolio companies.
The second is through the Buyout Management Committee. I joined at the beginning of last year and have been involved in helping shape the strategy of the fund, as well as playing a significant role in our current fundraising.
What have you tried to do differently as your career has progressed?
One thing I’ve tried to become much more intentional about is building convictions and relationships.
I don’t think that is unique to me. It’s something you see in many people who are successful in the industry.
AI and data are making the analytical side of private equity increasingly commoditised. Analysis remains fundamental to what we do, but I believe sustained advantage will come from having deep domain expertise in a small number of sectors, the relationships you build, and the culture you create as a leader, both within your own team and across portfolio companies.
However AI-enabled the industry becomes, individuals will still matter?
I think AI will place more weight on the EQ side of the business relative to the IQ side.
That’s something we focus on very strongly within my team and across Ardian more broadly.
You have worked with a wide range of management teams and operators. What seperates the best from the very best?
There’s no single model, but three characteristics stand out.
The first is intellectual honesty. Great leaders are honest with themselves about whether something is working, and they recognise when it’s not.
The second is communication. Leaders need to communicate effectively within their organisations and with external stakeholders.
Strong communication builds trust, and trust is essential if you want people to support the direction you are taking.
The third is ambition combined with humility. You want people with conviction who genuinely believe in what they are doing, but who are also willing to accept when they are wrong and change course.
Is there a particular habit or mindset that gives you an edge?
Curiosity is very important in our industry.
I’ve always been interested in business, and I genuinely love what we do. I enjoy meeting companies, management teams and people with different perspectives.
It’s also important to surround yourself with people who are smarter than you, or who know more than you about different subjects. That’s essential if you want to keep growing.
The third element is culture.
We pride ourselves on building a strong culture within our investment team, but also within the companies we back. Management teams see the culture of the team they are choosing to partner with, and I believe that can be a genuine differentiator.
A classic first-round interview question: whare are you actively trying to improve?
Everything.
More specifically, delegation and giving responsibility to others.
Earlier in your career, you tend to try to solve everything yourself and drive every part of the work. As you become more senior, you have to learn to let go and give talented junior colleagues genuine responsibility to lead.
It’s a constant learning process. You have to judge when to remain closely involved and when to step back and allow someone else to drive.
What advice would you give someone at the start of their career who wants to enter private equity now?
It’s an interesting time to enter private equity because the industry is going through a period of change, but I would encourage people to pursue it.
There’s a fundamental technical skillset and a baseline of analytical competence that you need. Beyond that, curiosity is extremely important.
It’s also worth remembering that private equity is a broad label covering many different strategies, and not all funds are the same.
The skillset required for very large international transactions is different from the skillset needed for smaller, founder-led buy-and-builds. Neither is right or wrong, but they are very different.
Before joining a fund, think carefully about the type of deals you want to work on, the environment in which you perform best, and whether your own skillset aligns with the fund’s strategy.
Private equity is also an apprenticeship model. Once you’re in the industry, find a mentor or someone you respect and learn as much from them as possible.
And what advice would you give someone who is only a few years behind you?
Think beyond execution. Start building your networks and your domain expertise.
Be someone people trust and enjoy working with. That matters within your own team, but also with advisers and across the wider ecosystem. It’s often overlooked in our industry.
The other advice someone gave me was to be visible.
Try to be in the room. Engage with senior stakeholders and be present when important decisions are being made, even when you are not directly responsible for them.
That helps you build a reputation before you need one.
Looking ahead, what would success over the next 12 to 18 months look like?
For me and my team, it’s quite clear. There are three priorities.
The first is delivering exits. We have two portfolio companies that we expect to exit over the next 18 months.
The second is completing a successful fundraise for our eighth-generation fund.
The third is deploying that new fund into one or two strong investments over the same period.
Edward, congratulations again on the award and thank you for joining us.
Thank you. I really appreciate it.
This interview was lightly edited for length and clarity. Finatal was headline sponsor of the Real Deals Private Equity Awards 2026, where Edward Little received the inaugural Real Deals Rising Star Award.