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Is your portfolio truly exit-ready?

The private equity landscape continues to evolve, with a perceived backlog of exits, growing liquidity needs, and evolving market conditions expected to contribute to increased exit activity.
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By Katherine Gensheimer , 

Chief Client Officer, PEMA North America

12/02/2026 · 3 minute read

The private equity landscape continues to evolve, with a perceived backlog of exits, growing liquidity needs, and changing market conditions expected to contribute to increased exit activity. For sponsors considering exiting an investment, it is important to take a proactive approach to preparing for a successful exit.

Why exit readiness matters

Being exit-ready goes beyond financial results. It can also rest on operational alignment, financial transparency, and strategic narrative — factors that can influence buyer perception, valuation, and deal success.

Sponsors that plan ahead and invest time in readiness tend to be better positioned to act decisively when market opportunities arise. Key elements of portfolio readiness include:

  • Operational alignment: It is important to optimise business processes, governance structures, and key operational metrics for efficiency and scalability.
  • Financial transparency: Maintaining accurate, comprehensive, and easily digestible financial records enables buyers to make more confident assessments of performance.
  • Strategic narrative: Articulating a compelling equity story that highlights value creation, growth potential, and competitive differentiation helps set the investment apart.

The advantage of early assessments

Successful exits in 2026 are expected to be those where sponsors plan ahead. Being truly exit-ready requires sponsors like you to anticipate buyer expectations and prepare the investment for exit in a comprehensive manner, turning readiness into a competitive advantage. This enables earlier identification of potential due diligence issues, streamlining of processes, and strengthening of market positioning. This proactive approach can also support stronger valuations and may help reduce the risk of delays or surprises during the exit process.

How Marsh Risk supports sponsors

The specialists within Marsh Risk’s Private Equity and Mergers & Acquisitions Practice work closely with private equity sponsors like you to assess and improve readiness across strategy, people, and risk. From operational diagnostics to risk mitigation strategies, our integrated advisory approach enables you to position your assets for smoother exits.

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