The People Premium: Human Capital as a Driver of Value Creation in Private Markets

Human capital is increasingly recognized as a critical driver of value creation in private markets, yet the industry lacks a common approach to embedding, measuring and attributing its impact across the investment life cycle. At the same time, artificial intelligence is emerging as both a new source of competitive advantage and a disruptive force reshaping organizational structures, leadership capabilities and talent strategies within portfolio companies.

As competition for returns intensifies, investors are increasingly viewing human capital and operational excellence as interconnected levers of long-term value creation, even as consistent evidence and methodologies for measuring their contribution remain underdeveloped.

This report draws on the experience and perspectives of leading alternative asset managers, family offices, pensions and sovereign wealth funds to identify emerging business practices across the investment life cycle. It examines five themes – pre-deal human capital diligence; post-close value creation; measurement and attribution; AI-enabled workforce transformation; and regional context – and translates them into practical insights for investors and portfolio company leaders seeking to strengthen human capital as a strategic value-creation driver.