The Carlyle Group on Thursday reported $276 billion in assets under management as of June 30, a 6.2% increase from $260 billion at the end of the prior quarter and up 24.7% from $221.4 billion a year ago.
During an earnings call, also Thursday, CEO Kewsong Lee said that the firm’s goal was to “think bigger, perform better and move faster.”
Timelines for fundraising, capital deployment and exits have been sped up, in part due to new processes adopted as a result of the pandemic, he said. Some of the new processes, such as how Carlyle executives conduct transactions, would remain in place after the COVID-19 crisis subsides, because they are more efficient, Mr. Lee said in response to an analyst’s question.
“We have conviction and can move faster,” while still continuing to have “great investment judgment,” he said.
For example, the investment periods are compressing, from a five-year time horizon to four years or less in some “high velocity” sectors, he said. “None of this matters if you don’t perform well,” Mr. Lee added.