CASE STUDY - The Carlyle Group
CASE STUDY - The Carlyle Group
CASE STUDY - The Carlyle Group
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GLOBAL ALTERNATIVE ASSET MANAGEMENT<br />
<strong>CASE</strong> <strong>STUDY</strong><br />
How <strong>Carlyle</strong> Creates Value<br />
Deep industry expertise. Global scale and presence. Extensive network of Operating Executives. And a wealth of<br />
investment portfolio data; we call it <strong>The</strong> <strong>Carlyle</strong> Edge. <strong>The</strong>se are the four pillars of <strong>Carlyle</strong>’s value creation<br />
model. By leveraging these core capabilities and resources—<strong>Carlyle</strong> has established a 25-year overall<br />
track record of investing in companies, working to make them better and serving our investors’ needs.<br />
A provider of English language learning services is transformed from<br />
an orphaned business into a sophisticated corporation with online<br />
programs and a network of franchise centers across the globe.<br />
AT A GLANCE<br />
Wall Street Institute, Inc.<br />
Industry: Technology & Business Services<br />
Region/Country: Luxembourg<br />
Fund: <strong>Carlyle</strong> Venture Partners II, L.P.<br />
Acquired: February 2005<br />
Status: Exited<br />
About Wall Street Institute and the Transaction<br />
<strong>Carlyle</strong> acquired Wall Street Institute, Inc. (WSI) in February 2005. WSI was an<br />
orphaned subsidiary of Laureate Education, which lacked the capital and management<br />
resources necessary to grow the business. <strong>Carlyle</strong> recognized the opportunity<br />
to take an under-managed, under-resourced and sub-optimized business,<br />
infuse new leadership and growth capital, and transform it into a platform that<br />
could take advantage of the growing global demand for English language instruction.<br />
On August 19, 2010, when <strong>Carlyle</strong> exited the transaction, WSI was ranked #1<br />
or #2 in most markets.<br />
Key Value Creation Metrics<br />
• Transformed an orphaned business through capital investments, new<br />
management, geographic expansion, new curriculum and online offerings,<br />
driving WSI’s ranking to the #1 or #2 brand in most markets.<br />
• Leveraged the “One <strong>Carlyle</strong>” global network in Asia, Europe, the Middle<br />
East/North Africa and South America to support existing operations and<br />
new center development.<br />
• Invested heavily in new information technology and systems to standardize<br />
and streamline operations across the centers, providing a solid foundation<br />
for growth.<br />
• Expanded WSI’s product offerings, such as new online programs to facilitate<br />
distance learning.<br />
• Focused on penetrating corporate and institutional clients with new products,<br />
resulting in a nearly 50% annual increase in sales for this segment.<br />
THE CARLYLE GROUP<br />
1001 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, NW<br />
WASHINGTON, DC 20004-2505<br />
202-729-5626<br />
WWW.CARLYLE.COM
400+ centers<br />
By tapping into <strong>Carlyle</strong>’s<br />
global network and collaborative<br />
spirit, WSI has expanded<br />
its global footprint into<br />
26 countries with more than<br />
400 centers, including approximately<br />
30 company-owned<br />
centers in Germany.<br />
ABOUT THE CARLYLE GROUP<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Carlyle</strong> <strong>Group</strong> (NASDAQ: CG) is a global<br />
alternative asset manager with $170 billion of<br />
assets under management across 113 funds<br />
and 67 fund of funds vehicles as of December<br />
31, 2012. <strong>Carlyle</strong>’s purpose is to invest wisely<br />
and create value on behalf of our investors,<br />
many of whom are public pensions. <strong>Carlyle</strong><br />
invests across four segments – Corporate<br />
Private Equity, Real Assets, Global Market<br />
Strategies and Solutions – in Africa, Asia,<br />
Australia, Europe, the Middle East, North<br />
America and South America. <strong>Carlyle</strong> has<br />
expertise in various industries, including:<br />
aerospace, defense & government services,<br />
consumer & retail, energy, financial services,<br />
healthcare, industrial, technology & business<br />
services, telecommunications & media<br />
and transportation. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Carlyle</strong> <strong>Group</strong><br />
employs 1,400 people in 33 offices across six<br />
continents.<br />
<strong>Carlyle</strong> believes these selected case studies should be considered<br />
as a reflection of <strong>Carlyle</strong>’s investment process, and references to<br />
these particular portfolio companies should not be considered a<br />
recommendation of any particular security, investment, or portfolio<br />
company. <strong>The</strong> information provided about these portfolio<br />
companies is intended to be illustrative, and is not intended to<br />
be used as an indication of the current or future performance of<br />
<strong>Carlyle</strong>’s portfolio companies. <strong>The</strong> investments described in the<br />
selected case studies were not made by any single fund or other<br />
product and do not represent all of the investments purchased or<br />
sold by any fund or other product. <strong>The</strong> information provided in<br />
these case studies is for informational purposes only and may not<br />
be relied on in any manner as advice or as an offer to sell or a solicitation<br />
of an offer to buy interests in any fund or other product<br />
sponsored or managed by <strong>Carlyle</strong> or its affiliates. Any such offer<br />
or solicitation shall only be made pursuant to a final confidential<br />
private placement memorandum, which will be furnished to qualified<br />
investors on a confidential basis at their request.<br />
Founded more than 35 years ago in Italy, WSI is now a global provider of English<br />
language learning services in 26 countries. <strong>The</strong> company teaches English as<br />
a second language through a proprietary, blended instruction method that<br />
incorporates small-class instruction, computer-based exercises and student-tostudent<br />
interaction in physical centers and via an active online community. WSI<br />
currently has nearly 400 franchise centers globally and operates approximately<br />
30 company-owned centers in Germany.<br />
Growing the Business<br />
With <strong>Carlyle</strong>’s encouragement and guidance, WSI’s management aggressively<br />
pursued expansion in existing and new territories, standardized and streamlined<br />
learning center operations, and expanded product offerings, including a greater<br />
focus on corporate and institutional customers.<br />
Leveraging the “One <strong>Carlyle</strong>” global network, WSI expanded its global footprint.<br />
WSI executives worked with <strong>Carlyle</strong> team members in Asia, Europe, the<br />
Middle East/North Africa and South America to support existing operations and<br />
new territory development. In particular, WSI worked closely with <strong>Carlyle</strong> professionals<br />
in Beijing and Hong Kong to develop and implement a strategic plan for<br />
expansion in China. Through the hard work and initiative of the combined WSI and<br />
<strong>Carlyle</strong> teams, WSI expanded into new territories and increased the total number<br />
of learning centers in the network, driving double-digit increases in systems sales<br />
from 2005 to 2010.<br />
Improving Operations<br />
While expanding geographically, management also focused on standardizing and<br />
streamlining operations to improve the organizational structure and flow of information<br />
within the company. Management invested heavily in back-end IT infrastructure<br />
to facilitate greater reliability and scalability, enhance student information<br />
systems and franchise center operations, and generate real-time updates as well.<br />
Management also deployed systems to allow WSI to roll out new programs and initiatives<br />
across the network with greater flexibility and security, enabling the network<br />
to respond more quickly to market demands and product requests.<br />
Expanding Product Offerings<br />
With <strong>Carlyle</strong>’s support, management expanded its product offerings by developing<br />
new online programs to facilitate distance learning and by concentrating on<br />
corporate and institutional sales. WSI introduced a global community forum<br />
called “<strong>The</strong> Village,” through which students engage with other WSI students<br />
and alumni outside of the classroom. Management also increased its focus on<br />
corporate and institutional sales to address the growing demand for English language<br />
instruction outside of the retail channel. New programs like “Professional<br />
English” and “Harvard ManageMentor” have expanded WSI’s market share with<br />
professional and corporate users. Since building this platform in 2006, this segment<br />
has grown nearly 50% annually.<br />
MEXICO<br />
NICARAGUA VENEZUELA<br />
COLOMBIA<br />
ECUADOR<br />
PERU<br />
CHILE<br />
ARGENTINA<br />
GERMANY<br />
CZECH REPUBLIC<br />
FRANCE SWITZERLAND<br />
SPAIN<br />
ITALY<br />
PORTUGAL<br />
TURKEY<br />
ISRAEL<br />
MOROCCO<br />
SAUDI ARABIA<br />
BRAZIL<br />
RUSSIA<br />
CHINA<br />
THAILAND<br />
SOUTH KOREA<br />
TAIWAN<br />
INDONESIA<br />
With centers in 26 countries, Wall Street Institute<br />
is well positioned to take advantage of the growing<br />
global demand for English language instruction.