What Type of Person Thrives in Private Equity According to a Managing Partner at Cedar Crest Capital
To thrive in private equity, resilience is paramount because "you're gonna be told no a billion times," necessitating adaptability and a curious mindset to quickly analyze diverse industries and assess deal viability without getting bogged down in details. This requires a conceptual understanding, not deep expertise, in any specific sector, allowing for efficient decision-making within the demanding environment.
Resilience, Curiosity, Analytical Skills, Decisiveness, Adaptability
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Kazem Harfouche
Managing Partner
Cedar Crest Capital
Arizona State University (ASU) - W. P. Carey
Finance
Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing)
Finance
Video Highlights
1. Resilience is crucial because of frequent rejections.
2. Curiosity is vital for understanding diverse industries.
3. The ability to quickly analyze and simplify complex information is essential for efficient deal assessment and risk management.
Transcript
How would you describe people who typically thrive in this industry?
Breaking into the private equity world is extremely difficult. One, you have to be really resilient. You're going to be told no a billion times, and you have to be okay with that. You've got to learn and adjust based on the feedback you get.
It goes back to curiosity; it's extremely important. You're looking at so many different industries, so you have to take a step back and think, "Okay, how does this work conceptually?" You're not going to be an expert in anything, especially at a firm like ours, which is industry-agnostic.
You have to be able to boil things down quickly and simply. Does this make sense for the risk profiles? You don't want to spend too much time on something that's going to waste your time. Otherwise, you'll miss out on another deal that might have been great for you if you were too laser-focused on specific competencies.
Advizer Personal Links
cedarcrestcap.com