Favorite Parts Of Working In Private Equity As A Chief Financial Officer
Ryan, Compass Diversified's CFO, describes successful professionals in this industry as "go-getters" and "type A people" who excel in "transaction-based" and "deal environments," embracing the unpredictable nature of the work for the excitement and camaraderie it fosters. The work's transactional nature means a less predictable schedule than a traditional nine-to-five, but this dynamic environment builds strong relationships and offers unique experiences.
Transaction-Oriented, Fast-Paced, Deal-Focused, Teamwork-Oriented, Adaptable
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Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Ryan Faulkingham
CFO
Compass Diversified
Lehigh
Fordham MBA
Accounting
Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing)
Finance
Video Highlights
1. People who thrive in this industry are go-getters, hard workers, and comfortable in fast-paced, transaction-based environments.
2. The work is not a typical nine-to-five job; it's transactional and involves periods of intense activity around deal closings.
3. The unpredictable nature of the work is balanced by the excitement of deals, opportunities to develop strong relationships with colleagues, and valuable experience gained from working in the trenches.
Transcript
How would you describe people who typically thrive in this industry?
The people who thrive in our industry are certainly go-getters, hard workers, type A people. They are individuals who want to get a job done, and get it done well.
The industry is transaction-based, so it can be very busy around deal times. The world stops to get the deal done. People who thrive in deal environments do really well in this industry's transaction environments.
If you're looking for a nine-to-five job where you do the same thing every day, this isn't it. It's very transactional. We do go through normal periods where it is a nine-to-five job, when we don't have transactions or deals going on and things are calm.
However, it's less predictable. You have to be okay with not having a lot of predictability day to day. With that comes the excitement of deals, the knowledge, and the experience behind them. You work in the trenches with your colleagues, which can be fun and develop pretty strong relationships. I think those are the people who would thrive.
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