Activist Funds - paths in

Hi,

I’m in PE and am interested in activist shops given the investment style and diligence approach vs classic L/S.

How do these funds differ from L/S in terms of where they hire, career progression, job security, etc.?

Are any structured as MM or all SM?

In terms of activist managers, would love any thoughts on which might be better or worse places to be an analyst, or anything else helpful.

Wide-ended questions sorry but couldn’t see much on here about them. Appreciate any insight you can offer

3 Comments
 
Most Helpful

Most often hire from 2 years IB then 2 years PE MF. They do sometimes take directly from 2 years IB, but definitely more picky about this than L/S. Hiring is generally done on an as-needed basis, so you could be the perfect candidate for a firm like Pershing Square Capital, but they won't hire you unless a spot opens up.

Haven't heard of any MM specifically structured activist firms, but there are some firms like ValueAct that have many partners.

Good places to be are Pershing Square, Icahn Enterprises, Elliott Management, ValueAct, Starboard, Trian Partners, ThirdPoint

 

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