Breaking into Western Europe / US / CA private equity from Eastern Europe PE

Hi all,

I didn't find a thread like this so wanted to start one. I have just started in an associate position at a private equity fund in Eastern Europe focused on LBOs (boutique, not MF). I worked in big4 for 2 years before this. I have a degree in Economics from a target UK school. I wanted to ask:
i) in your view, what would be the optimal path from where I am now to securing a PE place in Western Europe or possibly U.S. (if at all possible)
ii) have you ever heard any similar success stories of transferring?
iii) Any other career choices you could envisage given my setup? I would be willing to consider IB, asset management or any other career options.

 

1 Comments
 

Dolore illum magnam vitae ut ipsam. Porro aut velit quia et. Quia ipsum id sint voluptatem est maxime a. Quidem dolorum et hic molestias sint nobis. Impedit ea repudiandae sint sed amet.

Non eos totam corrupti eos minus. Sit facilis numquam harum quia dolore dolor dolorum eos. Et omnis delectus atque dicta. In mollitia eligendi temporibus voluptas dolor. Officia minima assumenda adipisci sit ab culpa aspernatur quia. Nostrum vero a incidunt et rerum aut ad.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.6%
  • Blackstone Group 99.3%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.9%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.5%
  • Vista Equity Partners 98.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Private Equity

  • Blackstone Group 99.6%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 99.3%
  • The Riverside Company 98.9%
  • Ardian 98.5%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Private Equity

  • Bain Capital 99.6%
  • The Riverside Company 99.3%
  • Blackstone Group 98.9%
  • Starwood Capital Group 98.5%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.1%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (24) $547
  • Vice President (100) $364
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (106) $280
  • 2nd Year Associate (235) $272
  • 1st Year Associate (414) $231
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (33) $157
  • 2nd Year Analyst (97) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (273) $126
  • Intern/Summer Associate (38) $81
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (356) $61
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”