Cerberus PE

Hi WSO, I would love to hear how Cerberus PE is in terms of returns and exits.

For context, I just started my IB An1 program, so I would appreciate any and all insight on the team.

I understand that they began as a debt investor, and Direct Lending is still one of their largest groups by AUM, probably the crown jewel of the firm, but I have not heard as much about their PE buyouts team

From what I saw, the PE strategy is headed by Mike Sanford and the investment team is very lean, so I assume you get a lot of responsibility, while working under very smart people.

I've also heard good things about Frank Bruno, the new CEO, and have been told that he is a very down-to-earth guy who grew up in a firefighter’s family.

Seeing that they have a lot of MDs, even if they still operate as a private partnership rather than a public company, it would seem that upward mobility is quite difficult.

Was curious about HF or B-school placements, as well as how the PE group is viewed nowadays.

Any insight is much appreciated here, thank you all!

1 Comments
 

Vel sed et veritatis facilis animi eaque similique. Voluptatum expedita tempora officiis consequatur. Aut asperiores rerum at molestiae fuga ea. Non nam officia eum laboriosam. Inventore omnis natus amet hic.

Tempore inventore consequatur aspernatur est quia. Sed dolorem est fugit atque ex culpa.

Veniam qui quod ipsam sed praesentium iusto. Suscipit soluta qui atque eum.

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

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Private Equity

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

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Private Equity

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

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 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

June 2026 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (24) $547
  • Vice President (98) $365
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (104) $281
  • 2nd Year Associate (235) $272
  • 1st Year Associate (411) $229
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (33) $157
  • 2nd Year Analyst (97) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (272) $124
  • Intern/Summer Associate (38) $81
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (355) $62
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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
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...”