Chicago PE shops. Apollo? Ares?

I am currently in IB in an energy group, but looking to move to Chicago when i jump to PE. On Apollo's website, they have Chicago listed as one of their offices, but on linkedin / WSO there's no trace of them. Is the Chicago office of Apollo mostly support / administrative roles? Suggested alternatives in Chicago?

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Nearly certain they do not have a Private Equity investment team in Chicago. Ares has an office here in the UBS building, but i believe its just their direct lending team and real estate.

If you're looking to stay in energy, it might be hard to find a fund that solely focuses on that in Chicago. Most shops are going to be healthcare, business services, or industrial focused.

 

Thoughts on the mm scene in Chicago? I’ve been in contact with recruiters at Cressay and Z Capital and am currently not in the PE industry, so was curious to what people thought of them.

 

http://www.peachicago.com/

That is the link to the website for the private equity association of Chicago. They have a resume book that IB analysts can submit to, and have a list of all the member firms if you are curious as to the breadth of the Chicago PE market.

The fool thinks himself to be a wise man, while the wise man thinks himself to be a fool.
 
Best Response

Prairie Capital, Lakeview Group, Wind Point, Willis Stein & Partners. CIVC Partners come to mind, but there are more. I am sure that a Google search will yield a website dedicated to this. Most of the firms in Chicago seem to focus on mid-market companies. So, if you're into trying to save a tier 3 parts supplier from getting rolled over by GM's suppliers, that is where to go. At least, that is what I recall the industry being like....

Like Gekko said; Citadel. It is the best street cred an intern can get in Chicago. And if I were you, I would look into the VC community that has popped up around here. There are great things happening in tech and trading firms have gotten in on the action. Jump Trading, DRW and even the Mercantile Exchange have VC funds now. Lightbank is much more interesting than any PE firm I can think of at the moment.

 

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