Family Office or Energy Corporate?

Based on the most helpful WSO content, here are some key considerations for your decision:

1. Family Office (LMM Rollups):

   • Pros: Working in a family office focused on LMM rollups can provide exposure to a variety of deals and hands-on experience in sourcing, executing, and managing investments. You may also have the opportunity to wear multiple hats, which can accelerate your learning curve.
   • Cons: The risk factor is significant, especially if the founder seems flaky. A new or less-established family office may lack the structure, deal flow, or reputation to provide long-term stability or strong exit opportunities. Recruiting from a lesser-known family office could be challenging, as its brand recognition may not carry weight in the broader finance community.

2. Energy Business Analyst/Corp Dev Role:

   • Pros: A role with a major energy company offers stability, a well-defined career path, and the potential to build a strong network within the energy sector. The brand recognition of a major energy company can be advantageous for future recruiting, particularly if you aim to transition into energy private equity.
   • Cons: The work may be more specialized and less diverse compared to the family office role. Additionally, transitioning from corporate development to private equity can be challenging, though not impossible, and often requires strategic networking and positioning.

3. Recruiting and Exit Opportunities:

   • A major energy company will likely have stronger brand recognition, which can be beneficial for future recruiting efforts, especially if you aim to pivot into energy private equity or other high-profile roles.
   • A family office, particularly one with a flaky founder, may not provide the same level of credibility or network. However, if the family office has a strong track record and you can demonstrate significant contributions to successful deals, it could still be a valuable stepping stone.

4. Risk Tolerance and Long-Term Goals:

   • If you value stability and a clear path to energy private equity, the energy company may be the safer choice.
   • If you're willing to take on more risk for potentially faster learning and broader deal exposure, the family office could be worth considering, but only if you thoroughly vet the founder and the office's track record.

Ultimately, weigh the stability and brand recognition of the energy company against the potential for hands-on experience and faster growth at the family office. If the founder's flakiness is a significant concern, it might be wise to lean toward the energy company for a more secure and reputable foundation.

Sources: Family Office Private Equity, Are we in a new Family Office bubble?, Family office Private Equity - help, How to approach LMM PE recruiting?, Anyone regret LMM/MM?