Mega-Fund Search Firms

Apologies if this is a repost (which I'm guessing it is) but I spent enough time searching to post.

I was hoping someone could provide the search firms aligned against TPG, Carlyle, KKR, BX and Bain.

Thanks,
Roark

Headhunters: Getting Placed into private equity megafunds.

The following 5 firms are mentioned as the top headhunters. Typically these firms contact junior employees at top tier banks directly.

  • Amity Search Partners
  • CPI
  • McKibben Group
  • The Oxbridge Group
  • SG Partners

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7 Comments
 

in addition to the above, the team at SG Partners that ran searches for at least one of the megafunds and some other top shops recently split off and set up their own shop. Henkel Search i think they're going by now. Not sure which clients they'll be able to bring with them though.

If you are looking for hedge funds also, add Dynamics to the list. Besides that, the ones listed above are the only ones really worth talking to.

If you have any shot at all at a megafund spot, these guys will contact you, not the other way around.

 

Thanks guys -- this is all very helpful.

As for the comments on them reaching out to you if you're worth anything, I think that is typical WSO elitism.

Obviously they all have specific Firms they target because they have the highest chance of having the most people that are qualified, however, they would be foolish to ignore qualified candidates that fall outside of their net.

As an example, I didn't know they covered the mega-funds, but of the 7 search firms listed in the thread, I reached out to 4 and had meeting with MDs from each of them within the week. We all need to lighten up a bit and realize that there are qualified people out there that do not work for MS and GS.

Thank you all again for the info though.

 
Best Response
RoarkThanks guys -- this is all very helpful.

As for the comments on them reaching out to you if you're worth anything, I think that is typical WSO elitism.

Obviously they all have specific Firms they target because they have the highest chance of having the most people that are qualified, however, they would be foolish to ignore qualified candidates that fall outside of their net.

As an example, I didn't know they covered the mega-funds, but of the 7 search firms listed in the thread, I reached out to 4 and had meeting with MDs from each of them within the week. We all need to lighten up a bit and realize that there are qualified people out there that do not work for MS and GS.

Thank you all again for the info though.

Unfortunately, it doesn't mean sh*t that you sat down with 4 MDs from the top search firms. It is their job, and if they've got nothing else going on, then why not meet with you. But at the end of the day, you'd have to be a complete rock star for them to pass you along to their top clients if you're not at a top bank. I've been through the process first hand, have many friends from top tier banks, 2nd tier banks, 3rd tier banks...and unfortunately this is the reality.

 

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