Wharton MBA for PE in Europe
Does anyone here know how well regarded an MBA from Wharton is in Europe? Will PE firms in Europe favor it over an MBA from LBS or INSEAD?
Trending Content
| +50 | LMM PE vs. MF PE? | 13 | 2d | |
| +49 | How hard to study for PE interviews? | 24 | 2d | |
| +48 | MF PE Rankings | 21 | 9s | |
| +42 | How to exit from Continental Europe IB to London PE? | 14 | 2d | |
| +29 | PE Modeling - Software - Bookings to ARR (First Time) | 8 | 5h | |
| +29 | For PE folks who don’t make partner, how much $ is left on the table? | 15 | 3h | |
| +28 | What are the early signs of an exceptional investor? | 6 | 1d | |
| +28 | Future of O&G PE? | 21 | 9h | |
| +26 | Valuation of Operating Solar Project | 9 | 2s | |
| +19 | VP Signing Bonuses | 24 | 17m |
Career Resources
Based on the WSO Dataset, Wharton is highly regarded globally, including in Europe, for those aiming to enter the private equity sector. However, in the context of European private equity, INSEAD is often seen as a strong contender, sometimes even on par with Harvard Business School (HBS) for PE roles in Europe. This is due to INSEAD's strong regional reputation and its network within the European market.
While Wharton is an excellent school and holds significant prestige worldwide, European firms might favor INSEAD or London Business School (LBS) due to their more localized networks and understanding of the European market. Both INSEAD and LBS have a strong track record of placing graduates into European PE roles, which might give them a slight edge over Wharton, particularly for candidates who aim to work specifically within Europe.
In summary, while a Wharton MBA is undoubtedly prestigious and valuable, for private equity in Europe, INSEAD and LBS might be more favored due to their strong regional networks and specialization.
Sources: European Private Equity Associates backgrounds, https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/investment-banking/insead-mba-worth-it-for-ib?customgpt=1, BB vs EB in London, https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/private-equity/wharton-vs-stanford-gsb-for-private-equity-recruiting?customgpt=1, https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/consulting/qa-eb-co-invest-pe-m7-mba-mbb?customgpt=1
This cannot be accurate I assume
bro is correcting a bot
Happy to chime in (I went Wharton UG and Insead MBA) - did a few years in PE. In Europe (and Europe only) firms prefer insead / LBS. A lot of this is due to alumni pride and there are a large number of alums in European PE (way more than Wharton UG and MBA combined). Of course, folks know and respect Wharton too but if you’re aiming for European PE specifically I would just aim for Insead / LBS - they are generally easier to get into, more fun and shorter. For US / Asia, the Wharton name is much stronger.
It depends what is your overall trajectory. If you are MBB and planning to go to Wharton, then 1 year back to get your MBA fully covered by MBB and then looking into PE, an MBA in the US is totally fine. I have friends / connection who did this path and ended up at places like Apax, KKR, EQT, Hg.
If you are planning to recruit for PE while on campus, then being in Europe is significantly better and I would say LBS preferable over INSEAD.
Interesting. I guess I could potentially also do MBB in the US with the Wharton MBA, then try to recruit for European PE a couple of years later. Does that sound like a fair strategy? I personally feel (and this might only be a feeling) that having a Wharton MBA increases the chances of me catching some sort of lucky break in the future, because of the prestige. This might be bs though
If you want to do PE in Europe, you need to be in another job in Europe post MBA. It is extremely difficult to be recruited from a US job into PE in Europe. I would suggest you do the MBA in the US and from there you recruit for a job in Europe, if this is where you want to work.
I see. Any thoughts on brand difference between Wharton and LBS/INSEAD?
Id et nobis voluptatem natus laborum nihil et doloremque. Consequatur sit accusamus sint ut et.
Inventore ipsam non velit est exercitationem. Corporis cumque qui enim quaerat. Optio ea rerum aperiam voluptatem hic. Et tenetur est tenetur ullam omnis et eos. Et corporis ea fugiat qui.
Error mollitia eos rerum harum. Optio totam aliquid hic aspernatur. Beatae est recusandae quas nulla sunt ut rerum. Deleniti recusandae aut voluptate incidunt sint.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...