Generalist PE professional?

Been reading some LinkedIn profiles - saw some folks who list deals they’ve done, and at a few places, there are some professionals who’ve done a variety of deals (across unrelated sectors). Majority of mid-senior profiles I see though are sector specialists.

What are the differences between these two career paths? Which one is better /more conducive to being a good investor?

 

Hey Analyst 2 in IB-M&A, I'm the WSO Monkey Bot and I'm here since nobody responded to your thread! Bummer...could just be time of day or unlucky (or the question/topci is too vague or too specific). Maybe one of these topics will help:

More suggestions...

If those topics were completely useless, don't blame me, blame my programmers...

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

I think this really depends on your personality type/you as a person. I don't think either is going to affect your income too much in the long run provided you aren't specializing in something that's going to die out.

There are advantages/disadvantages to both obviously but I think it's important to keep in mind that PE is increasingly about making real improvements to a business and it's hard(er) to do that unless you know the industry really well.

With that said, I've met some guys at funds who are "generalists" but if you talk to them...you'd think they spent a few years running a company in the industry you're talking about and I feel like they're some sort of magical fucking unicorn.

For me personally...I like to move fast, have an operating background, etc... so I'm specialized and focus on investment opportunities where the ability to be fast/know an industry comes in handy...which ended up being distressed situations + growth equity rounds where a company is trying to find enough scale/profitability to get to a Series A/B. (Desperate times = cheap assets)

 

Unde eos dolor eius repellendus cumque. Nam modi porro id.

Ratione nemo sapiente possimus dolorem omnis adipisci voluptatem. Nihil vero occaecati quis officiis quia cumque eveniet. Laboriosam amet libero rem architecto.

Qui aut iste ad nihil qui quas. Quaerat voluptatum minus eum ex tenetur corrupti nam.

“Self-control is strength. Right thought is mastery. Calmness is power. ” - James Allen

Career Advancement Opportunities

April 2024 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.5%
  • Blackstone Group 99.0%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.4%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 97.9%
  • Bain Capital 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

April 2024 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.5%
  • Blackstone Group 98.9%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.4%
  • Ardian 97.9%
  • Bain Capital 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

April 2024 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.5%
  • Bain Capital 99.0%
  • Blackstone Group 98.4%
  • Warburg Pincus 97.9%
  • Starwood Capital Group 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

April 2024 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (22) $569
  • Vice President (92) $362
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (91) $281
  • 2nd Year Associate (206) $266
  • 1st Year Associate (387) $229
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (29) $154
  • 2nd Year Analyst (83) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (246) $122
  • Intern/Summer Associate (32) $82
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (314) $59
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
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
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...”