Private Equity
Overview of the Role
Private Equity is a source of investment capital from high net worth individuals and institutions for the purpose of investing and acquiring equity ownership in companies. Alternative Investments are investment in the form of stocks, bonds or cash and include hedge funds, managed futures, real estate, commodities and derivatives contracts. As investors seek different ways to diversify risk, demand for innovative strategies has increased. This has resulted in growth in demand for these positions, but the skill set needed creates a hard field to break into without appropriate experience. The overall arena is ever-changing, impacted by economic climate and recent regulations. This offers new challenges and opportunities for graduates. Goizueta is uniquely poised to help in this field through the Emory Center for Alternative Investments (CAI), started in 2008. The center combines industry, research and student involvement to deliver valuable intelligence to the marketplace and facilitate important relationships for our students.
Employees in Private Equity and Alternative Investments raise funds and manage monies for the purpose of yielding favorable returns for their clients. They also conduct assessments to determine what investments are best for clients and help streamline portfolios to manage efficiencies.
What Recruiters Want
Though not often formally recruited, jobs in Private Equity and Alternative Investments require an array of skills, including:
- Superb technical skills in a focused industry or domain
- An understanding of financial models and market trends
- Skill at synthesizing data to reach business conclusions
- Ability to establish and grow networks and contacts
Electives
Students at Goizueta choose from a variety of elective and event opportunities in the area of Private Equity and Alternative Investments, including:
- Advanced Derivative Assets
- Applied Investment Management
- Derivative Asset Analysis
- Doing Deals: Private Equity
- Economic Environment of Business
- Financial Statement Analysis
- Global Derivatives Markets
- Investing in Illiquid Assets
- Investment Banking
- Project Finance
- Real Estate Investment Analysis
- Securities Analysis and Portfolio Management
- Venture Capital and Private Equity
Company Hires
Kevin Wong 11MBA
Senior Associate, Private Equity, 21st Century Group Fund - Dallas
Pre-MBA Job: Associate - Mergers and Acquisitions, SunTrust Robinson Humphries - Atlanta
Undergraduate Institution: George Washington University
I still make it a point to keep in contact with many of the contacts I've developed and hope to utilize the network I've built over the past two years as I start my new career.
Steven McGrath 04MBA
Vice President, Atlanta Equity Investors
Undergraduate Institution: Miami University
You should ensure that your immediate job is one that will be fulfilling but also will allow you to develop the skills and knowledge necessary for you to be attractive to the PE industry down the road.
Chris Genovese 05MBA (One-Year)
Vice President, Portfolio Advisors, LLC
Pre-MBA Job: Manager, Hitachi Consulting - Atlanta
Undergraduate Institution: Georgia Tech
I credit the combination of my peers, my coursework, the private equity professors, and a lot of shoe leather with enabling me to land the job that spring as well as a full-time role after graduation.
