what's exactly the work split between teams inside a buyout fund and required skillsets/recruiting criteria

I'm from finance background and plan to do M&A after MBA and eventually land on a position in a buyout fund. I knew buyout funds "buy and build" and they need business operational know-how to improve target companies, but I'm confused about the exact work split inside the fund and therefore the required skillsets/recruiting criteria of candiates.

  1. Do investment team members need much business operational knowledge to analyze and select deals before making the investment? if so, what kind of business operational knowledge specifically, or, will this part be more relied on industry experts? Is business operational analysis a major part of the work for investment team members, or other things, say modelling and DD, dominate?

  2. Will the buyout funds put particular emphasis on candidate's business operational knowledge? or you will be considered just the same if you're not an industry expert, no matter you get an MBA or not

  3. How would you rank the skillsets required of candidates who aim to go into the investment team

  4. What' the role of investment team members after the initial acquisition? Will they still actively participate in the operation improvement things of the portfolio company, or the operation team of the fund will take over? 

  5. Does the MBA--M&A--Buyout route make sense to you? I know it's extremely difficult, but is this probably a doable way? 

Thanks!!

 

Cumque incidunt unde inventore perspiciatis culpa officia. Quod facilis sed eos facilis. Repudiandae omnis voluptatibus fuga non illum perspiciatis.

Non ut facilis quisquam aut omnis facilis et. Velit nulla nihil quo accusantium. Ad sed numquam molestias ipsa. Provident ut culpa optio hic.

Sed nihil doloremque et. Aut ut omnis quibusdam ut et sunt. Officiis reprehenderit quae atque et. Corrupti repellat a quidem. Eos soluta mollitia doloribus eius vel autem. Sed suscipit nostrum repudiandae a.

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

Career Advancement Opportunities

May 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

May 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

May 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

May 2024 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (22) $569
  • Vice President (92) $362
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (91) $281
  • 2nd Year Associate (206) $268
  • 1st Year Associate (388) $229
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (29) $154
  • 2nd Year Analyst (83) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (246) $122
  • Intern/Summer Associate (32) $82
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (316) $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

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...”