Polsky Center - Private Equity Podcast

Chicago Booth alum Maureen ‘Mo’ Wilkie, Vice President at 50 South Capital, a global PE fund of funds, discusses how her post-undergrad experience as an entrepreneur and founder of a direct to consumer business helped prepare her for business school, and how she utilized Booth resources to amass her network and career switch into private equity. Mo discusses her role at 50 South Capital, sourcing and underwriting managers, evaluating potential investments and co-investments, and the differences and similarities working in European and U.S. markets.

Chicago Booth alum Rich Roggeveen, Vice President at Waud Capital Partners, successfully transitioned from investment banking into a private equity career, while managing fulltime work and pursuing a fulltime MBA. Rich discusses what ultimately led him to Waud, a growth-oriented middle-market private equity firm, and how their strategy is differentiated by a research driven approach, executive focused model, and proactive growth orientation.

Chicago Booth alum Alex Feld, Vice President at The Pritzker Organization, discusses juggling a busy business school schedule while also working full time at a PE firm, and the opportunity set he was looking for in his post-MBA job search. Alex discusses his decision to join TPO, an entrepreneurial family office, the similarities and differences he experienced in his pre-MBA role at traditional institutional fund versus his post-MBA role at a family office, and what a family office can bring to companies and assets that differ from other firms.

In this special episode of the PE podcast, recorded at the 18th Annual Beecken Petty O'Keefe Private Equity Conference, keynote speaker Phil Canfield, MBA '96, discusses his firm's pioneering leaders strategy, and focusing on people and relationships first. Phil discusses how to find great leaders, how the leaders strategy drives transformation, and how today's market impacts this strategy.

In this episode, Chicago Booth alum Mike Vander Roest, vice president of Baird Principal Group, discusses his experience successfully switching into a private equity career. Mike explains how his experiences at Booth, including his internship in the PE/VC Lab and participation on a winning team of the inaugural Ox-Chi challenge, convinced him that private equity was the path he wanted to pursue. Mike provides his advice for those considering a career in PE, including his interview experience as a career-changer and the importance of networking.

In the inaugural episode of the Private Equity Podcast, host Chris McGowan interviews Chicago Booth alum Chen Hutson, who successfully transitioned from a career as an insurance manager to the CFO of a prominent PE firm. Chen discusses her decision to career-switch and her experiences at Booth as a part-time MBA student, and the pivotal internships she secured at a PE firm and a local Chicago startup, all while still conducting a job search. Chen offers her advice to career-switchers, her experience networking into the PE industry and the importance of coffee conversations.