Why is your software background advantageous?
I read a study that said the failure rate of M&A is somewhere between 70-90%.
The authors of the study attributed the high failure rate to many things. A few of which included:
- Incorrectly matching candidates to the strategic purpose of the deal
To me this says, that it’s absolutely critical to understand your customer, it’s business, as well as the business landscape. It is my firm belief that my software background will provide me with a competitive advantage for understanding a client’s businesses and help me make the right strategic recommendations.
Who have you talked to at Bowstring Advisors?
I worked really hard to get in touch with folks at Bowstring. I sent emails to almost every anaylst and almost every associate. I was fortunate to have coffee chats with:
- Will Kebler
- Allie Stolte
- Jack Fay
I also met with Jefferey Kung from Citizens Bank in Charlotte
What did you learn from Will Kibler?
Will’s description of Bowstring is what made them my top choice.
- Team works very hard which created a tight-knit team culture
- All-hands on deck (so flat org structure)
- As an associate you will be given a lot of responsibility
- You need to care about growing others, but also be coachable.
Why that’s right for me?
- In order to be happy, you need to like your team and he quite clearly did
What did you learn from Allie Stolte?
- Allie spoke highly off the varied nature of the deals she had worked on.
- She also talked about how staff had helped grow her
- But also how she’s been currently leading analysts
What characteristics of a job are you looking for?
I want a role that has requires aptitude in:
- Business
- Finance
- Technology
- Leadership
I also want a role that is Client-Facing as I love meeting new people, helping others, and learning from othes.
Why not product management?
I want a role that has requires aptitude in Business, Finance, Technology, Leadership while also being Client-Facing.
Product management doesn’t give me everything I want.
Why not engineering?
In engineering, your job is to know how the technology works.
I’m more fascinated with how advancements in technology can create a competitive advantage in business than with how the technology itself works.
Why not VC?
There’s a phrase that’s attributed to Aristotle that says “the whole is greater than the sum of the parts”
I believe with IB, you can help companies create synergies that results in a company that creates more value than either of those two companies could separately.
Why investment banking?
- I’m fascinated with business and the creation of value
- I’m addicted to looking at the world through the lens of finance
- I love understanding technology, but also how it can be used to create a competitive edge to drive value creation.
- I want a role where I’m grown, but also one where I can lead and grow others.
- I love working in teams and need a job with comradery
- I like variety.
Investment Banking would provide me with what I am looking for.
Tell your story
- I’m from Atlanta with degrees from Georgia Tech and Johns Hopkins. I could dive into my academic background and previous work experience, but I think one of my life stories may paint a better picture for why I’m here.
Would you mind if I elaborate?
- I was formerly an engineer who wanted to learn about business. I didn’t have the ability to transition into business at work, but Baxter’s HR allowed employees to pursue outside ventures.
- I spent a year simultaneously working at baxter, taking night classes at Johns Hopkins, and working on my side-venture with any free time available.
- I successfully created an AI assistant, created a non-for-profit business. I taught myself finance on the side and realized paying for cloud infrastructure would be costly, so I reached out to Google to acquired free cloud computing credits.
- I was ready to launch, so I approached my firm about my intent to release my software, for free – to the public.
- Unfortunately, a lot can happen in a year – the scope of my project had overlap with an acquisition Baxter was pursuing – so they couldn’t let me release the software.
- But – Baxter was curious about what I had developed, so I went on an internal roadshow demonstrating my tech to various heads of departments.
- I became a salesman and after what felt like 100 presentations, speeches to senior leadership, Baxter acquired my work – and promoted to different role. This was my first “sell-side M&A” process.
- At that point, Baxter saw me as a product manager with innovative ideas – but that’s now how I saw myself. In my world, I was a freshly minted businessperson and I was going to network my way into a business role.
- So, what did I look for? A role that blended what I had been doing with business. I introduced myself to a manager on Baxter’s venture team and told him that I had available bandwidth and would love to help. I knew that all I needed was to get my foot in the door, and my work ethic would speak for itself.
- After impressing a few folks, I was thrown into the fire and assisting with a buy-side M&A deal.
- I was flying back-and-forth to San Francisco, meeting with senior leadership at various firms, creating slide decks, diving into data rooms, reading everything I could to ramp up on a company, and working adjacent to investment bankers.
- I felt that I belonged, and I wanted others to feel that too – so I spent time on my own learning finance and accounting – trying to develop a vocabulary and an understanding for the more technical sides of business.
- Ultimately, after really getting to know the startup we were looking at, I identified some risks which changed the financial calculus of an acquisition. My work was one of the most impactful aspects my insights help persuade our VP not to acquire the company but to pursue an equity stake that allowed for right of first refusal.
- And that was just my first project.
- After that experience, I had a lot of reflection. In one project, I had more of a measurable impact to my firm that through anything I had done. I realized that I was fascinated by the intersection of technology, business, and finance and ultimately that led me to pursue an MBA.
Why data science?
Although Vanderbilt does have some business analytics courses, I felt there were some gaps in course offerings that I was looking for.
Data Science at hopkins allows me to broaden my horizens and have a better foundation in business analytics.
What is your ending statement?
- I know there’s a lot of competition this year for the opportunity to work as an associate at Citizens Bank.
- My peers at Vanderbilt are excellent and I don’t think you can make a wrong choice.
- This isn’t just another role to me - I want to be in Atlanta and I want to work for a firm full of passionate people with coverage in sectors I have interest in.
- You should know that if i’m fortunate enough to be offered the role, I will come in and be hungry and willing to learn.
- I’m all about effort, and I can assure you that i will give the firm 110%.
