Blogs & Webinars

Insights from the Markets Group Private Equity Conference in San Francisco Fundraising remains a critical challenge for private equity firms in 2024, with most GPs struggling to secure capital in an increasingly competitive landscape. Melissa Norris and Beth Rustin hosted a roundtable at the Markets Group Private Equity Forum in San Francisco, where they facilitated a discussion with over twenty general partners and service providers from across the US. The discussion highlighted many of the fundraising difficulties faced by private equity firms and how they are addressing these challenges.The Current Fundraising LandscapeAs of June 30, 2024, private equity fundraising has

In today's competitive recruiting landscape, attracting and retaining top talent requires more than just a solid job description.  It's essential to adopt best practices that foster a positive experience for candidates while ensuring alignment within your internal team. Here are some key strategies to keep in mind and pitfalls to avoid when navigating the recruitment process. Define the Role Clearly  One of the foundational elements of effective recruiting is a well-defined role. Clearly articulate the responsibilities, expectations, and scope of the position to ensure candidates feel grounded and confident about what the opportunity entails. It's equally important that your internal team

As an executive search practice led by women, we have been on the front lines of recruiting qualified, diverse leaders in the investment management industry for the past 22 years. When Claudia Goldin was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences last year for her work on the gender pay gap and women in the workforce, it made us reflect on what we see as we interact. [qodef_separator class_name="" type="normal" position="center" color="" border_style="" width="" thickness="20" top_margin="" bottom_margin=""] Goldin ties the persistent gender pay gap to specific factors, some of which we have highlighted below. Alongside, we have included our own

Drawing from over two decades of experience in investment management executive search at Jamesbeck, the biggest key differentiator we have seen amongst those in senior leadership roles is Emotional Intelligence, or EQ.  The term EQ can have varying interpretations, often nebulous and unspecific.  In collaboration with Megan Staczek from Capacity Group, we intend to demystify what EQ is and how you can leverage it more effectively in your workplace. With investment management firms becoming less siloed and more collaborative internally, the need for leaders with strong EQ is increasingly important in order to bring disparate functions and agendas together.  Distribution has become

The adoption of alternative investment strategies has accelerated in the private wealth distribution channel in recent years with most people expecting this to continue.  Managers with existing market share have expanded their retail distribution efforts, and there are many new entrants who have established specialized distribution teams for the intermediary channel.  Firms with established teams like Blackstone and KKR have continued to scale their roster of private wealth distribution talent, in particular Blackstone, and firms like Apollo, Blue Owl, TPG, Partners Group, Golub Capital, and others have more recently scaled their retail distribution effort.   Alternatives penetration at the large wirehouses

  Segment 1: More Tips for Remote Interviewing   We are excited to share with you the first video in a new three-part interview series on how to improve your remote interviewing skills!   Check out this 9 minute conversation with Melissa Norris, one of the founding partners of women-owned recruiting firm Jamesbeck, and Michael Hoeppner, communications expert and CEO of GK Training.   https://vimeo.com/701496814/fd9ec73e17   Some topics and questions we explore with Michael include: What do you wear when you’re interviewing remotely? What is the best way to handle a technical glitch? Should you interview over zoom when you are not ready to make a move?   As always, please feel

By: Carroll Leatherman   Sophisticated private equity sponsors are increasingly using performance advisors to support quick out of the gate value creation plans. Performance advisory coaching is a process that helps executives identify where strengths and weaknesses lie in business operations, so that executive leadership teams can quickly execute against a value creation plan that most effectively helps grow, scale, or turnaround a company in a set time horizon.   We have seen a thematic shift in the support executive leadership teams are provided from private equity and venture capital sponsors, with performance advisory coaching becoming part of value creation plans by financial

Becoming the CEO of any organization is a major accomplishment. Within the finance industry, CEOs are responsible for a wide range of tasks, including developing a strategic vision, making key decisions about investments and products, and ensuring that the company stays relevant in our dynamic industry. With this title, an individual can gain a significant level of influence within the organization, along with myriad other benefits. However, while many people within the finance industry world aspire to ascend to the rank of CEO, the best path for getting there is not always so apparent.   The textbook definition of a “perfect

Segment 1: How Hybrid Work Environments Effect Communication This is the first video in our three-part interview series about hybrid work environments. During Melissa Norris’s 16-minute interview with Michael Hoeppner, Communications expert and CEO of GK Training, they discuss ways in which we can improve our communication skills in a hybrid work environment.   [video width="640" height="360" mp4="https://jamesbeck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/segment_1__hi_hybrid_what_hybrid_work_environments_might_do_to_our_communication-360p.mp4" poster="https://jamesbeck.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Jamesbeck_Articles-8.jpg"][/video]   We ask Michael questions like: When it comes to spoken communication, was there anything that actually improved during the pandemic? There is a great deal of stress around returning back to the office. How do you recommend approaching it? What is proximity bias and is