What’s your background? 
I joined Epiris in February 2014 as an Investment Manager. At that stage I had been working for six years, first in strategy at PwC, and then in origination at another private equity firm.
What’s your role?
I work on the investment team, so my job is to find new investment opportunities, assess them both quantitatively and qualitatively and then come to a view. If we decide to move ahead with the opportunity then I work on the process of making the investment, and then on managing it through to exit.
How has that changed since you joined?
I have learned a huge amount since starting at Epiris, and this has enabled me to take on more and more responsibility within the three-person deal teams we tend to work in. Being promoted to Investment Director in 2017 and again to Investment Partner in 2021 was a part of this development and reflected the way I have stepped up. This means I spend more of my time meeting management teams and potential non-executive Chairmen, rather than just staring at a spreadsheet, which I enjoy.
I’ve also got involved in building our own business in other ways: meeting with investors, helping with recruiting and mentoring colleagues, representing the firm at industry events, and so on.
What do you like most about the job?
It’s a real privilege to gain insight into so many fascinating businesses. I meet the people, visit factories and offices, talk to employees and customers, all to try to work out what makes a business really tick. When we invest, I work with world-class management teams to deliver a shared vision. I honestly can’t think of anything I would rather be doing.
What’s it like to work at Epiris?
I think that what you notice when you walk in to Epiris is its energy and ambition. Everyone here is driven by a real sense of excitement at creating great businesses. That makes it a challenging and stimulating environment, because of the breadth of what we do and the detail into which we go, but it also makes it enormous fun to be a part of.
What has the highlight of your Epiris career been?
It’s difficult to choose – my first deal, my first board seat, my first successful exit. I’ve enjoyed spending time with the team outside the office – teaching a colleague to dance the Paso Doble as part of a skit at an office party was a first and a last! But really the highlight is how I have been able to take the opportunity to push my career forwards as part of such a successful and exciting undertaking.