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Vault recently spoke with Alain Garrido Rodriguez, a Senior Director at EY-Parthenon, about what he likes most about his role, the part mentorship has played in his career growth, the types of skills he recommends to those looking to join his practice area, and much more.
Vault: What does your practice area focus on, and how does it contribute to the broader mission of EY-Parthenon?
Alain: Our practice helps buyers and sellers navigate the financial side of M&A transactions. For buyers, we dig into the numbers to understand true earnings, debt and working capital—and how these impact the purchase price. For sellers, we help shape the story of the business and prepare for tough questions from potential buyers.
While financial diligence is our core, we work hand-in-hand with tax, legal, operations and analytics teams to give clients holistic advice. Once the deal closes, the broader capabilities of EY-Parthenon help stand up the newly acquired business and drive transformation.
Vault: Who are your typical clients, and what kinds of challenges do they bring to your team?
Alain: My clients are typically private equity funds and corporates looking to acquire or divest a business. The challenge is getting comfortable with the potential acquisition or divestiture in very short order (typically two to three weeks for buy-side engagements). The day-to-day at the start of the project is reading all the information shared by the seller and preparing an agenda for a two- to three-hour conversation with the CFO. Given the CFO runs the business, we need to be well informed and ask thoughtful questions that incorporate both our understanding of the sector in which the business operates and materials loaded in the data room. The pace of our work is fast and requires our teams to remain nimble and adjust to new information all the time. We face complexity and are excited to tackle it methodically. Our clients appreciate our advice given how dynamic the space is!
Vault: What skills, experiences, or learning paths would you recommend to someone interested in financial diligence?
Alain: Start with intellectual curiosity—always ask “why” and think like a business operator. Strong business acumen is key, because financial results reflect strategy and day-to-day decisions.
From a technical perspective, accounting and finance fundamentals are a must. You’ll dig into how numbers are recorded and what they mean for cash flow. Over time, you’ll work across industries and business models, which makes you a well-rounded advisor. And remember—learning never stops!
Vault: What led you to this practice area? Was it a planned path or a discovery along the way?
Alain: It was definitely a discovery along the way. I first started in audit, where I enhanced my accounting and finance skills, improved my business acumen, and started managing teams and interacting with clients. I was eventually looking for a dynamic environment where I was challenged daily to think through complex issues. After connecting with EY-Parthenon professionals and learning about financial diligence, I was hooked. Eventually, I requested a rotation into the group, which allowed me to see if financial diligence was a good fit. It was an easy decision to commit to financial diligence, as I had finally found the dynamic job I was looking for!
Vault: What’s changed since you joined EY-Parthenon? How has your role or the firm’s capabilities grown?
Alain: EY-Parthenon has evolved significantly. We’ve moved beyond traditional financial diligence to deliver integrated advice across tax, operations, analytics and more.
New tools like advanced data analytics have expanded what we can uncover during diligence. And we’re thinking beyond the deal—helping clients transform businesses post-close.
EY-Parthenon is becoming a true end-to-end collaborator for transactions and transformation.
Vault: What do you enjoy most about your work, and what keeps you motivated?
Alain: My job is dynamic. Fresh challenges keep coming my way. I really enjoy that I am never too comfortable in my role. Whether it is learning a new sector in record speed, enhancing communication skills or becoming a leader that lifts others up, there is never a dull moment. What motivates me is solving difficult questions for our clients, teaching my teams to become better every day and absorbing as much as I can from others.
Vault: What’s one lesson you’ve learned from working on complex cross-border transactions that you wish everyone in your field understood?
Alain: Cross-border deals force you to think globally. Different markets have different dynamics, and collaborating with EY-Parthenon teams worldwide brings diverse perspectives that make our advice stronger.
I also had the chance to work in London for a year—an experience that gave me lifelong connections and broadened my view of business. These global interactions make you a better professional and a better teammate.
Vault: Can you share a story where mentorship, either giving or receiving, made a significant difference in your career or for someone on your team?
Alain: Mentorship is critical in our business. As a professional services firm, developing our people is instrumental to our success. I have been lucky to be on the receiving end of the mentorship relationship throughout my career at Ernst & Young LLP (EY US). My mentors have given me advice, both personally and professionally, and have opened doors for me when I am not in the room. As an example, my mentors have involved me in business development conversations with clients at a very early stage in my career, which allowed me to learn from them over time. With that said, our business depends on people like me taking the baton and doing the same for more junior members of the team. It is really rewarding to guide and develop our people into future leaders!
Vault: What personal qualities do you think are most important for success in your role, and how do you cultivate them in yourself and others?
Alain: Curiosity, resilience and a passion for people. You need to love learning, adapt under pressure and invest in developing others.
In the EY-Parthenon practice, we prioritize growth—even when deals move fast. I make time to coach my team and encourage them to do the same. And for clients, we show relentless focus on delivering value.
This post was sponsored by EY-Parthenon.
Disclaimer: The views reflected in this article are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ernst & Young LLP or other members of the global EY organization.
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