A Day in the Life: Fund Raiser and Investor Relations

8:00 a.m.: I arrive at work. I’m lucky in that my position doesn’t require a lot of overnight work. My morning is my own. Sometimes I even hit the gym before I get in, though not as much as I should. I answer e-mails, some from fund holders with questions about recent news reports on private equity, and dig up the latest information on a fund for a status call.

9:00 a.m.: Status call with major investor. This is a major state pension fund that placed a good chunk of money with us. So we give them an update every so often, anywhere from every other week to once a quarter, depending on what they want and need.

10:00 a.m.: Grab a cab and head across town for a sales meeting.

10:30 a.m.: Sales meeting. A major university is considering a placement with us. It’s my job to show them what we’ve done, what our plans are, and the mechanics of making the placement. In this case, they’re interested but want a follow-up meeting with their chancellor and our bosses. So on the ride back to the office, I’m on my smartphone to see which of the bosses would be available and when.

12:00 p.m.: Following up on a lead. Even private equity firms cold call sometimes. A friend introduced me to a private banker a few weeks ago, and I’m following up to see if there’s a chance to do something together.

1:00 p.m.: Lunch. I always try to get out of the office for at least a half hour. It clears my mind and makes me fresher for all of the work I have to tackle in the afternoon. Not everybody has that luxury.

1:30 p.m.: Another status call with an investor.

2:30 p.m.: Reviewing the quarterly letter to investors. It’s early yet, but you want to be out there in front of them, whatever the news, so you can own the message.

3:00 p.m.: Meeting to go over the quarterly letter to investors with the writers and marketing consultant.

4:00 p.m.: Preparing for another sales call, this one for a hedge fund. You target your message differently. I wouldn’t make the same arguments for a university that I would for a hedge fund.

4:30 p.m.: Catching the train out to Connecticut with a vice president who helps run the fund.

6:00 p.m.: Dinner meeting with the hedge fund. When the vice president is there, I tend to let her do a lot of the talking, especially when they get down and dirty with the numbers. I simply keep things moving and make sure we tackle all the high points.

9:00 p.m.: Back to the train station and into the city en route to home, with e-mail messages going the entire trip.