Hi all! A bit of background about myself: I'm a CA by qualification and started my career in Big 4 advisory, primarily across risk and deals, before moving in-house into a strategy consulting role at a Global Fortune 500 commodities company (think base metals).
I'm enjoying my current role, particularly given the industry I'm in. It's quite an exciting space to be in, especially since we are actually producing the metals ourselves. That said, I'm looking to move into a more quantitative and commercially oriented role, ideally with greater exposure to financial modelling, valuation, investment evaluation and M&A.
My longer-term aspiration is to eventually join a PE house or investment platform focused on energy, natural resources or infrastructure (think the likes of Macquarie).
However, I'm conscious that I don't come from a traditional investment banking background, so I'm not entirely sure how feasible this transition would be or how best to position myself for it.
Would it make more sense to look for an internal opportunity within my current company, perhaps in corporate development, M&A or investment evaluation, to build up the relevant experience? Or would it be better to explore external opportunities that offer more direct exposure to transactions and investment analysis?
I'm also keen to understand how important having an IB background is for eventually breaking into PE, particularly in the energy, natural resources and infrastructure space. Are there alternative pathways into these funds, and what kind of experience or skill sets should I be looking to build over the next 2–3 years?
Would appreciate hearing from anyone who has made a similar transition or is currently working in these industries. Keen to hear your thoughts on how you would approach this if you were in my position.
