Private Equity opportunity

Question

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice on transitioning from advisory into Private Equity.

I have around 3 years of experience with KPMG Middle East in Infrastructure Advisory / Government Advisory, where I worked primarily with government clients on major infrastructure and PPP projects. My experience includes financial modelling, project economics, business case development, transaction/PPP advisory and evaluating infrastructure risks.

I’m now interested in moving toward Private Equity and would really appreciate advice from people who have made a similar transition.

In particular, I’d be interested in understanding:

What are the most realistic entry paths into PE from an infrastructure/government advisory background?
How can I best reposition my CV and experience to make it more relevant to PE, particularly in terms of terminology, formatting and highlighting relevant skills?
Are there particular certifications, training programs, modelling courses or other resources that would meaningfully improve my profile?

I currently hold the full CP3P certification (Foundation, Preparation and Execution) and have financial modelling qualifications including FMVA, as well as practical financial modelling experience. I’m unsure how valuable the CP3P is for a PE transition, or whether I should focus more heavily on PE-specific training.

I’d especially appreciate advice from anyone who has moved from Big 4 / infrastructure advisory / project finance into PE or infrastructure investing, and what they would do differently if making the transition today.

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Hello, I think your infrastructure experience could actually be quite relevant, especially for infrastructure focused PE funds. The financial modelling and transaction experience should give you a good starting point. From what I’ve seen, the bigger challenge is often showing that you understand the investment side and not only the advisory side.

I’d probably focus on positioning your existing experience around investment decisions, returns, risks and deal exposure rather than adding too many more certifications. For the CV, I’d also try to quantify the projects and your actual responsibilities as much as possible.

I hope this helps