Harvard Alumni on Private Equity Fast Pitch® - Career Advice For Private Equity & Investment Banking
Private Equity Fast Pitch
THE ADVICE THAT ACTUALLY HOLDS UP There is no shortage of advice in this industry Most of it sounds good... Not all of it lasts With graduation season here, I wanted to do something a little different on Private Equity Fast Pitch. These clips come from guests who share a common university. What they don’t share is how they got there: Different paths Different careers Different firms What stood out to me was not where they went. It was how consistent the advice was ⚾️ Play the long game Careers are built over decades, not...
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Ignacio Jayanti - Corsair Capital
Private Equity Fast Pitch
Ignacio Jayanti is the Chief Executive Officer of Corsair and serves as Chairman of the Buyouts Investment Committee and as a member of the Infrastructure Investment Committee. He joined Corsair in 1993 when the first Corsair fund was launched and is based in New York. Ignacio is a director of Corsair portfolio companies IDnow and ZEDRA. Prior to spinning off Corsair as an independent business from J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. in 2006, Ignacio played a key role as a senior member of the investment team of the predecessor Corsair funds and also was responsible for managing the operations...
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Omar Jaffrey - Palistar Capital
Private Equity Fast Pitch
Omar Jaffrey has been involved in technology, media and telecommunications (“TMT”) investments, mergers and acquisitions, strategic partnerships, public and private capital raises, restructuring and bankruptcies for over 30 years. Mr. Jaffrey founded Palistar Capital (formerly, Melody Investment Advisers, “Palistar”) in 2019 as a specialist digital infrastructure investor as his go-forward investment platform and created Symphony Wireless, an affiliated easements origination platform (“Symphony”). The team successfully raised a $2 billion dedicated digital infrastructure...
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Daphne Dufresne - Awani Capital
Private Equity Fast Pitch
Daphne Dufresne is the Founder and Managing Partner of Awani Capital. She leads the firm’s strategic direction, investment decisions, and value creation initiatives across the portfolio. With over 25 years of private equity experience, Daphne has a long-standing track record of building scalable businesses in the business and industrial services sectors. She plays an active role in all phases of the investment process—from deal sourcing and thesis development to portfolio company growth and exit strategy. Before founding Awani, Daphne was a Managing Partner at GenNx360, a $2.2...
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Advice to Young Professionals and College Students from Female Private Equity Professionals
Private Equity Fast Pitch
In recognition of International Women’s Month, I’m releasing a montage of advice from some of the most accomplished women in our industry. These remarkable leaders have navigated one of the most demanding and historically male-dominated corners of business and have done it with conviction, resilience, and extraordinary leadership. If you’re a young professional, a student considering this industry, or a leader developing the next generation of talent, this episode is worth your time. Sunaina Sinha - Global Head, Private Capital Advisory, and Senior Managing Director,...
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Suzanne Yoon - Kinzie Capital
Private Equity Fast Pitch
Suzanne Yoon is the Founder and Managing Partner of Kinzie Capital Partners, a Chicago- based private equity firm redefining the lower middle market. With over 25 years of experience, Suzanne founded Kinzie on the conviction that sustainable value is unlocked by integrating people and operational innovation with technology. Under her leadership, Kinzie specializes in founder transitions across the manufacturing, business services, and consumer sectors. Suzanne and her team move beyond traditional oversight to serve as hands-on partners, utilizing tech-driven efficiencies to scale...
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Andy Unanue - AUA Private Equity Partners
Private Equity Fast Pitch
Andy Unanue is the founder and Managing Partner of AUA Private Equity Partners, an operationally-focused, lower middle market investment firm with expertise in supporting and growing family-owned and demographic-driven businesses. Andy is a member of AUA Private Equity’s Investment Committee, and under his leadership, AUA has deployed over $800 million of capital to date. AUA’s business model is driven by Andy’s own family background – he is a member of the Unanue family, which owns and runs Goya Foods, the largest producer of Spanish- and Latin-American foods in the United...
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Eric Wiklendt - Speyside Equity
Private Equity Fast Pitch
Eric Wiklendt is a Managing Director at Speyside Equity, where he is responsible for sourcing, executing, managing, and exiting investments. Eric has previously held senior leadership and operational roles, and he currently serves on the Boards of several portfolio companies. Before joining Speyside Equity, Eric was President & CEO of Kelix Heat Transfer Systems. Prior to that, he held leadership roles at Eaton and Hilti Corporation, where he oversaw M&A activities, established a manufacturing plant in Mexico, managed a large marketing team, and directed industrial sales...
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Sam Gaynor - Altamont Capital Partners
Private Equity Fast Pitch
Sam Gaynor is a Managing Director at Altamont Capital Partners where he oversees their Financial Services practice. Sam evaluates and underwrites deals in the insurance, asset / wealth management, and specialty finance sectors, working closely with management teams to help maximize the value of their businesses. In particular, Sam has overseen Altamont's efforts to incubate new Financial Services businesses, having launched eight new companies over the last decade.
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Quotes and Mottos Montage from Private Equity and Investment Banking Professionals
Private Equity Fast Pitch
Throughout 2025, I sat down with CEOs, founders, investors, and leaders across the private equity ecosystem. In every conversation, I asked a question that I have asked since the very first episode of Private Equity Fast Pitch: What’s the quote, motto, or what drives you? The answers were telling as there were no slogans or catchy buzzwords. What stood out was a shared seriousness about how success is built over time. Intention. Discipline. Mentorship. Compassion. Consistency. A deep respect for people and for the responsibility that comes with leadership....
info_outlineEpisode 183 of the Private Equity Fast Pitch features Sean MacIver, Managing Director with KeyBanc Capital Markets. He has over 15 years of experience advising both private equity and corporate clientele across the debt capital markets. Sean currently spends most of his time working collaboratively with his industry partners within the Industrial & Business Services, Building Products, and Aerospace & Defense sub-verticals, but also has industry agnostic coverage of KeyCorp’s Colorado and Southern California Commercial Banking markets.
Sean has led and executed over 250 unique financings over his career, raising well north of $100BN in capital for both middle market and large corporate clients. For Sean it isn’t just about executing transactions—it’s about forging longstanding trusted partnerships that will endure the test of time (and various market conditions for that matter).
Sean is a graduate of the Richard T. Farmer School of Business at Miami University of Ohio and earned his MBA at Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Outside of the office (or airport) you will find Sean spending time his with family (Sarah, Charlie, Teddy + Stevie), working on his sub-par golf game, or headlining at CORUS45, a Cleveland-based high-intensity pilates studio.
The opinions expressed by the KeyBanc Capital Markets speaker are not necessarily those of KeyBanc Capital Markets, or any of its affiliates. Any opinions expressed are provided for informational purposes only, does not constitute research, legal, regulatory, tax, accounting, or investment advice, and should not be regarded as a recommendation or a solicitation.