Building visibility and trust in private equity
& venture capital
.
Annelie Murray, Principal, Life Sciences & Healthcare, recently led a Level 20 webinar on building visibility and trust in private equity and venture capital, sharing practical advice on how investors can build credibility and support long-term career progression.
She discussed how careers in the industry evolve from strong early execution to investment judgement, relationship building and visible value creation, with trust and visibility compounding over time.
She discussed how careers in the industry evolve from strong early execution to investment judgement, relationship building and visible value creation, with trust and visibility compounding over time.
Annelie's profile
Analyst/Associate:
mastering execution and building visibility
At the early stage of your career, credibility is built through reliability and quality of execution. Delivering consistently strong work creates the foundation for trust within the team. Focus on producing clean outputs with minimal rework, such as market maps, diligence materials and internal memos. Reliability signals to senior colleagues that you can be trusted with more responsibility.
At the same time, increase your visibility beyond pure execution. Volunteer, help with events or support short initiatives that expose you to more senior team members. Developing a recognisable area of expertise can also accelerate your reputation. This might be a particular sector, a legal or structuring nuance, or a technical capability that colleagues begin to associate with you.
At the same time, increase your visibility beyond pure execution. Volunteer, help with events or support short initiatives that expose you to more senior team members. Developing a recognisable area of expertise can also accelerate your reputation. This might be a particular sector, a legal or structuring nuance, or a technical capability that colleagues begin to associate with you.
Senior Associate/VP:
from doing to judging
At this stage, capabilities shift from execution to investment judgement and process leadership.
Develop judgement by observing deal processes closely. Pay attention to why deals fail and what evidence would change decision-makers’ views. Over time, your analysis should anticipate these questions. You should also begin leading meaningful parts of the deal process, such as running diligence workstreams, coordinating advisers or mentoring junior colleagues.
Relationship building becomes increasingly important. Strengthening ties with portfolio companies and other investors expands your network and builds long-term deal flow. Hosting small sector discussions or maintaining regular contact with key industry participants can be effective ways to deepen these relationships.
Sharing concise internal insights, such as sector updates or investment theses, also helps demonstrate independent thinking when aligned with the firm’s strategy.
At this point, internal or external mentors can really make a difference. Identifying one or two senior sponsors within the firm, you can build a relationship with and learn from them.
Develop judgement by observing deal processes closely. Pay attention to why deals fail and what evidence would change decision-makers’ views. Over time, your analysis should anticipate these questions. You should also begin leading meaningful parts of the deal process, such as running diligence workstreams, coordinating advisers or mentoring junior colleagues.
Relationship building becomes increasingly important. Strengthening ties with portfolio companies and other investors expands your network and builds long-term deal flow. Hosting small sector discussions or maintaining regular contact with key industry participants can be effective ways to deepen these relationships.
Sharing concise internal insights, such as sector updates or investment theses, also helps demonstrate independent thinking when aligned with the firm’s strategy.
At this point, internal or external mentors can really make a difference. Identifying one or two senior sponsors within the firm, you can build a relationship with and learn from them.
Principal: sourcing,
leading and representing
At senior levels, the focus shifts toward originating opportunities, leading investments and representing the firm externally. You are expected to quarterback transactions by sourcing opportunities, running end-to-end deal processes and taking ownership of portfolio outcomes.
External reputation becomes increasingly important, with strong relationships across founders, co-investors and limited partners directly influencing deal flow and fundraising outcomes.
Internally, leadership also involves investing in team development - delegating execution, mentoring junior colleagues and contributing to broader strategic decision-making.
External reputation becomes increasingly important, with strong relationships across founders, co-investors and limited partners directly influencing deal flow and fundraising outcomes.
Internally, leadership also involves investing in team development - delegating execution, mentoring junior colleagues and contributing to broader strategic decision-making.
Partner: delivering
strategic value add
Progression at this level depends on demonstrating your unique value add, commercial leadership, strategic vision, negotiation ability and your meaningful investment track record, as well as your capacity to shape decisions and lead transactions with increasing autonomy.
Practical behaviours
that build visibility
Visibility rarely comes from a single action. Instead, it grows through consistent behaviours that demonstrate initiative and reliability. Be proactive with concrete ideas rather than vague offers to help. Proposing introductions, events, or research topics shows ownership and initiative.
Maintaining a wins log can also be helpful. Recording measurable achievements over time makes it easier to demonstrate progress when promotion discussions arise.
Maintaining a wins log can also be helpful. Recording measurable achievements over time makes it easier to demonstrate progress when promotion discussions arise.
Mentors and sponsors
Mentors and sponsors both support career development, but serve different roles.
Mentors provide advice, perspective and guidance and may sit inside or outside your organisation. Sponsors, by contrast, are senior colleagues who actively advocate for your advancement.
Building sponsor relationships requires visible impact and consistent reliability so that senior colleagues feel confident endorsing your progression.
Mentors provide advice, perspective and guidance and may sit inside or outside your organisation. Sponsors, by contrast, are senior colleagues who actively advocate for your advancement.
Building sponsor relationships requires visible impact and consistent reliability so that senior colleagues feel confident endorsing your progression.
Preparing for promotion conversations
Promotion discussions are most effective when supported by clear evidence.
Operate at the level above your current role before asking for promotion. When the time comes, prepare concise evidence of your readiness with quantifiable achievements and be aware of how you benchmark against your peers.
Ask clear questions about expectations, timelines and how progress will be measured. Transparent conversations about development are generally more effective than relying on external offers as leverage.
Operate at the level above your current role before asking for promotion. When the time comes, prepare concise evidence of your readiness with quantifiable achievements and be aware of how you benchmark against your peers.
Ask clear questions about expectations, timelines and how progress will be measured. Transparent conversations about development are generally more effective than relying on external offers as leverage.
Final advice
Demonstrate an understanding of the business of private equity and the role you play in it at each stage. Career progression rarely happens by accident, so choose one or two visibility levers, whether building internal sponsorship, expanding your network or producing thoughtful insights, and apply them consistently. Track your achievements, measure your progress, and turn those results into clear evidence when promotion conversations arise.