Clarifying the Scope of Activities for a PEPI Analyst Role

Question

Hi everyone,

I hope you're all doing well.

I am currently preparing for interviews for a PEPI Analyst position at an MBB firm. As part of my preparation, I am conducting research to clearly define the scope of responsibilities and key activities associated with this role. My goal is to mitigate any misunderstandings or assumptions about the day-to-day tasks involved.

Based on my research so far, I believe the role's focus can be summarized as follows:

Pre-acquisition/Due Diligence: Conducting market analysis, building financial models, and assessing target companies.
Value Creation: Supporting portfolio companies in improving operations, driving revenue growth, or optimizing costs.
Exit Support: Assisting in preparing companies for sale or IPO.

I would greatly appreciate any insights or clarifications you could provide regarding the typical responsibilities of a PEPI Analyst/Associate. Are there any key activities I might be overlooking, or do these categories accurately capture the role's primary focus?

Thank you in advance for your guidance and support!

Best regards,
Hugo Rovira

Answer 1

Hi Hugo,

You are broadly right with your hypothesis. At McKinsey, this role would be 80% diligences (#1 and #3 on your list; this 80% could fluctuate depending on external market conditions and your internal mentors and sponsors). You could also do fund strategies (defining the industries where the new PE fund would invest), and market scans (preparing a list of potential targets for a PE company in a specific industry), as well as some other types of projects which are more rare.

One question I would confirm is whether this role is client-facing or hybrid of client-facing and internal (McKinsey has two types of PEPI Analyst roles, for example, and they are different).

Happy to chat more if that would help!

Best,

Maria

Answer 2

Hey Hugo!

Your summary is solid! PEPI Analyst roles typically involve:

Pre-Acquisition/Due Diligence: Market analysis, operational reviews, financial modeling, and identifying risks/opportunities.
Value Creation: Hands-on improvements in portfolio companies (e.g., cost reductions, revenue optimization, and operational efficiency).
Exit Support: Preparing for sales or IPOs with valuation insights and presentation materials.

You might also want to consider:

Post-Acquisition Integration: Aligning operations, teams, and processes post-deal.
Stakeholder Management: Working closely with leadership and private equity teams.

Feel free to reach out if you'd like to dive deeper—I've worked with many MBB PE teams!

Alessa