insights
After successfully starting his career as an Analyst at PEMCF, Tom James will be leaving us to continue on his journey in finance. Below, Tom talks about his experience and role here.
I was a student at the University of Exeter studying a MSc in Financial Analysis and Fund Management, having completed my undergraduate degree in Economics and Finance in 2020.
Being a small yet busy team, it was made clear early on that I would get opportunities to meaningfully contribute to the success of the team. From my interview with Lake and Phil, they immediately took an interest in my personal attributes, as well as my individual experiences. It felt as if the cultural fit was of significant importance, and this was apparent prior to me joining the team.
As part of the PEMCF team, I conduct research and produce valuation reports for clients. I am also directly involved in building our buyer lists, researching different industries, creating detailed client presentations & constructing/maintaining financial models for clients as well as providing general support to the team as and when it is needed.
Cambridge is a busy city which is growing rapidly as a hub for professional services. There is plenty of greenery in the area and vibrancy in terms of culture and food. The historic infrastructure and quirks that make Cambridge unique is also a notable differentiator when comparing to other business regions.
I’ve had a brilliant experience at PEMCF and, since joining, the team has been incredibly welcoming. From the word go I was entrusted with responsibilities and thrust into client-facing meetings. These are experiences that a typical CF boutique would likely fail to provide so early into an entry-level analyst’s career. There was an expectation early on, and my thoughts and inputs were valued from the offset.
During my time at PEMCF, I had ample opportunities to learn from co-workers with plenty of Partner interaction. The culture within the team is second-to-none and the tutelage has been invaluable. They were always prepared to listen and offer help when needed.
Winning work following pitches that I had presented and helped produce was incredibly gratifying and provided the affirmation that we were doing something right. Personally, being able to directly contribute to the performance of the group in a client-facing capacity was both rewarding and enjoyable. Successfully navigating an incredibly busy period was also a big personal achievement for me. Being able to manage various workstreams under a time constraint to promptly draft multiple valuation reports, as well as pitching and creating material for other mandates. Albeit a challenging period, it was retrospectively enjoyable.
Being my first full-time job, it was a learning experience in itself. Managing numerous responsibilities at once, whilst also getting to grips with the processes and style of the team, helped ensure that my transition into the team was as smooth as possible.
Working in CF is, in itself, quite a creative role. Searching for potential buyers, for example, requires a lot of analytical thinking to establish a rationale for why a specific company may want to acquire your clients. This would extend to non-obvious candidates, as even traditionally unlikely parties may have a strategic interest in the project. The same applies to market research. When valuing companies and establishing a market prognosis, data may not be ready baked for you to use, therefore establishing your own processes and ways of thinking outside the box become really useful.
Being able to effectively communicate is paramount in any role but having one team working on a wide range of different mandates has provided me with invaluable experience, as well as the ability to adapt in a fast-moving environment to the needs of clients. Completing various deliverables within a defined time period has also developed my time-management skills.
During my time at PEMCF, I’ve also developed a confidence in my own ability to articulate thoughts, but also an ability to listen and learn from others.
Tom James
Corporate Finance Analyst
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