​Halima Salaudeen is in her second year at University in the UK. She returns home to her native Nigeria twice a year, and is passionate about working in the UK. She completed a five-week programme with our healthcare team in June 2021.

 

 

“The internship bought me out of my comfort zone, but was very rewarding. I had no experience in PE prior to this and it enabled me to learn a lot about the investment process and industry in general.

 

“I spent a lot of time doing research, using the internet, LinkedIn, and some subscriber-only databases to look into companies, products, management teams and financials to find potential investment opportunities in the health tech space. I used my findings to create a “first look”, or initial review, of a data analytics business in the healthcare sector, and then presented to the team, who provided me with helpful feedback so that it could be improved. 

 

“I was also involved in the weekly healthcare team meetings and even sat in on two board meetings. At times it could be confusing, however the Inflexion team made me feel at home, and that I could ask them any questions I have. I was bought up to speed really quickly and never left in dark. It was nice to see how companies are run and the dynamics between Inflexion and the management of the portfolio companies they work with."

 

“Everyone I came across was really friendly and invested in my growth and development. A few people just reached out to me to see if they could help me and it was really nice to learn about their background, role and career progression."

Paul Allen read Economics at the University of West of England (UWE) and is lining up internships to gain experience. He undertook an eight-week programme with Inflexion as part of the Services team in July 2021.

 

 

“The best thing about Inflexion is the people. They were super friendly and helpful and I was able to speak to them as an equal from the top all the way down – I’ve even spoken to one of the Managing Partners and it was just like speaking to someone on the floor. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

“At first I was a bit overwhelmed but then I realised it was because Inflexion believed they’d hired the right person in me. This gave me confidence and I really enjoyed it. I focused a lot on origination, looking at proposed companies and what goes into an investment decision. It was very interesting to see how the analysis works in practice.

 

“They empowered me to attend five board meetings – four virtually and one in person. Each one had a different flavour and feel. I created my first “New Look” for a potential new deal, which is great real-world experience.

 

“I learned a lot – including how to assess a company as a good investment and how to consider an exit and exit strategy before you even buy the company. Crucially, I learned why it’s important to hire the right team at the PE firm and the portfolio company.

 

“Overall I thoroughly enjoyed my time, feeling like I was truly part of a company because I was given actual real responsibility to do my job.”