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During his career, John has worked on 24 investments, 19 during his time at Advent, including AccentCare, Bharat Serums and Vaccines, Cotiviti, Definitive Healthcare, Genoa Healthcare, Iodine Software, RA Chem Pharma Limited, and RxBenefits.
Making important investment decisions is difficult.
It’s even harder to do it consistently across different time zones and cultures. At Advent, we have the benefit of being a global, multi-sector firm that has developed ways to collaborate effectively at a high level, and we’ve worked out the kinks over a period of 35-plus years. We were able to move very quickly when we turbocharged our tech efforts. It’s a horizontal effort that has led to increased collaboration across all our sector teams.
Tech is a fast-paced, exhilarating business.
We were looking at technology investments long before the formation of Advent Tech, but at a far slower cadence, and they tended to be much bigger. Now, the pace of what we see across different pockets of technology is an order of magnitude faster. It means you get to do something new every day: you never get to the top of the mountain. You’re constantly learning about new business models in new sub-sectors. For me, that’s the most exciting thing about Advent Tech: the intellectual curiosity itch is getting scratched every day.
Priorities change.
When you’re 25, what gets you out of bed is the thrill of sprinting across the finish line and being first in the race. Today, I think more about the success of those around me, in Advent and within the companies that we work with. I want the tech team and the folks I work with on our other teams to thrive. I want them to perform at an incredibly high level, be promoted, and achieve all of their dreams.
There’s no book you can buy that teaches you private equity.
It’s an apprenticeship business, and you have to learn from the people around you – something that is a lot harder when you’re working virtually. “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes and ask questions” is the advice I give to everyone coming in at a junior level. You have to take responsibility for educating yourself. If you don’t understand something, never be afraid to ask. That’s how you learn.