Senior Partner

Garden City Equity is a people-first holding company that invests in exceptional founder and family-owned businesses. We partner with owners who truly care about the legacy of their businesses, and provide them with a fast, fair, and straightforward acquisition process. We utilize little to no debt, hold for the long term, and actively engage our family of 50+ mission-aligned shareholders to help grow our businesses. We live by our core values of serving others, pursuing excellence, seeking simplicity, staying positive, and prioritizing family.

About the Senior Partner, Private Equity Role

The Senior Partner, Private Equity will be a new multi-dimensional position, with responsibilities spanning across investments, financial operations, and investor relations. In this leadership role, you will report directly to the firm’s Founder & Chief Executive Officer, and will be a critical member of Garden City Equity’s management team, engaging cross-functionally as an analytical resource to the rest of the firm.

Responsibilities

Investments: Key involvement in investment strategy, capital allocation, deal sourcing, relational selling with business owners, and deal negotiation and structuring.

• Manage two private equity deal quarterbacks, a business development associate, and a Chief Financial Officer
• Develop and execute on focused investment strategies to target attractive industries and distinguish Garden City as the buyer of choice
• Ensure Garden City’s approach and team members result in the firm seeing all relevant deal opportunities from the traditional investment banking, M&A advisory, and business broker channels.
• Find creative ways to stay top of mind with non-traditional deal sources like CPAs, certified exit planning advisors, financial advisors, lawyers, etc.
• Partner with prospective business sellers and demonstrate why Garden City can be the best next steward of their business.
• Manage direct reports, who will be conducting thorough due diligence on investment targets.
• Resolve the most critical points and structuring aspects of a deal.
• Present deal opportunities to the Investment Committee for approval (at the LOI stage and at final closing).
• Serve on the firm’s Investment Committee.
• Refine and improve investments playbooks, scorecards, and other systems & processes.

Financial Operations: Key involvement in monitoring compliance and risk associated with investment activities, including but not limited to: periodic valuations, firm compliance and other processes, and management company budgeting.

• Manage a Chief Financial Officer, who will be responsible for Fund accounting & tax, SEC compliance, management company operations, portfolio company financials & tax, and the Garden City Impact Fund (a non-profit that receives donations and uses those donations to support employees & their families at Garden City portfolio companies).

Investor Relations: Key involvement in shareholder communications and fundraising.

• Cultivate relationships with key current & prospective investors.
• Communicate investment performance and key updates of the firm and portfolio companies.
• Manage a Head of Investor Relations.

Marketing: Key involvement will be representing Garden City and keeping the firm top of mind in the market.

• Attend and speak at conferences (Praxis, Christian Economic Forum, Kingdom Advisors, Fellowship of Companies for Christ International).
• Speak on podcasts.
• Post to LinkedIn.

Requirements

• 15+ years of experience in private equity, lower middle market private equity preferred
• Bachelor’s degree in finance; Master’s degree preferred
• Strong leadership, investing, communication, and relational selling skills
• Entrepreneurial style mindset

More About Garden City Equity

Think a “Berkshire Hathaway” model, but of small to mid-sized businesses, with a people-first approach, and with a vision “to honor God by building the best holding company in the world where all workers can thrive”.

We have a simple strategy. We buy & hold companies for the long term, use little to no debt, keep the management team in place, close deals quickly in ~60 days, and preserve the founder’s culture and legacy.

We have strategic capital - no institutional investors. All of our capital comes from mission-aligned and value-added investors who are passionate about coming alongside us to help grow our businesses.

Garden City Equity has experienced significant growth since its launch in 2020; highlights include:

• Capital raised & deployed: Initially raised $52M (~$65M including co-invest), which has been almost completely deployed. Raising another $150M in 2024 (first closing in April, final closing later in 2024).
• Family of companies: Currently includes 8 businesses (control & non-control) that generate $100M+ revenue and employ 1,000+ people.
• Growing team: The company will employ 10+ professionals across the Investments and Operations teams.
• Investment performance: The firm is currently generating annual cash returns in the high teens, while growing the underlying equity value of the portfolio. If the entire portfolio liquidated today, it would have generated a 60%+ cumulative return.

We offer:

• Competitive compensation
• Generous health benefits
• Mission-aligned team
• Flexible time off
• Team offsites
• Regular shareholder summits