Simon Hirst has spent the majority of is live in various leadership positions within the M&A and Private Equity industries, including 12 years at Lehman Brothers. He also served as a Global Co-Head of Mergers and Acquisitions at Commerzbank and as the CEO of a London Stock Exchange listed company. He is also a visiting professor at some of the top European business schools, such as the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, Cass Business School, as well as IE.

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To the show notes:

•	The difference between his experiences studying at Oxford and Wharton [05:04]
•	His experience working in M&A at Lehman Brothers [06:55]
•	Work-life balance (or rather the lack thereof) in M&A [08:01]
•	Simon’s definition of a financial crisis [11:10]
•	His experience in a turnaround situation of a publicly traded company [12:50]
•	Comparison between his experience in M&A and in private equity [14:55]
•	Discussion of the value added by private equity firms to businesses they acquire [17:00]
•	Advice for people trying to get into private equity [18:25]
•	Discussion of technology as a substitute for critical thinking [21:40]
•	Characteristics he looks at when hiring prospective job candidates and the importance of the first minute of an interview [22:35] 
•	How the industry has changed over the years [24:30]
•	What he has learned about managing people [25:50]
•	The importance of preparing for meetings [27:40]
•	The advice he received from Steven Schwarzman [30:50]
•	Simon’s view on mentorship [32:50]
•	Simon’s career advice to young professionals [36:10]

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Episode #01 Simon Hirst – Investment Banking, Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity Investments

The Wall Street Lab