by meridith dennes | Feb 22, 2026 | Buy Side, Exit Opportunities, Lateral Recruiting
Private equity owns a record 13,000 U.S. businesses. But it’s sitting on 31,000 companies valued at $3.7 trillion that it hasn’t yet been able to exit. For two decades, private equity delivered on its core promise: taking illiquid risk in exchange for... 
by meridith dennes | Feb 18, 2026 | Interviewing, Lateral Recruiting
Optimize Your Profile So the Right Headhunters Find You — and Stop Wasting Your Time Let’s set the scene. It’s 11:30 PM. You just wrapped up a pitch — slides sent, comments incorporated, MD finally signed off — and your phone buzzes with a LinkedIn... 
by meridith dennes | Feb 10, 2026 | Compensation Trends, Interviewing, Lateral Recruiting
Sign-on bonuses, guaranteed compensation packages, relocation stipends, deferred payouts — these are the building blocks of investment banking recruitment and retention. They’re also squarely in the crosshairs of new legislation in California and New York... 
by meridith dennes | Feb 7, 2026 | Interviewing, Lateral Recruiting, Networking
The phone rings. A recruiter has a “compelling opportunity” they’d love to discuss. Before you take that meeting, it’s worth doing some groundwork. The lateral process in investment banking tends to move quickly, and a little preparation up... 
by meridith dennes | Feb 1, 2026 | Buy Side, Exit Opportunities, Lateral Recruiting
You didn’t sacrifice two years in banking just to be disappointed. Here’s what nobody tells you about PE—and the alternative paths that might actually get you where you want to go. The Unspoken Truth About Private Equity You did everything right. You... 
by meridith dennes | Jan 11, 2026 | Interviewing, Lateral Recruiting
The 2025-2026 lateral market is active, but the rules have changed. Here’s what candidates should understand. If you’ve been following the investment banking lateral market lately, you’ve probably noticed something interesting: deal activity is...