Hi,
I'm interested in pursuing private equity in an emerging market, primarily for the experience (e.g., growth focus, unique ownership structures, cultural context, 'wild west' of investing) and because I love to travel / experience new cultures. I could imagine transferring as a senior associate either only for a year, or staying much longer, depending on how it goes.
I think India, or South Africa would be most suitable (business in English), followed by Indonesia, Malaysia (stationed in SG?) and the rest of South East Asia (e.g., Cambodia, Vietnam); other regions/countries such as China and LatAm may be tricky given language barriers - I only speak English, German, some Spanish/French and very limited Mandarin.
My background is - Native European, white (i.e., no EM background), top-university MSc, MBB in US and now PE Associate at a top-10 global fund in the US.
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1. Has anybody in the forum transferred from the US, or Europe to an EM? Would be great to learn about your experience/ process.
2. What markets are most attractive for PE? Criteria could include, level of funding (over/under-funded), source of funding (local/foreign), regulatory environment (ownership constraints, corruption, etc.) deal-flow, market growth rate, etc.?
3. What countries/regions are easiest to transfer to, given my profile above? Criteria include language for meetings, primary research, culture, trust, etc.
4. Earnings and exit opportunity - i.e., would this be more of a short term experience gig, or are there long term opportunities and continuous learning potential?
5. Salary, Benefits and Perks; this is least important, but useful to set expectations; I'm earning very well in the US and don't expect to keep my current salary level, even adjusted for PPP.
Thanks a lot for your responses.