Working at Ardian: why and how to apply?
As the world leader in secondary private market transactions, Ardian offers numerous recruitment opportunities for students and recent graduates.
Read more: All about Private Equity Funds
Why apply for a job at Ardian?
Founded in 1996 under the name AXA Private Equity, Ardian has established itself as Europe's leading private equity firm, with $150 billion in assets under management, across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and the Middle East. Here are 4 reasons to do private equity:
How to apply to Ardian ?
Ardian offers numerous recruitment opportunities for students and recent graduates. As far as internship opportunities are concerned, Ardian is mainly looking for Analysts or within the Investor Relations teams, for a minimum duration of 6 months (gap year or end-of-study internship). In addition, the company requires certain prerequisites for interns and recent graduates, such as a good knowledge of private equity, fluency in English and an outstanding academic record.
The recruitment process:
- Application to an online vacancy on the Ardian career site.
- Technical interview to assess the candidate's fit (coherence of project and career path, motivation for private equity and knowledge of Ardian).
- A second interview on the candidate's technical skills, with a focus on LBOs.
- Integration.
- Good preparation remains the key to maximizing the candidate's chances of success in the interview, both in terms of fit and technical skills.
Read more: How to do an internship in Private Equity ?
How to succeed in your interview?
Landing an offer in this field is particularly difficult, as there are fewer opportunities than in M&A. To make a success of your interview, it's important to bear in mind that your interviewer will be reviewing many candidates. That's why you need to be clear and precise when answering the technical questions, you'll be asked. You need to have an in-depth understanding of an investment fund's business model, and a detailed grasp of how an LBO works overall, as well as the major stages of this type of operation: choice of target, structure, return, types of debt, etc.). To help you prepare, here's a simple and comprehensive article: The advantages and disadvantages of an LBO for a target company.
What activities does Ardian carry out?
Ardian focuses on three main areas of activity.
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Private equity. With $114 billion in Private Equity (PE) assets under management, Ardian is the world leader in secondary private market transactions and a major primary investor. In addition, the Group acquires mid- and large-cap companies in Europe and North America through Ardian Buyout.
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Real Assets. With $26 billion in assets under management, Ardian is active in several niches, including the acquisition of critical infrastructure, senior loans, and the purchase of office space in major cities in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.
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Private debt. Ardian is also a European leader in private credit, with $10 billion in assets under management. The company is involved in non-bank financing for mid-market companies, as well as in supporting acquisitions or recapitalizations of secondary portfolios through Ardian NAV Financing, a platform providing credit facilities.
In conclusion, an in-depth knowledge of all its activities is a plus, especially if you want to shine in the eyes of recruiters.
Read more: Venture Capital : definition, remunerations and recruitement
