David Turner at Guardian Life: “There Has to Be a Fire in the (GP’s) Belly”
On a fundraising panel at Buyouts South last week, David Turner, head of Guardian Life Insurance Company of America’s private equity investment practice, commented on what makes or breaks a meeting with general partners. Moderator: What is the most important thing you want to see in an LP meeting? DT: Number one, I care about the culture of the firm. I want to see the character and integrity of the individuals running the firm. It needs to be someone I can see myself being a partner with for ten years. That’s in addition to the inherent capabilities and background that shows you can walk the walk. Which is number two: the GP needs to get granular on deals within the first ten minutes of the meeting. I need to know things like why you chose the companies you chose, and whether you know how to structure a deal properly.
