Polsky Center and the College’s Office of Career Advancement Launch New Program to Prepare Students for Careers in Private Markets

Paul Carbone speaking to students at the Private Markets Program

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and the College’s Office of Career Advancement recently hosted its first Private Markets Program, which was made possible due to a generous gift from UChicago alums Amy Carbone, AB ‘83, and Paul Carbone, AB ’83.

The one-week immersive academic and career-oriented program is designed, taught, and organized by Chicago Booth alumnus Andreas Angelopoulos, MBA ’02, and focuses on educating undergraduate students in Private Markets through theory, cases, and modeling workshops. Students were selected following a competitive application process.

“Amy and I wanted to make sure that we did whatever we could to help University of Chicago College students understand the exciting and multiple dimensions of the Private Markets and enter the business world with the basic skills and capabilities necessary to maximize their potential,” said Paul Carbone, co-founder and president of Pritzker Private Capital. “And that is what the Private Markets Program is all about.”

Ahead of the program, students completed guided online training modules to help prepare them for the week. When the program began, students participated in lectures on Private Markets, key accounting and finance concepts, and valuation principles.

Students also had the opportunity to build detailed operational models, financial statement models, leverage finance models, comparable valuation models, and integrated leveraged buyout and growth capital models.

Several experienced professionals from leading firms, such as Ares Management, Adams Street, GTCR, Insight Partners, Linden Capital Partners, and Pritzker Private Capital presented investment cases. Lecturers included Steve Kaplan, Neubauer Family Distinguished Service Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance and Kessenich E.P. Faculty Director at the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Anthony Pritzker, MBA ’87, Chairman and CEO of Pritzker Private Capital; and other industry experts and alumni.

Outside of the classroom, students took part in numerous networking opportunities with local Chicago Booth students and alumni, as well as financial professionals.

“Participating in the Private Markets Program has greatly enriched my understanding of Private Markets and the intricacies involved in investments, capital structures, and deal-making processes,” said a student who participated in the program. “Its hands-on approach, combined with the rigor of theoretical knowledge provided by esteemed faculty, allowed me to bridge the gap between academia and real-world application.”

“Additionally, networking with both peers and industry professionals gave me unique insights into the rapidly evolving landscape of Private Markets and provided opportunities that would have been otherwise inaccessible. The interdisciplinary nature of the program also enhanced my analytical and critical thinking skills, equipping me with the tools necessary to navigate the complex challenges of the private markets sector.”

The program concluded with a leveraged buyout transaction case competition, in which students put to use the skills and knowledge gained throughout the week.

“Over the past 20 year, in parallel with my professional career in Private Markets, I had the privilege of teaching over 7,000 students at undergraduate, graduate, executive and EMBA levels at the University of Oxford and Chicago Booth as well as while visiting the University of Cambridge, London School of Economics, and Imperial College London,” said Andreas Angelopoulos, Private Markets Program Director. “The University of Chicago students proved to be the best cohort in terms of maturity, academic proficiency and overall drive to excel, that I have taught in my career. I would like to congratulate and thank everyone involved at the University of Chicago for the opportunity to offer this program.”

// The Private Markets Program is supported by a generous gift from Amy Carbone, AB ’83 and Paul Carbone, AB ’83, and is offered jointly by the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and the College’s Office of Career Advancement.