Both Sides of the Check: Lessons from Private Equity and Management with Rob Sharp, Ramy Brook

By ICR | Podcast

What does a successful relationship between private equity and management look like? What can management learn from PE professionals, and vice versa? To find out, we talked to someone who has had success in both worlds. Rob Sharp is currently the Co-CEO of Ramy Brook, a high-end fashion brand founded by his wife, (the eponymous Ramy Brook.) When the brand started to take off in 2014, Rob left the world of finance to help Ramy run the company. But before that, Rob spent almost 25 years in the world of private equity, assessing management teams like the one he is now in charge of. He’s brought lessons from his PE days into practice, and he also has a new appreciation for the difficulties of management. In this episode, we discuss the surprisingly personal nature of private equity relationships, what PE professionals can learn from management, and ways to turn your business’s complexity into a strength.

Highlights

• The benefits of diplomacy in the private equity world (8:08)
• What Rob looked for in his initial meetings with management teams (11:45)
• The personal nature of business and private equity (16:42)
• The origins of Ramy Brook (17:47)
• The power that comes from people (19:42)
• You can’t be too detailed: what Rob has learned moving from private equity into management (23:06)
• The importance of your team (25:40)
• How Rob uses the complexity of his business to drive value (27:20)

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If you have questions about the show or topics you’d like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, andrew@lowerstreet.co