Joining Ardian’s intern community

Sophie Meyer, Analyst in the Growth team, joined Ardian in 2023. Throughout her finance studies at ESCP, Sophie enriched her academic journey with internships in M&A and Private Equity. She later joined Ardian for her final-year internship before being hired full-time. Today, she shares her experience as a former intern.

Ardian’s Growth team: the tasks and role of an intern

The Growth team primarily invests in rapidly growing European companies, with a focus on technology and healthcare. As an intern, Sophie was involved in a variety of tasks, giving her a hands-on understanding of the investment world.

Interns play a crucial role and are fully integrated into the team. Their responsibilities range from assisting with the preparation of investment memos and conducting financial modeling in Excel, to performing competitive analysis to understand market trends. They work closely with "deal teams": for each new opportunity, a team of 3 to 4 members is formed to assess, structure, and finalize the investment. Additionally, interns often contribute to sourcing by conducting “screenings,” which involve identifying companies that meet predefined criteria such as location, industry, and financial status to evaluate potential investments.

This deep immersion into the team provides interns with a unique opportunity to develop specialized skills, actively contribute to investment decisions, and understand the complexities of the sector.

Integration at Ardian: a carefully crafted process

During her first two weeks, Sophie participated in numerous training sessions organized by her team, helping her understand their structure, key responsibilities assigned to interns, and review Excel skills.

The team aims to maintain a pleasant work environment where interns can freely ask questions and express concerns.

Outside of work, she had plenty of social opportunities to meet other Ardian employees. Regular lunches and afterworks with the Growth team and other Ardian interns helped her make connections and build relationships.

Networking at Ardian: a dynamic community

Every six months, Ardian welcomes a group of 50 to 80 interns and apprentices, providing them with a unique networking experience.

The integration process includes an onboarding day aimed at fostering connections between interns from different teams and deepening their understanding of the company. This day features informal team bonding activities and presentations about Ardian’s core values and culture. In addition, Ardian has introduced a peer program, where each intern is paired with one from a different team, encouraging cross-team relationships.

These initiatives not only help with integration but also contribute to personal and professional growth within the Ardian community.

Work-life balance in Private Equity

Sophie explains that the work pace in Private Equity is cyclical, varying depending on the phase of the investment opportunity. “Some periods are quieter, while others require longer and more intense days.” While the sector is known for its demanding workload, Sophie points out a key difference compared to other fields like M&A.

The most challenging periods occur when a team advances with an investment opportunity. Preparing notes to submit a letter of intent and participating in investment committees requires strong commitment. “Although intense, these periods are incredibly rewarding,” typically lasting one and a half to two months.

Sophie concludes with a key piece of advice for future interns in Private Equity:  

In such a diverse environment, where teams need to build precise multi-sector knowledge, curiosity is essential. She encourages interns to seize every opportunity, whether to acquire new skills or to deepen their understanding of how different sectors function.

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