November 2022 - Cowen Partners

How Public Companies Can Learn from Private Equity

Private equity has long been a fast way to earn quick, massive returns on investment. Private equity firms invest in undervalued or underperforming companies and seek to make significant changes to their operations, often leading to dramatic results. With the right company and strategic decisions, private equity firms can realize their return within two to

How to Navigate Your Way to the C-Suite

In today’s competitive environment, the road to management — the C-suite — is often unclear. How do people get the jobs at the top? What skills and qualities do leaders have that set them apart from everyone else? Identifying what it takes to get to the top of a company isn’t always straightforward. The necessary

How to Make Your Interviews More Effective

Executives have busy schedules that often revolve around meetings and interviews. They interview potential new hires, discuss daily affairs with senior leadership, and meet with potential clients, vendors, or investors. Each meeting or interview has a purpose; failing to understand that purpose and plan for it results in a useless waste of time. To make

Solving Critical Problems Through Innovation

Innovation is paramount to anyone seeking to implement positive change in their personal life, company, or community. Through innovation, people seek creative ways to solve complex problems and push society forward. Some innovations result in only minor changes, like a few minutes saved in our day, while others have long-lasting positive consequences, like finding a

Aligning Executive Pay to Drive Performance

Executive compensation is often a hot topic around the boardroom table. Ideally, the board wants to ensure that its executives receive fair compensation for their efforts but also have a special incentive to reach specific goals for the company’s growth. A poorly designed executive compensation package can result in management leaving for greener pastures or

So Why Do You Want to Work Here?

There are several common questions you’ll hear if you’re on the lookout for a new job. Alongside such typical inquiries as “Tell me about yourself” and “Where do you see yourself five years from now?” comes this one: “Why do you want to work here?” While you might have heard lots of advice on answering

Businesses That Thrive During a Recession

All the red flags indicating a looming recession are up. Inflation is increasing, interest rates are sky-high, and mass layoffs have begun. Over the last few months, we’ve seen 11,000 people dismissed from Meta, 14% of the workforce cut at Stripe, and 550 employees dismissed from Opendoor Technologies. Twitter, Amazon, Zillow, and Disney announced their

Why You May Need a Chief of Staff

The chief of staff role is common in the military and government. It’s usually a very prominent role, and the people who fill it act as advisors to top military brass and high-level government officials. The role is not quite as common among civilian organizations, but that may be changing. What exactly is a chief

Is the Company You’re Planning to Work for Stable?

Lots of effort goes into looking for a new job. You’ll need to take a sharp pen to your resume, prepare cover letters, undergo the interview process, and potentially take a few tests. Ideally, you’re searching for a company offering a role in your desired career path that also provides an excellent benefits package. However,

Operating Models for Private Equity Firms

Private equity firms look for companies that have the potential to grow much bigger than their current size. For whatever reason, the existing company isn’t maximizing its full capabilities. Many times, the problems are financial. With an additional monetary boost and qualified advice, these organizations can increase their market share and meet growth expectations. In