Business Support
The people who keep demanding firms moving.
Behind every high-performing investment team is exceptional business support. We place the Executive Assistants, Personal Assistants and Office Managers who operate with discretion, anticipation and absolute reliability.
The problems we solve
Roles that carry more weight than their titles suggest.
“Our partners need support they can trust with anything. Most CVs cannot show that.”
Discretion, anticipation and judgement do not appear on a CV. We assess for them directly, and because we have supported private capital firms since 2006, we know precisely what working alongside a demanding partner group requires.
“The last EA was capable but never settled into the pace of the firm.”
Private capital has its own rhythm: deal deadlines, investor meetings, constant travel and shifting priorities. We prioritise candidates who have thrived in that environment before, or who demonstrably carry the temperament for it.
“This role touches everything confidential. We cannot run a public search.”
Much of our business support work is quiet by design. We approach a small, carefully chosen field, brief them under discretion and manage the process so that neither the firm nor the candidates are exposed.
A partner-led practice
Recruited with the same rigour as a finance leadership search.
Our business support practice is led by Clare Robson, Partner, and treated with the seriousness these roles deserve. In private capital, the person who manages a partner’s time, information and relationships holds real responsibility.
We interview every candidate ourselves, assess for discretion and judgement as rigorously as for skills, and stand behind every introduction we make.
The right support hire changes what a partner can get done in a day. That is why we take these searches as seriously as any other.
DR
Darren Reuben
Partner, Private Markets Finance
- Chief Financial Officers and Finance Directors
- Personal Assistants
- Office & Operations Managers
- Team & Front-of-House Coordinators
What we look for
The qualities a CV cannot show.
Executive Search
These roles see everything: deals, compensation, personal affairs. Trustworthiness is non-negotiable and we assess it directly.
Anticipation
The best support professionals solve problems before they are visible. We look for evidence of it, not claims of it.
Composure
Deal deadlines and shifting priorities are the norm in private capital. We prioritise people who have thrived at that pace.
Judgement
An EA to a partner represents the firm daily. We assess how candidates read situations, people and priorities.
20+
Years supporting private capital firms
80%
Mandates from repeat clients
4
Core business support disciplines
2006
Trusted with these hires since
Common questions
Business support, answered.
What business support roles does Carnegie recruit?
Executive Assistants to partners, Personal Assistants, Office and Operations Managers, and team and front-of-house coordinators, for private equity firms, asset managers and other private capital businesses. The practice is led by Clare Robson, Partner for Business Support.
Why use a finance recruitment specialist for business support hires?
Because in private capital these roles carry genuine weight. Our advantage is context: we understand the pace, confidentiality and stakeholder demands of investment firms, so we assess candidates against the environment they will actually work in, not a generic job description.
How do you assess Executive Assistant candidates?
We interview every candidate ourselves and assess for the qualities the CV cannot show: discretion, anticipation, composure under shifting priorities and the judgement to represent a partner well. We also test the practical skills the role demands day to day.
Considering a business support career in private equity?
Begin a conversation
A support hire your partners will rely on daily?
Tell us about the person the role needs to be. We will find the small number of candidates who genuinely fit.
- Established 2006
- London · New York · Luxembourg
- Discreet & confidential