Governor Jeb Bush is the chairman and founding partner of the private equity firm Finback Investment KEYNOTE: A CONVERSATION WITH GOVERNOR JEB BUSH
KEY TAKEAWAYS
• Qualitative due diligence is essential in private equity investing. Ask whether the leader is capable, has integrity, and will rise to the occasion when the going gets tough. Subpar deal outcomes almost always trace back to poor leadership at the top of the company. • There is a massive opportunity to close the skills gap: Too many high school graduates are not college- or career-ready. • Some of the most attractive investment opportunities currently are in health care and in companies providing services in connection with the electrification of the economy. “If you really professionalize your network and focus on it, and if you’re constantly saying, ‘how can I help?’ —rather than what you can do for me—you end up building a really vibrant ecosystem that can help businesses grow.”
Partners. While serving as the 43rd governor of Florida from 1999 through 2007, he cut $20 billion in state taxes and vetoed more than $2.3 billion in earmarks. His administration helped create 1.3 million net new jobs and improved the state’s credit ratings, including achieving the first-ever triple-A bond rating for Florida. Governor Bush has founded three private equity firms and served as a senior advisor to two investment banks. Governor Bush shared insights from his long career in both politics and private equity, reflecting on how his family background instilled in him a commitment to serving others. He emphasized the central role of personal relationships in successful investing and the importance of prioritizing integrity. The governor also shared his perspectives and insights regarding the divisive state of the U.S. political climate and his thoughts on the potential impact on economic and tax policies stemming from the upcoming elections. He addressed a series of broad-ranging questions from the audience touching upon his views of the presidential candidates and foreign affairs, including conflicts in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine.
DAY PITNEY | 4
Made with FlippingBook Annual report maker