Rohan holds the position of Senior Vice President in the Integrated Strategies Group (ISG) based in New York. He started his professional journey with GIC as an Associate in the Private Equity Department in 2014 before transitioning to ISG in 2017.
Over the years, Rohan’s responsibilities have evolved from analytical tasks and financial modeling for leveraged buyouts within Private Equity to encompassing structured investments, catalyst-oriented public situations, new asset classes, and occasional fund investments under ISG’s cross-asset mandate. His day-to-day activities involve managing intricate deal workstreams, negotiations and broadly acting as a deal quarterback. Recently, he has been focusing on sourcing new opportunities, enhancing portfolio company value and mentoring junior team members.
Outside of work, Rohan enjoys terrible puns, live music, non-fiction reading and other people’s pets.
Why did you decide to join GIC?
While I had a general awareness and appreciation for GIC, it took a few rounds of interviews with GIC employees to get me even more excited about the opportunity as I learned more about the uniqueness of the GIC platform. Without exception, the people I met were incredibly intelligent, driven, low-ego and simply nice.
Moreover, this was an exciting chance to be part of a dynamic, evolving team, fostering an entrepreneurial spirit while being supported by GIC’s established framework for success. As I learned more and engaged deeper with the organisation, I came to appreciate the impressive scale and exceptional caliber of GIC’s operations and team. This evolution from basic respect to profound admiration was a testament to the depth of expertise and impactful work being undertaken at GIC.
What does your typical workday look like?
One of the most exciting parts of my job is that there is no typical workday beyond the morning cup of joe and close collaboration with my team. Everything else varies depending on the day of the week and where we are in the life cycle of potential transactions.
There is always a baseload of internal meetings. From discussions on our pipeline and presenting deals to our risk and investment committees, to collaborating with different team members across various projects. External meetings range from conducting diligence sessions with management and our partners, engaging with advisors across various workstreams for existing and potential investments, and advancing sourcing efforts that can sometimes take multiple years before a transaction is completed. I also end up traveling a reasonable amount, usually for diligence sessions, board meetings or conferences.
What do you like most about working here?
The most rewarding aspect of working at GIC—and particularly within ISG, given its broad mandate—is the constant opportunity to learn about a wide array of businesses and industries directly from the leaders who have built them. Delving into the inner workings of different organisations and understanding what drives their success is both fascinating and enriching. Working alongside my team, who share a similar drive and curiosity, enriches this experience and creates a supportive and inspiring environment.
I have also been fortunate to develop some high-quality friendships that make the workday even more enjoyable. And occasionally, we have free pizza which is always fun!
How do you stay updated with business knowledge?
In addition to staying updated through curated Twitter feeds (now X) and news sources like Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Financial Times, and New York Times, I also benefit from GIC’s extensive network of partnerships and internal resources. We have access to the best thought pieces and decision makers across firms who are incentivised to share their best ideas with us, creating a firehose of high quality, diversified viewpoints.
What advice would you give candidates who are looking to join GIC?
For those looking to join GIC, especially in a dynamic team like ISG, technical skills are essential. However, finding the right cultural fit is just as important. Our team is relatively small and young within GIC, but the flexibility of our mandate requires an open mindset and collaborative working style so we can leverage each other’s strengths to collectively reach the right conclusions.
Feel free to reach out to team members to get to know them. Ultimately, the people we hire are critical to our mission of serving as long-term stewards of capital, and we are aligned in our desire to get to know you.