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Anna Sayers

Senior Associate londonLinkedIn
I am regularly challenged to think critically, and feel my voice is part of the decision-making process. At Advent, I can learn from others, hear a variety of perspectives and share insights with different teams.

My first taste of business was through selling charms for Crocs

My first venture into the business world was as a young teen, selling children’s toys at school fairs. I then jumped on the bandwagon of Crocs shoes, back when they were a craze, and launched a business selling charms to decorate them. I learned that you could make a large margin when things were ‘hot’, but that you had to move fast to stay on trend. Sadly, the Crocs charm business fizzled out after a few years.

There are useful parallels between physics and investing

I was fortunate to receive a scholarship to an outstanding local school, which transformed my mindset and sparked my interest in the sciences. I went on to complete a master’s in physics at Imperial College London, where I developed an interest in finance and investment through a number of internships. I studied physics because I wanted to get to grips with how things work, and understand why events at the smallest scale connect to form much larger outcomes. Our investment style at Advent Global Opportunities is in some ways an extension of that skill set. You need to perform in-depth diligence to form conviction in long-term opportunities, and to develop an understanding of the trends affecting different industries.

Advent resources help us go a level deeper

Advent Global Opportunities is a small and collaborative team, where I am regularly challenged to think critically, and feel my voice is part of the decision-making process. As part of Advent, I also get opportunities to work with the private equity team. There are no information barriers, so I can learn from others, hear a variety of perspectives and share insights with different teams over lunch or a coffee. We have access to Advent Labs, allowing us to leverage alternative data sources. This is a real differentiator in the public markets, helping us to go a level deeper and tackle some of the harder questions when reviewing investment opportunities.

Getting some fresh air is how I recharge

I find that grabbing a coffee and some fresh air is the best way to disconnect and recharge. I‘m an avid walker and runner, and in my spare time also enjoy target rifle shooting.