Private Equity Podcast: Karma School of Business What Dave Shephard Learned at West Point—and Applies in Private Equity
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Jul 9, 2025 Dave Shepherd, Director of Portfolio Operations at Rainier Partners, shares insights from his journey at West Point to private equity. He discusses how military lessons instilled grit and resilience, emphasizing leading without authority. Dave explains Rainier Partners' value creation process, blending strategy and operational improvements. He highlights the foundational role of data and AI, advocating for small, impactful starts. Lastly, he encourages continuous learning and curiosity as vital tools for growth in both personal and professional domains.
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Dave Shepherd's Career Journey
- Dave Shepherd shares his journey from growing up as the youngest of six in a poor household to West Point and Army officer, then Bain consultant to Rainier Partners in private equity operations.
- His diverse experiences shaped his approach to strategic operations and leadership in PE portfolio companies.
West Point's Thayer Method Insight
- The Thayer Method from West Point teaches problem-solving by first struggling independently before formal teaching.
- This approach builds essential skills for complex private equity problems and provides a defined path into finance for military grads.
Power of Persistent Execution
- Success often comes from consistent, persistent incremental effort, analogous to "just putting on a heavy rucksack and putting one step in front of the other."
- Strategy execution is less about glorious breakthroughs and more about steady, diligent work that eventually yields results.