HIGHWALD Winter 2025 Analyst Internship
About Highwald
Highwald is a private investment firm focused on lower market investment opportunities in the United States. The firm was founded in 2024 by Fritz von Guionneau to acquire, operate, and grow high quality small businesses, and own them indefinitely. Highwald is focused on services and manufacturing companies in core industries that supply or service core human needs, for example, our energy, water, food, and communication requirements.
Prior to Highwald, Fritz was Co-Head of Direct Investments at Continental Grain Company, a family owned investor and operator of industrial and services businesses. He was responsible for leading new investments and partnering with portfolio companies. He previously was a Board Director for Agile Cold Storage and Kinder’s Holdings. He also worked at Berkshire Partners, a Boston-based Private Equity firm with >$23 billion in assets under management, and at Bain & Company in their San Francisco and London offices. He has been involved in private investments totaling over $10 billion in transaction value. He holds an MBA with Distinction from Harvard Business School and a BA from the University of Oxford.
Fritz lives in Brooklyn, NY with his wife and their son. Outside of spending time with family, Fritz loves to play golf, hunt, and fish.
What We Are Looking For
We are offering a 3-month analyst internship program starting in mid-January 2025 and ending in mid April 2025. The internship will be remote. We are looking for motivated, bright and self-directed people with an interest in private equity and working in a startup environment.
If you join Highwald as an Analyst Intern, you will have an opportunity to make a significant impact within a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment. You will work closely with Fritz von Guionneau. You will quickly gain valuable experience. You will have an opportunity to become an expert on the fund’s investment strategy and be exposed to the origination and diligence lifecycle of the private investment process. The training and experience we offer during the internship includes thesis development, industry analysis, deal origination, and valuation.
Open Analyst Internships
We are currently looking for Analysts Interns for a remote internship over the winter of 2025, beginning in January. The positions are unpaid but include a large training component (training sessions focused on industry analysis, deal sourcing, basic accounting, finance, valuation and modeling). We are prepared to provide letters of recommendation and introductions to our network following successful completion of the internship.
Analyst Internship
This position represents a unique opportunity for highly motivated individuals to assume a wide set of responsibilities and make a significant impact in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment. You will play an integral role in evaluating industries and potential investment targets.
As part of the training program, you will be exposed to core elements of origination, financial assessment, modelling, and valuation. This will include structured training sessions on these topics and outside speakers, which will be conducted remotely on video.
We are looking for motivated and bright interns with an interest in working in private equity, and a startup environment. Analysts will be supervised by Fritz von Guionneau.
The internship will last 3 months and there will be a class of 3-4 Analyst Interns. Highwald will not offer employment after the completion of the internship.
Responsibilities include:
− Conduct proprietary industry research and company profiling
− Identify investment opportunities, including industry, company and stakeholder research − Screen investment opportunities and evaluate fit with Highwald’s investment criteria − Assist in due diligence for potential investments
− Use of basic tools to track and profile acquisition targets
Learning goals:
− Primary: understanding of industry and business model analysis
− Secondary: understanding of basic financial accounting analysis and investment modelling
What We Are Looking For:
− A self-starter attitude and a hunger to get hands dirty in an entrepreneurial environment − Superior work ethic, strong desire to learn, and uncompromising attention to detail − Excellent analytical, research, organizational, written and oral communication skills − Previous finance or accounting experience preferred but not required
− Commit a minimum of 10 hours per week during the school year
− Comfort in outreach, networking, and thesis-based company targeting
To apply email Fritz von Guionneau <fritzvg@highwald.com> and or use Handshake
Please submit a resume and cover letter. In the cover letter, please briefly explain:
1) Your interest in this internship (how does the internship fit with your current career goals) 2) Any relevant experience you have (coursework, work experience, etc.)
3) Your ability or experience working in unstructured and ambiguous environments with minimal hands on oversight (your ability to self-motivate and self-supervise) 4) Your available time commitment (minimum of 10 hours per week, but availability of more hours per week preferred. Weekend work acceptable if intern prefers, but not required or encouraged.)