David Mussafer joined Advent in 1990 and is a Managing Partner in Boston. He advises on investments in the business & financial services, consumer, and healthcare sectors. David has advised on 37 investments during his career.
Prior to joining Advent, David worked at Chemical Bank and Adler & Shaykin in New York.
David holds a BSM, cum laude, from Tulane University and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
How does Advent maintain its culture of collaboration?
It’s like seaweed on a beach: you have to rake it every day. We have to keep working at it. We try to put the right incentives in place to promote a sharing culture – operating without barriers and ensuring that your best chance of being promoted is if you’re a great team member.
How do you identify companies with the potential to excel?
Sometimes Advent identifies a strong, compelling company that has incredible momentum, and that’s great – we can gain the opportunity to help that company become the best in the world. Those businesses are incredibly rare. On the other hand, Advent can also help build sustainable growth when we uncover a business that’s not reaching its full potential. In those cases, it’s about having the vision to see what that potential could become, with better management and more effective focus. It’s then down to us to breathe fresh life into these companies.
What mistakes have you made in your career, and how did you learn from them?
One thing I learned early in my career is that industries are always changing. And when you’re thinking about how to build businesses with the resilience to cope with disruption, or identifying ones that are robust enough to maintain themselves, you need to have a great CEO and team to execute on your behalf. Finding, attracting, and inspiring truly great leaders is paramount to run and transform a business.
“This business is complex, challenging, competitive and difficult; but it’s also incredibly rewarding – and having that success as a team makes it all worthwhile!”
David Mussafer
Managing Partner & Chairman, Advent International
What continues to drive and inspire you about working at Advent?
It’s simple – I get to work with the most talented group of colleagues around the world and try to help them be more successful. I also love the process of finding and making great investments! This business is complex, challenging, competitive and difficult; but it’s also incredibly rewarding – and having that success as a team makes it all worthwhile.
Do you have a favorite quote?
My father is a man of impeccable integrity, who never cut corners. He used to say: “If I tell you a rooster can pull a train, you better hitch it up.” By that, he meant that if he told you something, you didn’t have to wonder whether he meant it or if he was going to do it. His word was good enough. I’ve tried to emulate that – building relationships of substance that don’t rely on legal contracts to arbitrate them, but on trust and goodwill.
