Lauren Young joined Advent in 2011 and is a Managing Director in New York. She advises on investments in the technology sector. Lauren has advised on 11 investments during her career, eight while at Advent.
Prior to joining Advent, Lauren worked at The Carlyle Group, where she was a member of the US buyout fund. At Carlyle, she focused on investing in software and financial technology companies. Previously, Lauren was an analyst at McColl Partners, a middle-market investment banking firm.
She received a BA from Davidson College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
How do you identify the companies of interest to Advent?
Advent really values going deep in our sectors and are partnership minded, and I think that’s what differentiates us. Advent has deep domain expertise, so we build relationships with many of our CEOs and companies years in advance of any potential transaction. I also think it helps that we have a reputation for being great partners to management teams. We are high-integrity people through good and bad times.
How do you partner with management teams?
I’m passionate about partnering with ambitious and visionary CEOs and management teams. At Advent, we are attracted to CEOs and management teams who are product and customer experts, data driven, and equity value creation minded. When teams have a big vision for the future, I can’t help but get excited to work alongside them. Whether it’s putting in place the infrastructure to scale, helping them to go public, or reaching $1 billion of revenue, helping them accelerate their growth trajectory is the best part of the job.
“When teams have a big vision for the future, I can’t help but get excited to work alongside them.”
Lauren Young
Managing Director, Advent
How have you seen Advent’s culture of collaboration drive impact?
I’m a firm believer that there’s a high correlation between strong workplace culture and performance. It’s our secret sauce at Advent – we have such a great culture of collaboration and humility. I look for a similar secret sauce in the companies we diligence. From management team interpersonal dynamics to looking at employee reviews, it’s the little things that speak volumes.
What have you learned from the mistakes you’ve made during your career?
I’ve learned a lot about talent, and the importance of having best-in-class management teams that are incredible operators. I’m fortunate enough to have worked with some exceptional CEOs and what tends to unite them is their constant commitment to equity value creation. They know the drivers that matter and have a maniacal focus on them. I’ve learned so much from the exceptional management teams I’ve been lucky enough to work with over the years.
What is the best career advice you have received?
My mother was a lifelong organic chemist who helped develop one of Merck’s blockbuster drugs. Her incredible work ethic, combined with her deep passion for the field, allowed her to have a true impact on people’s lives. She taught me to appreciate how tech innovation can allow a small group of mission-driven people to have a transformative impact on the world.
