Breaking into the Buyside
An insightful discussion around uncovering and landing job opportunities within the Alternative Investments sector. With the space becoming increasingly competitive, learning the industry landscape and developing a blueprint for navigating the recruiting process are key to securing these opportunities.
Panel Sponsors
Moderator
Martha Masiarz
Director
Martha Masiarz is a Vice President at Odyssey Search Partners, where she has been helping buyside firms find talent for over 5 years. She specializes in placing candidates in investment and investor relations/marketing roles at fundamentally driven alternative investment firms, across both the junior and senior levels. Prior to joining Odyssey, Martha worked at Wells Fargo Securities in investment banking and equity research. She received a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Wake Forest University. As a first-generation American/college graduate, Martha is passionate about helping young professionals navigate their early career moves.
Panelists
Rahel Ayalew
Senior Vice President of Investor Relations
Rahel Ayalew is a Senior Vice President of Investor Relations at Thoma Bravo. Based in New York, she joined the firm in 2023 to focus on fundraising and investor relations initiatives. Rahel leads investor relations efforts for the firm’s credit business. Before Thoma Bravo, she was a Client Advisor in the Institutional Client Group at Neuberger Berman where she focused on business development for institutional investors across public and private market strategies. She also worked with a number of the firm’s strategic partnership relationships. Rahel holds a BA in Economics from Bryn Mawr College.
Claire Branch
Vice President
Claire Branch is based in New York, joined Warburg Pincus in 2017 and focuses on Business Services investments. Prior to joining Warburg Pincus, she worked in the Corporate Finance & Strategy group at McKinsey & Company. Claire received an AB Magna Cum Laude in Philosophy from Princeton University and an MBA with High Distinction from Harvard Business School.
Stacy Levine
Partner
Stacy joined Amity Search Partners at its inception and is a Partner in our New York office. Stacy has over 15 years of private equity and hedge fund recruiting experience placing candidates at all levels in North America and key international markets. Stacy has spoken on panels at various conferences including the SEO Alternative Investments Conference and the Women’s Private Equity Bootcamp. Prior to beginning her career in recruiting, Stacy was a teacher and athletic coach at Greenwich Academy and The Waterside School. Stacy graduated from The George Washington University with a B.A. in Spanish Literature and holds a Master’s degree in Education from Manhattanville College. She is also an alumna of Hopkins School. Stacy is originally from Woodbridge, Connecticut.
Nellie McCullough
Principal
Throughout her tenure at HSP, Nellie has worked on a wide range of engagements across industries. She supports the team on all aspects of the search process including sourcing, candidate evaluation, and facilitation of all logistical elements. Nellie initially gained exposure to recruiting during her internship at Agenus, a biotechnology company, where she worked as an intern in Human Resources and assisted in candidate assessment and scheduling, as the firm was expanding its UK presence. Nellie previously interned with HSP and joined full-time upon graduation.
Education:
University of Virginia – B.A. in Media Studies, Minor in Spanish
