Jaime Forsyth: Women in PE, class of 2024

On her first day at Monomoy Capital Partners, Jaime Forsyth got a crash course in the fast-paced and sometimes turbulent nature of private equity investing.

“Infamously,” Forsyth tells Buyouts, she arrived at her new desk to find a Post-it note saying she was being dropped into “a live deal” slated to close in 28 days. “Welcome to Monomoy,” the note added.

“The more voices and the more perspectives, the better the results”

That was the summer of 2008. An ex-Bear Stearns investment banking analyst, Forsyth had been looking to begin a career in private equity, for which she felt a natural affinity. “It fit with my personality,” she says, especially the focus on long-term investing in companies to create value.

She also liked Monomoy. Instead of working for a private equity behemoth with brand appeal, Forsyth says she preferred “a small firm, where I could have a bigger impact.”

Which is what she did. Over 16 years, Forsyth rose steadily in the ranks of Monomoy’s professionals, currently totaling more than 70. Starting out as an analyst, she is now a partner and – at age 39 – head of the investment team.

In an industry where a substantial female presence in leadership is lacking, Forsyth feels “very proud and very lucky” about her position at Monomoy, recognizing “being a woman at that level is unique.”

The job involves not only leading deals – Forsyth has participated in 18 acquisitions – but also “teaching the Monomoy way of investing” and “retaining the best talent,” she says.

By taking stock of what has been done well, and what hasn’t, she explains, “we capitalize on our strengths in each deal and in each hiring decision.”

Monomoy was founded in 2005 to be a control investor in operationally intensive mid-market companies in industrial and consumer sectors. An early culture of valuing diversity “informally,” Forsyth says, has since been made explicit in formal internship and mentorship programs.

As head of the investment team, Forsyth has played a key role in expanding gender parity across the portfolio. In one core sector – old-economy, male-dominated industrials – progress has been made despite challenges.

Management in the sector was often “used to discussing their business with other men,” Forsyth says, and initially felt uncomfortable dealing with a diverse board.

“I’ve learned to leverage a commitment to diversity as a strength,” she says. “The more voices and the more perspectives, the better the results.”

Today, 100 percent of Monomoy portfolio companies have women in senior leadership positions.

Forsyth, the daughter of medical professionals, learned from her family “to be ambitious, to be intellectually curious and to have a thick skin.”

She continues to live near her hometown of Chicago with her husband and two girls, aged two and four.