Chicago Booth Gets $5 Million Gift for Private Equity Education
Students and alumni at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business who are interested in private equity will now have an expanded suite of programming opportunities thanks to a $5 million gift from Chicago Booth alumnus Raymond Svider.
Svider’s gift will establish the Svider Private Equity Program at the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. The University of Chicago’s Polsky Center currently runs a variety of programs in private equity, and has experienced an increased demand from students and alumni for both experiential and academic private equity learning opportunities.
Each year, some 300 students compete for entry to the Private Equity and Venture Capital Lab, which combines an intensive internship at a private equity or venture capital firm with an academic course. The number of students who secure internships has more than doubled in the last five years—from 53 students in 2015 to 116 in 2017.
The Svider Private Equity Program has three main goals: to increase the resources available to students and alumni pursuing private equity careers; to strengthen Booth’s private equity alumni community; and to build Booth’s national and global brand as a hub for private equity education.
Programming enhancements include expanded opportunities for students to connect with private equity alumni and other experts in the field through additional Entrepreneur-in-Residence positions and programming; enhanced networking and educational opportunities for alumni; and broader distribution of Chicago Booth’s thought leadership in the industry.
“Chicago Booth was an ideal complement – both academically and culturally – to my undergraduate engineering background,” the French-born financier said. “An MBA from one of the top programs in the U.S. helped me gain access to the most attractive private equity jobs after graduation – my Booth degree was an ideal stepping stone, an entry ticket to my ideal career,” Svider added. “I hope the gift will enable Booth to attract top students in this academic specialty, and make other Booth alumni consider doing the same.”
