As part of our Investors in People series, we sat down with our M&A Analyst, Sofia Alfonzo, to discuss her journey with the group. She gives us an insight into life as an Analyst and shares what makes the role so interesting.
How did your journey with the group begin?
Prior to starting my role at Vesta, I was a consultant at a financial advisory firm. I joined the M&A team here at the beginning of 2022, working closely with Ken Barragan (Head of M&A), Abdul Khan (Manager of M&A and Strategy) and the wider Business Development department.
Tell us a bit about your role
As an M&A Analyst, a lot of my role is based around determining if a company would make a suitable acquisition. I’m responsible for analysing the information we receive from vendors and using this to build high level models that help me to draft a rough valuation of what a company is worth.
If our offer is accepted, I then also get involved with the due diligence process to help push that forward.
What does a typical day look like for you?
Much of my time is spent in calls with vendors to help gather the information we need about a company before determining if they will be a good fit for us. If I believe they are, my next focus is on building the high level model and drafting a valuation.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
Being involved with an acquisition from start to finish is great because you get to see the ins and outs of the whole process, from sourcing the lead to closing the transaction. It’s also really interesting to meet different vendors and discover what their main interests and fears are regarding the process.
Is there a part of your role you find challenging?
In this industry, our work has the power to influence incredibly important decisions. It means I have to pay particular attention to detail to what I’m working on as, if I were to make a mistake, it would have a significant impact on the rest of the process.
It can also be challenging to handle the volume of work as we have many deals in different stages at any one time. It can be tough to keep on top of, and it definitely keeps us on our toes.
What advice would you give to someone who is looking to progress in their career or business?
I’d say it’s really important for people, particularly students, to start working as early as possible. In Uruguay, accountants usually start working at age 19/20 alongside their studies and I believe it can strongly help your career as it gives you an understanding of what you’re learning from a practical, real-world perspective.
If you’re working in an industry that experiences constant change, you need to make sure you are always learning and keeping on top of what’s new in the landscape.
