A Letter from our Founders
Unconflicted, Experienced and Trusted Advice.
When we first came together in the fall of 2005 to discuss the formation of a new firm, the markets were roaring, the large financial institutions were dominant and independent firms were few and far between. And while we were grateful for, and valued enormously, our prior careers at Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs, we believed there was a latent and profound need for a different kind of strategic advisor to large corporate, family and government clients around the world.
In our prior positions, we saw clients searching for three qualities from their advisors–competence, trust and commitment. By competence we mean highly experienced, expert in industries and products, good judgement, a nuanced understanding of people; by trust we mean loyalty, confidentiality and always giving advice that is in the client’s best interest; by commitment we mean intensity and going to the end of the earth for clients. There were advisors out there that had one or two of those qualities, but very few that had what we aspired to assemble: all three.
In our prior positions, we saw clients searching for three qualities from their advisors– competence, trust and commitment.
With respect to the pool of talent we hoped to attract to the firm, we saw that highly talented advisory professionals in the financial services industry were in some cases unsettled. Some felt that the multi product focus of the large institutions compromised their ability to give “pure” advice on strategic matters. Further, talented bankers were often disillusioned with the management burden that often accompanied success in the large organizations.
While it wasn’t obvious at the time, we hoped and believed that clients would work with our firm and that practitioners would join us in the endeavor.
Fast forward to the present, Perella Weinberg Partners has advised clients on over a trillion of dollars of advisory assignments for over 1000 clients since inception. We have done business in 50 countries, not because we have offices in 50 countries, but because we have the confidence and trust of our clients to do business anywhere in the world. Through the hard work of the many people who have worked at the firm, we are now one of the world’s leading independent advisors.
Looking forward, we are confident that Perella Weinberg Partners is an enduring firm that will sustain and grow for many generations. And while we are proud to have our names on the door, it’s not about us, and never has been. It’s about having a team which is characterized by collaboration and respect for one another; and it’s about serving clients with competence, trust and commitment.
Our very first client told us that we were hired because they wanted us “in their corner.” That notion embodies what we are all about and is present in every client relationship we have had and will have over the years to come.
