Name: Saksham Goel

Year: Junior

Major: MMSS and Economics

CFS Class: Business Field Studies

Employer: CDI Global

This summer I have been interning at CDI Global, a mergers and acquisitions firm that focuses mainly on middle markets. This internship opportunity stuck out to me because of the high level of personal attention and mentoring provided at the workplace. To elaborate, CDI Chicago has a very unique employee structure – the office just has Jeff (the Regional Managing Director who is also our direct supervisor), three interns, and other employees who work remotely. As a result, coming in everyday for work and having direct access to the Managing Director is a special opportunity – his door is always open, and you can walk in and ask him any questions. Through this internship I have been exposed to a lot of different industries – for instance, paper, specialty chemicals, food and beverage – based around the world. As a result, I have been able to learn a lot about these markets in different countries and their relevant industry trends. My day-to-day work involves analyzing financial information and company strategies to make target lists, teasers, information memorandum and pitch decks to help facilitate both buy-side and sell-side cross-border transactions. In addition, the interns need to be in constant communication with employees at different CDI offices across the world as we collaborate on most projects. Even though I need to do a lot of research work, a lot of it is entry-level finance and strategy work. Lastly, what has made my internship experience so great is the level of interaction with my supervisor. He has allowed us to attend client calls and project meetings. Apart from this, Jeff also takes all of the interns out for a meal once every week. These weekly lunches have allowed us to become really comfortable and friendly with our supervisor, and the other interns. At these meals, we have spoken about a myriad of things ranging from philosophy and politics to museums and space exploration. While these conversations have barely anything to do with M&A work, they have allowed us to learn from his knowledge and vast experience. Overall, Jeff’s commitment towards the personal and professional development of all his interns makes working at CDI special.