Mergers & Acquisitions is proud to present our third annual roll call of The Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A. In the view of their colleagues who nominated them, and our editors who researched their accomplishments,聽represent the women dealmakers with the strongest track records, the biggest footprints and the most promising futures in middle-market finance.
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Melissa Dickerson, the chief financial officer at 九色,聽built out the private equity firm鈥檚 operational infrastructure as it grew from $200 million to $9 billion in assets under management. In the process, she acquired 52 platform investments, while divesting 33, and doubled the private equity firm鈥檚 staff.
Dickerson has more than 18 years of middle-market private equity experience. Before joining Genstar in 2004, she worked for five years at American Industrial Partners, a middle-market PE firm.
The CFO says she aspired to a leadership role as far back as the fourth grade鈥攚hen she was inspired by a book of short stories about women in leadership positions, like Golda Meir. 鈥淚 had this thought: I want to be Golda Meir; I want to be a leader; I want to be that.鈥�
For women considering careers in private equity, Dickerson emphasizes the importance of cultivating a long-term outlook. 鈥淭o have that vision; to just know where you want to go and stick to it鈥攊t鈥檚 important. I hope that the women who follow me will continue to push forward,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e need women with vision to hold on and work the next 10 to 15 years, and become those private equity firm partners.鈥�
Another key, she says, is to not be afraid of taking risks. 鈥淗ow you develop your voice–and your sense of self and who you are–is by taking risks: talking; saying it wrong; being unafraid to sound stupid. Just getting out there and failing and learning.鈥�
Dickerson has a bachelor鈥檚 degree in economics from Vassar College and an MBA from the University of California Berkeley鈥檚 HAAS School of Business. In 2000, she developed an informal middle-market CFO network and has served as a speaker at the PEI Private Fund Finance & Compliance Forum.
Link for article on Melissa Dickerson
Link for list of all women awarded
