TPG Reviews

-Massive divide between the “front office” (SF) and “back office” (FW). From the perspective of SF, back office is nothing and the only interaction between the two offices is through a few very senior individuals. There’s no understanding or appreciation of all the work that goes on in FW to support front office. -Crazy amounts of turnover. Considering that TPG has a great business, a respected name, pays well for the market, and hires the best, this shouldn’t be. -Crushingly hierarchical. Strong attitude by management that everyone should “stay in their place” and that only the most senior should have their voices heard. And even then, even the most senior often have no control over their careers. Job functions will change on the whims of management, even if it doesn’t make sense. Some of it has to do with the high amount of turnover, but uprooting the entire way the system works isn’t the way to plug a hole -While there are so many smart and competent people around, it’s more likely that an incompetent person who knows how to throw around business buzzwords and play the politics game will get promoted -I’ve never seen so many great people so beaten down by a place – management has no regards at all for the interests, background, or skill sets of employees. It doesn’t matter what you are hired to do- the job you were hired into can change out from under you out of nowhere, or you could be plucked out of your job at any moment and thrown into a new role you have no interest or experience in. Don’t get too comfortable with the manager who hired you- that’s very likely to change multiple times -Nothing ever improves- people are rarely left in a role long enough to become proficient and begin to improve the process and make things more efficient. Constant thrown-in learning mode. If someone doesn’t feel like doing something, they can just ignore it until everyone’s job changes again and it’s someone else’s problem. Manual processes galore thanks to expensive new systems put in that are only 90% of the way integrated -No training. Sink or swim mentality -Culture of fear. When something goes wrong (and it will) and it makes the “back office” look bad, management is very quick to point a finger at someone and fire them. Because of this blame culture, people are hesitant to take ownership of things. Because nobody takes ownership and jobs change so often, there’s a lot left up in that air that doesn’t end up getting done Advice to anyone considering a job here: -I’d only recommend if you are really, really junior (less than 2 years out of school) and completely open to anything. If you throw everything you know out the door and are willing to do anything and learn from the ground up, you can do very well here. There are a few valuable people at the firm who came up this way and are very successful. -If you’re not really junior and are interviewing here, do your homework and ask the right questions. I am writing this because I wish I had seen it before I quit my job to come to TPG because it was an “amazing opportunity”. I saw a few negative reviews back then and dismissed them because I figured they were written by bitter ex-employees who were fired. I was NOT fired- but being at TPG was a depressing, soul-sucking experience. Being there makes you lose your confidence and forget what you’re really capable of.

3billion + PE firm Still using Excel 2010. No IT leadership. Resistant to outside ideas or persons from Wall Street. Very silo'd, political place to work where it is forbidden to speak to anyone outside your work area without sanction from direct supervisor. Decision authority at TPG is concentrated in the hands of a few persons with zero "street" experience, who in turn reward loyalty over ability. Empty IPO promises since 2008. Run by limousine liberals and trial lawyers whose political agenda take precedence over employee advancement. While you can get paid, you are at the mercy of lawyers whose instinct in disputes is to sue first, manage later. Not for FW outsiders or industry experienced pros. TPG has become insular and employees from similar PE firm are seen as threats. Avoid TPG if you are an established PE pro.