Manu Sai Bakshi arrived in New York with $2,500, a new wife, and a degree that wasn’t recognized in the U.S. Within weeks, he was applying for a job at Macy’s in Herald Square.
That humbling beginning eventually led Manu into the hedge fund world, where he spent nearly a decade learning how the industry identifies and hires elite talent before launching Preeminence Advisors during COVID.
In this episode, Manu joins Ilana to break down what separates great portfolio managers from mediocre ones, why reputation matters more than a quick fee, and how taking the harder path can become your greatest competitive advantage.
Chapters
00:00 – Introduction
04:38 – What Is a Hedge Fund? Breaking It Down Simply
07:26 – From IBM to Macy’s: Manu’s First Days in New York
11:13 – The Differentiator: Cold Calling When No One Else Would
14:52 – Almost Fired—and Already Planning His Own Firm
18:24 – The Moment That Proved He Could Place Portfolio Managers
22:32 – What Makes a Great Portfolio Manager
25:17 – Why Reputation Is Everything
33:26 – Launching His Own Firm During COVID
37:22 – Building the First Client: Knock Their Socks Off
42:21 – How People Actually Become Portfolio Managers
46:40 – Manu’s Favorite Interview Questions and Red Flags
48:48 – The Biggest Hiring Mistakes Hedge Funds Make
53:47 – Q&A: How Do You Keep Going When You Feel Defeated?
About Manu Sai Bakshi
Manu Sai Bakshi is the Founder and CEO of Preeminence Advisors, a boutique search firm specializing in placing elite portfolio managers at multibillion-dollar hedge funds.
After immigrating from India, Manu built his career from the ground up before spending nearly a decade leading recruiting inside a systematic hedge fund. Today, he works with senior hedge fund leaders as both a recruiter and strategic talent advisor.
Leap Academy
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Get started with Ilana’s free career training at leapacademy.com/training.
