Hello, I'm Ted Sides, and this is Capital Allocators.

This show is an open exploration of the people and process behind capital allocation.

Through conversations with leaders in the money game, we learn how these holders of the keys to the

kingdom allocate their time and their capital. You can keep up to date by visiting capital

allocatorspodcast.com. Today's show is a preview of a mini-series coming in a few months,

where I'll be speaking with some of the

preeminent leaders in private equity to learn more about what the continuing insatiable

interest in the asset class is all about. My guest is Paul Salem, a senior managing

director emeritus at Providence Equity. Providence is a premier private equity and asset management

firm focused on media, communications, education, software, and services with $49 billion in

asset commitments. Paul joined Providence when it was a $171 million media-focused boutique in 1992 and became an integral part of the firm's

growth and success ever since until retiring a year ago.

Paul considers himself the luckiest guy in the world, which you can hear more about in a

TED talk he delivered a few years ago.

Our conversation covers Paul's entry to the business, the benefits of specialization,

Providence's nice guy advantage, and the development of the firm over three decades.

We then turn to the competitive landscape for deals, value of operating partners, evolution

of private equity, advice for

allocators in the space, and life after stepping away from the business. Please enjoy my conversation

with Paul Salem and stay tuned for the mini series of Masters in Private Equity.

Please enjoy my conversation with Paul Salem and stay tuned for the mini-series,

Private Equity Masters.

...