Good Firm; Declining PE Business - Vice President, Private Equity Ares Management Employee Review

2.0
25 Apr 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Large firm with good overall reputation; will likely benefit from private credit Access to co-invest in co-mingled funds (Credit, RE, PE, secondaries) Good comp packages relative to market/good perks High focus on DEI though with little to show for it in PE

Cons

Thoughts specific to PE: Terrible leadership/partner group - lost or fired a considerable number of people over the years, best partners are gone including recent departure of the Co-Head of PE Healthcare team in PE is a dumpster fire Declining fund size given the investment committee's portfolio construction for the 2017 vintage fund Good junior culture; rough partner group (with 2 exceptions) Unclear strategy or at least they don't follow the strategy they articulate - marketing materials show desperation to invent a differentiating factor Ops team is nothing more than a talking point for fundraising; they have little to no trust/engagement within the broader PE team

Explore other reviews about Ares Management

5.0
16 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Amazing work environment and benefits.

Cons

Expectation to be in office four(4) days

2.0
8 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Prestige, Good Benefits, snacks in the fridge Some teams are very good. Ideal for someone in their 40s or 50s who is looking for stability.

Cons

All teams are different at a company of this size, but working in the middle office technology team was the worst experience of my career. Day to day work was either completely free of directive or projects would be completely blocked by bureaucracy. When a project I was working on went well, there was no celebration and when it was late or had issues there was no reflection. The culture is going into work to a cubicle to sit in zoom meeting straight from nine to five or eating lunch alone each day in a ghost town office. Other teams will speak poorly of each other and gossip. My boss's boss was a bully and would threaten people constantly. Everyone I worked with was "living the dream", overworked and bored to death but making a ton of money. Every team outing they had in three years was just a golf simulator. It just doesn't have to be like this. We've moved on from this cubicle farm company since the 90s, work should be encouraging and fun. Unless you're looking for stability above all else, you can find a better place to work.

See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All