Abraham Zilkha has joined AEA Investors as a Partner on its Elevate team, bringing more than 15 years of private equity investment experience. Based in San Francisco, he steps into the role with a focus on driving value across the firm’s targeted strategies.
Tell us a little bit about your background.
Throughout my career, I have always been drawn to the services sector and I’ve been fortunate to spend much of my career working with, investing in, and growing great services companies. First at BCG, where I worked with services sector clients, and then in the private equity group at Ares Management (NYSE: ARES), where I was most recently a partner focused on business and professional services. Along the way, I became deeply interested in the role that technology can play in augmenting services businesses. Since then, I have been focusing on the overlap between services and tech-enablement, exploring ways technology – and AI in particular – can be used to improve the efficiency, employee experience, and customer value propositions of high-growth services companies.
What will you be focusing on in your new role?
In my role as a Partner at AEA Elevate, I will be helping to execute our group’s strategy of finding, partnering with, and growing differentiated professional services and software businesses, with a focus on adding value through tech- and AI-enablement. I’m excited to join my new partners here at AEA Elevate, who I have known for over a decade, and to be part of the broader AEA Investors platform, which equips our team with access to a strong network of operational resources.
What’s a small habit or routine that quietly makes you better at your job?
To-do lists. I keep it old-school using a notebook with a pen. It helps me keep my thoughts organized and priorities clear.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
That feedback is a gift. I believe the times I have grown the most in my career are when I have really listened to feedback.
What’s your go-to way to recharge after a long day?
I play the drums and practice Jujitsu, but spending time with my wife and four kids is ultimately the best way for me to recharge. They have so much energy, even late in the day, and it’s just contagious!