Question: How does someone with only 11 years of M&A experience become the Riverside Co.’s vice chairman and COO?

Answer: She first spends 22 years at a private bank.

Pam Hendrickson, who also manages Riverside’s deal origination and fundraising teams, began her career at J.P. Morgan Chase (NYSE: JPM), where she rose to become a managing director and member of its operating committee. From there it was a natural progression into private equity.

At Riverside, Hendrickson sits on the Investment Council, which reviews the investment strategy for all of the firm’s funds. From this perch, she oversees a variety of new initiatives, including those made by Riverside’s strategic capital and credit solutions funds. In 2017, the private equity firm purchased food ingredients manufacturer Parker Products and raised its first non-control fund.

What advice does she have for other women who are looking to balance careers in M&A with their family responsibilities?

“There is no such thing as balance, only integration,” Hendrickson responds. “Sometimes work is going to be priority and sometimes something in your personal life is going to be priority. Lose the guilt, and make sure you have set up the appropriate support apparatus to help when things go wrong.

“Above all,” she adds, “have confidence in yourself and remember you can’t control everything.”