Scaling up and scaling out, enabling employees to reach new heights

In brief:

• ICG is growing – by all measures; despite a challenging fundraising environment, we’re managing more client capital than ever, with four successful fund closes in the last twelve months, alongside increasing assets under management (AUM) and new office openings, including Copenhagen in 2023, Toronto in 2024 and Munich in 2025
• Our growth offers opportunities for colleagues to carve out unique career paths in a dynamic ever-evolving environment
• Entrepreneurialism and innovation are core to ICG’s culture; we work in small collaborative teams where employees at all levels can exercise initiative
• We unlock potential and encourage development via exposure to different teams, generous training allowances and support for internal mobility

Our people are integral to our business; central to our success and that of our clients. As ICG continues to scale up and scale out, both strategically and financially, our people are empowered to shape their careers as new opportunities emerge across teams and regions.

“I’ve created my own path here. People at ICG can move between different teams and refine their role based on their interests,” says Alex, a Strategy and Business Management Associate. Following a biochemistry degree, she joined our Client Solutions Group (CSG) in London in 2020, as part of our first ever Graduate cohort. Alex is relocating to New York, taking on a new role to support CSG’s strategic development.

In the three decades since ICG’s IPO on the London Stock Exchange, we’ve evolved into a truly global business with more than $100bn total AUM ^[*] and a headcount of 600+ employees across 21 global locations.

In bringing new and differentiated investment strategies to market, we are growing teams across Europe, North American and Asia Pacific, offering opportunities for colleagues to develop with the business.

“We’re expanding and you really feel like you’re a part of this acceleration,” Alex says. 

A supportive and entrepreneurial environment

ICG’s enterprising culture allows people to shape their own career, by empowering employees – at all levels – to voice their opinions and contribute meaningfully.

“Junior and senior people work together, which isn’t always the case at asset managers or banks. If you share an opinion, people take it seriously,” says Alex. “You have a real voice, and people are open to change.”

ICG’s small teams and lean organisational structure contribute to an agile environment where employees can gain exposure and have impact beyond their own teams. Cooperation is the norm and individuals are encouraged to pursue original ideas and initiatives.

“It’s very entrepreneurial compared to other firms I considered joining, even though it’s a very regulated industry,” says Client Relations Graduate Claudia. “I feel empowered in my team. If I share an idea the answer is most likely going to be ‘Yes, go for it’.”

Empowering employees for long-term success means recognising that not all career paths look the same and not all career paths are linear. At ICG, we don’t expect employees to ‘stay in their lanes’.

“There’s always a chance to move around the business and learn new skills,” says Manager May, who joined our Finance team, before moving to the Balance Sheet Substantiation and Control team and, later, the Reporting and Consolidation team.

ICG’s employee-led networks are a product of our entrepreneurial spirit and one way in which employees are thinking outside the box and beyond their day job. “People from all levels of the business, including very senior staff, are involved in our networks,” says Legal Graduate Hannah. “Heads of departments take time out of their day to be a part of them.” 

This firm-wide approach to innovation has seen ICG deliver creative solutions for clients, positioning us as a frontrunner and first mover. The 11bn recently raised by ICG Strategic Equity ^[*] for investments in what’s known as single asset continuation vehicles – an area ICG has pioneered – is a great example of this. The relationships our many investment teams have with both other firms and prospective portfolio companies can be leveraged to allow teams like Strategic Equity to execute deals of a size that other alternative asset managers struggle to match.

For employees, joining a team that’s ‘ahead of the curve’ presents a compelling opportunity to evolve – not just with the industry, but slightly ahead of it.

Fostering growth and career development

Our collaborative way of working is fundamental to daily operations and the success of our global platform. This cross-functional approach provides employees at all career stages with exposure across the business.

Digital and Content Manager James joined ICG with no prior experience in financial services; yet, in business partnering teams across the firm, has gained valuable industry insights and knowledge. “Being in a Core Business Services team means liaising with colleagues from all departments and – through osmosis if nothing more – you can really improve your financial literacy,” he says.

“There’s a real recognition of how to develop people and offer them opportunities to maximise their abilities,” says Alex. “There’s a culture in which all voices are heard, and of personability and teamwork.”

“ICG helped me realise that my atypical experience and perspectives were strengths, not weaknesses,” adds James.

ICG also facilitates formal training by funding courses and certifications. Every employee receives an annual allowance of £1,500 to put towards professional qualifications and courses. This includes CFAs or management courses, and at later career stages, MBAs and leadership training.

For Executive Assistant Lucia, access to professional courses enabled her to change the scope of her initial position: “I completed an EA course in my first year here, which empowered me to develop into a new role and increase my responsibilities.”

ICG is expanding – on all fronts. This growth allows our people to draw on experiences from different sectors and geographies, as our teams around the world scale up and scale out.

Our continued success comes down to a culture in which people feel empowered to mould their own career paths; and conversely, our success can help them do that.

Go deeper:

• Find out who we are and read our people strategy
• Discover careers at ICG
• Our values, plus culture and inclusion at the firm
• Understand what we do and our investment DNA

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* Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results