Alex Blum

Vice President
Alex earned a B.S. in Finance and Accounting from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. He began his career at Ernst & Young where he earnt his CPA certification. He then joined The Keystone Group, a boutique management consultancy in Chicago focused on manufacturing and distribution clients. Alex spent the next 5 years focused on the evaluation and execution of control and non-control investments in the middle market across a wide range of industries, prior to joining MML's New York office.

In conversation

What do you find most rewarding about your role at MML?

It’s all about the people! Every day I get to interact and learn from some of the smartest investors and operators around. The depth and breadth of my work experience offers unparalleled learnings; it’s always something new and never gets boring.

What advice would you give a founder seeking private equity investment?

Make sure you fully diligence your new partner; trust and integrity are critical but sadly far from a guarantee. The diligence process is as much an opportunity for investors to learn about your business as it is an opportunity for you to learn about your prospective investor. Ultimately, choosing the right partner for you and your business is going to create significantly more value (and enjoyment!) over the long-term.

What do you most enjoy about working with company founders?

Getting to sit across the table from a founder for the first time and hear their personal story and history of their business never gets olds. I love to learn about new industry niches that I may have not even known existed previously. It is the management team that most deeply understands their own business and drives day-to-day operations; the role of the investor is to support the team with resources, relationships, and strategic guidance.

Name five things you could not live without.

Family, friends, skiing in fresh powder, exploring new places / cultures and … cheesecake!

Relationships

MML investor portal logins

For investors in MML Fund VI, MML Ireland I & MML Ireland II

For investors in MML Fund VII