S3 E1 | Building a Career in PE with Brian Willis (Wharton)

In this episode, we sit down with Brian Willis (WG ’23) to unpack his journey from Notre Dame to Deutsche Bank, GTCR, and ultimately the Wharton MBA. Brian shares how he built his foundation in finance and private equity, what led him to step back and pursue business school, and how the experience reshaped his perspective on career, community, and balance. He reflects on his time at Wharton – from organizing Penn Fight Night to navigating personal loss – and offers candid advice on slowing down, staying grounded, and making space for what matters. Today, Brian is part of the Alpine Investors team, where he focuses on building and scaling services businesses alongside founders – combining the discipline of private equity with a people-first approach to investing.

This episode is brought to you by Juno, the collective bargaining platform that helps MBA students secure lower rates on student loans. Learn more at juno.us/m7a

(00:00:00) M7A Sponsor: Juno

(00:00:34) Opener

(00:00:45) Introducing Brian Willis

(00:02:07) Decision to Attend B-School

(00:03:56) Why MBA?

(00:05:48) Application Timeline

(00:06:35) Writing the Application Essays

(00:08:09) How to Stand Out in a Competitive Pool

(00:09:28) Essay Tactics

(00:10:04) LOR Strategy

(00:10:47) Developing Extracurriculars

(00:11:48) Making Time to Build a Well-Rounded Profile

(00:12:22) Time, Treasure, and Talent

(00:13:32) How to Craft a Cohesive Narrative

(00:15:21) School Selection

(00:16:30) MBA Application Challenges

(00:17:06) Retaking the GMAT

(00:17:49) Taking PTO to Finish Applications

(00:18:56) Leveraging Your Network

(00:20:53) Wharton MBA Highlights

(00:22:35) Family Illness and Loss

(00:23:29) Learnings from Wharton

(00:24:59) Post-MBA at Alpine Investors

(00:26:15) Hard and Soft Skills Development

(00:27:02) Favorite Classes at Wharton

(00:31:07) Long-Term Goals

(00:32:38) Advice to Future Applicants