For the second year running Sentio has taken on two interns over the summer. This year’s pair, Kate and Ted, worked across live buy-side and sell-side mandates, gaining direct exposure to corporate finance work well beyond the admin and shadowing typical of most internships.
“We didn’t plan to take two last year, we just liked them both,” said Joe Holt, an Associate Director at Sentio Partners. “It worked well, so we made the decision to take two on again this year – and it’s worked perfectly two years running.”
Kate, Welsh winner of Young Economist of the Year 2024, said having a fellow intern gave her something the work itself couldn’t. “Neither Ted nor I knew anyone else in Leeds over the summer, so it was good having someone in the city to message, chat to and go for lunch with. It’s not even just asking questions, it’s sharing things, like a quicker way to do something in Excel. Things you wouldn’t necessarily think to ask someone in the office about, but we pick them up from each other.”
Both interns worked on a range of live mandates. Ted’s work spanned both buy-side and sell-side mandates, covering four different industrial sectors, as well as getting involved in business development. “I never imagined I’d be building multiple Excel documents myself or having ownership of actual output that people use,” Ted said.
Kate’s work also spanned several sectors, including building products and chemicals. Kate said the work reshaped her expectations of the job itself. “Here it feels a lot more in-depth than I’d realised. There’s more real digging into who the best buyers actually are,” she said, “not just who might buy it, but who’s going to put in an offer.”
That depth is deliberate, according to Joe. “A lot of the skill in finding a buyer is judgement, not just a list. Anyone can pull 500 businesses off a database,” he said. “The nuance is working out which buyers are the ones who’ll actually want to buy our client, and that only comes from detailed research into its strategy, not just surface level checks of the website. We’d rather go in at ground level and get a better outcome for our client.”
Sentio said this year’s interns made a genuine contribution to live work, and that their input was a factor in the decision to bring in a graduate. “I’d much rather sit down with you for an hour and explain something to get a good output, than just do the task myself,” Joe said. “I’ve had interns on my live mandates two summers running, and they’ve added real value every time. Briefing them properly takes time, but it’s an investment that pays off for everyone: they see how deals actually get done, and we get high-quality support where it counts.”
Asked what advice he’d give next year’s interns, Ted said: “Apply yourself as hard as possible and say yes to everything you can. Don’t take things too seriously, but understand you’re in a position of responsibility, not ‘just an intern’. Have as many conversations and ask as many questions as you can, because ultimately it’s a learning opportunity, not just an internship. And make the most of the free coffee.”
