Tyra Jeffries is an experienced advisor who works with emerging and established fund managers to launch, grow and build great businesses.
Tyra Jeffries is frequently quoted as an expert opinion and has written for leading industry publications across the hedge fund and private equity/venture capital industries. Throughout her career, she has employed strategies for new and emerging companies to enter the market and for more established ones to succeed by leveraging technology and creating innovative programs to help them remain globally competitive.
On the marketing side, she has developed her own proprietary marketing financial models to better capture and translate the true value-add that marketing brings to a firm’s return on investment (ROI). In addition, she has spearheaded business development efforts to help firms uncover new avenues of growth. She started her own consultancy to better service those firms and help them to gain an edge among the thousands of competitors in the market today which continues to grow daily.
We got the chance to learn more about Tyra Jeffries, CCA Global Capital Group, and the Alternative Investment industry in this month’s member profile.
Tell us a little bit about CCA Global Capital Group.
We are a global business advisory firm for investment companies with a distinct focus on outsourcing investor relations as a service. Our model mirrors that of an investor relations team at a large institutional investment firm. We fundraise, work with our clients’ investors, support and advise senior management in matters that affect investors such as product development, and execute on all elements that impact an investor’s experience with an investment firm— both current and prospective.
What were some of your influences in joining the hedge fund and private equity/venture capital industries?
My first job out of university was as an Analyst at a Hedge Fund so I was fortunate enough to experience this industry at the very beginning of my career. In my formative years, I also worked for a Latin American-focused family office supporting their team on deal research. I lucked out, the senior partners of the firm were supportive and always encouraged me to maintain the highest standards of excellence. I have always been a naturally curious person and very passionate about working within the financial services field, so having them as mentors really helped to shape me into who I am today. Additionally, my mother has worked in finance for most of her career, so growing up I was always encouraged by her to explore it as a career field. We have always bonded over investments and discussions on the importance of having a strong and diversified investment portfolio with the goal to carry on for multiple generations.
Investment has historically been a male-dominated industry. Do you think this has affected your career? And, if so, how?
Honestly, no, not at all, I’ve been very fortunate that I’ve never experience issues that hurt my career progression because of my gender. I know that hasn’t been the case for many women, but I count myself as one who has been incredibly fortunate in this regard. I think diversity should be encouraged – race, gender, politics, varying philosophical perspectives – across any facet is important for every industry not just financial services. It makes things more dynamic and is a driving factor in creating an environment where innovative thinking can flourish, which I am always in favor of.
Can you tell us a bit about the Alternative Investment industry?
There is a lot to unpack there, but generally speaking as the name suggests, the industry focuses on alternative means to make and invest money. That can be accomplished in numerous ways, we deal in direct deals or pooled investment vehicles so think – hedge funds, private equity, private credit, real estate, infrastructure, commodities, and even more niche strategies have been coming about.
People are always looking for new and innovative ways to make and invest money and our industry is a big part of that process. I am proud to be one of the innumerable cogs in that very large wheel.
What is something you learned early in your career (or in a previous career) that you still use today?
I think I carry with me a lot of what my first bosses taught me – one who was former Goldman Sachs said to me ‘always carry a notebook’. This is one of the most important yet one of the simplest business lessons. He trained me a lot around the Goldman Sachs ethos and their particular style of how to ‘do’ business and the importance placed on comportment.
The other partner taught me ‘the investor relations person should always have knowledge equal to that of the investment team’ in doing so you not only gain great respect from the deal team, but also the investors who have invested in the fund.
This has been a driving principle within the business and has been seen as very favorably by our clients and investors alike. Aside from the ability to raise capital, I strongly believe this is what makes an investor relations professional invaluable to an organization because your role is to be a link between the investment company and its investors – the investors want to know the mechanics of what is going on with their investment so it’s critical that you understand that as the IR professional.
Tell us about a favorite moment in your career so far.
Getting licensed – it made me more informed and permitted me to expand what we could offer our clients, such as raising capital.
What are you passionate about outside of work?
I have a very deep love for cooking. Secondly, it would be boating. I received my boating license during the summer of 2020 and there is no truer freedom than being on the water. I live in Connecticut so there is a huge boating community, which is one of the many reasons why I love living there.
Do you have a favorite NYC moment or place?
Heidelberg Restaurant in the Upper East Side – every time my husband and I would close a new deal, he is an entrepreneur too, we would always go there to celebrate. That place has always felt the most like home during my time living in NYC. I have a great appreciation for German beer, it is truly nirvana for me. I jest with my husband that we will end up investing and running a big German beer hall somewhere in Europe during our retirement.
Knowing everything you know now, what advice would you give to your younger self?
I would say three things:
#1 Read and learn as much as humanly possible. Your knowledge is your true currency in life.
#2 Be humble because humility is an important quality to have. It sets the stage for how you will be remembered.
#3 Also take yourself seriously enough to get things done, but not too seriously where you don’t appreciate the path it took you to get there. Celebrating even the smallest wins helps to keep you pushing forward during those harder days.
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