2015 Best MBAs: Peter Nurnberg

Peter Nurnberg

Stanford Graduate School of Business

A quant’s quant, Peter Nurnberg is among this year’s most accomplished Stanford GSB graduates. In 2015, he was named a Siebel Scholar, an award for academic excellence and demonstrated leadership given to only 85 students worldwide. He also served as co-president of the Finance and Investment Club, as well as being an assistant in the program’s Corporate Financial Modeling and Value Investing courses. As an undergraduate at William College, he was the class valedictorian and co-President of the student government. Upon graduation, he will return to TPG Capital as a vice president (at 28 years old, no less).

Age: 28

Hometown: New York City

Undergraduate School: Williams College

Undergraduate Degree: Double major in Economics and Mathematics (Summa Cum Laude)

Where did you work before enrolling in business school? I worked at TPG Capital as an associate on the Private Equity team (North American Buyouts Group). Before that, I was an analyst in the Financial Institutions Group in the Investment Banking Division of Goldman Sachs.

Where did you intern during the summer of 2014? I did two internships. The first was with Atlas Merchant Capital (a new fund) working with the one of the founders and the second was with Caesars Entertainment as the president’s associate intern working on projects associated with the Linq development

Where will you be working after graduation? TPG Capital, vice president on the private equity team (North American Buyouts Group)

“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…I saw how my colleagues with MBAs tackled complex business problems.”

“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…working as an investor.”

What are your long-term professional goals? My long-term professional goal is to become a great investor who is able to add value to businesses as an active shareholder.

Favorite Courses: Leadership Perspectives and China’s Financial System

Which academic or professional achievements are you most proud of? From an academic perspective, I am most proud of my undergraduate thesis, which I believe helped provide a bit of additional insight into how students make college matriculation decisions.

From a work perspective, I do not have one specific moment or achievement to point to. Most of the work I have done has been as part of small deal teams. I am proud of helping those teams tackle complex problems, as well as building up a base of knowledge on the intricacies of a wide range of business models in the financial services space.

Who would you most want to thank for your success (and why)? I would most like to thank my parents, who have been extremely supportive throughout my entire life and have always stressed the importance of education.

Why did you choose this business school? I chose Stanford because I thought the GSB would push me to develop new skills outside of my comfort zone (particularly leadership development skills and entrepreneurial skills), as well as give me the chance to interact with students with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.

What did you enjoy most about business school? For me, the best part of the business school experience was getting to know my classmates.

What is your most memorable moment from business school? My most memorable business school moment is getting grilled by a panel of alumni during a mock board meeting for the executive challenge case competition.

Fun fact about yourself: I have never ridden a bicycle.

Favorite book: Manias, Panics, and Crashes: A History of Financial Crises by Charles Kindleberger

Favorite movie: History of the World: Part I by Mel Brooks

Favorite musical performer: Katy Perry

Favorite television show: Seinfeld

Favorite vacation spot: Big Sur

What are your hobbies? I love baseball, golf and reading about American history.