Trenton Hegseth

University of Virginia, Darden School of Business

“Coffee-addicted, curious, easygoing.”

Hometown: Sacramento, CA

Fun Fact About Yourself: Drinking coffee helps me go to sleep.

Undergraduate School and Major: UC Berkeley, Business Administration

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Windjammer Capital (generalist middle market buyout firm), Private Equity Associate

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest accomplishment was during the sale of a portfolio Company at Windjammer Capital. In that situation, I stepped into the company’s finance function to ‘quarterback’ the sales process and manage interactions with potential buyers as they performed extensive diligence which resulted in the successful sale of the business.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Curious and humble. Everyone I’ve met so far has been quite welcoming and active in sharing their experiences in order to benefit peers.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? It was the personal factor. Many of the top programs seemed great to me but Darden was the most personal. It was clear to me that admission staff and school faculty and staff go out of their way to teach prospective admits about what they can do on campus, how they can get involved and offer numerous tips for getting acclimated to Charlottesville.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I’m most looking forward to getting involved with Darden Capital Management (~$15 million school endowment run by students) as well as the school’s Mayo Center for investing and asset management. Both organizations help students get involved with investing during the MBA, provide opportunities to network with potential employers, and should give me a chance to share some of the experiences in finance with peers looking to enter the field.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? An MBA at this point in my career will give me the opportunity to network and learn from classmates while also providing an opportunity to refine some of the crucial skills that enable success in my field (leadership, communication, strategy, etc).

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? I have spent a long time pondering this question. From sampling my connections, it has seemed evident that an MBA has enabled those folks who chose the route to rise more quickly through their respective fields. To me, an MBA is advantageous in the medium and long term.

What other MBA programs did you apply to?I applied to a handful of top programs. They all seemed incredible and it came down to fit for me.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I reached out to my peers and connections who have attended various top programs. For me, I looked at where I could best continue to cultivate my investing skillset while also learning from peers who could provide alternative perspectives to my finance background.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? I plan to return to private equity post-graduation.

Where do you see yourself in five years? My goal at the five year mark is to have a visible path towards Partner within the firm I join post-MBA or to have accumulated the network and skillset to start my own investment firm.