Matt Coffey

Investing

Understanding founders’ ambitions, their challenges and what genuinely motivates them is what led me into this industry. Private equity is ultimately about people. Every business I have been involved with has succeeded or struggled based on the quality, drive and integrity of the team behind it.

I grew up in Sydney, Australia, and started my career at PwC, working in M&A advisory and qualifying as a Chartered Accountant. This experience provided not only a technical foundation, but a first-hand appreciation of the real difference the right private equity partner can make to a business.

That appreciation became an ambition, leading me to join the investment team at Yorkway Private, a private equity firm in Sydney. This experience taught me that the best returns come from focused, hands-on partnership, not passive capital.

It may come as no surprise that it wasn’t the weather that attracted me to London, but rather an MBA at London Business School. Leaving Sydney was a deliberate choice to broaden my perspective – different markets, different businesses, different ways of thinking. After completing my MBA, I joined QPE, a firm which stood out due to the team's genuine conviction that backing a management team means far more than providing capital – it means committing your time, expertise and relationships to help them build something exceptional.

Outside of the office, you will most likely find me in a swimming pool (sadly fewer oceans to swim in near London) or at a social run club. I take every opportunity to travel around Europe, often planning trips around the next major sporting event.