At Harris Williams, our people are the fabric of our firm — committed, tenacious, smart, and principled. Each person’s contributions to the unique culture and environment are critical. In this Q&A, get to know Thierry Monjauze, a managing director in Harris Williams' Technology, Media & Telecom Group — what he values about his job, unique career advice, and his favorite things about living in London.
What’s the most rewarding thing about your job?
It’s truly rewarding to watch the professional development of our people. We recently celebrated our 10th anniversary in Europe, and have experienced significant growth. Equally, it’s incredibly rewarding to see our clients’ successes and to be able to advise them through transactions that are so pivotal to their businesses.
What’s the most challenging thing about your job?
Things don’t always go as planned, whether it is for Harris Williams or, critically, our clients. We strive for success, but sometimes factors can get in the way and things aren’t meant to be. It is important to take a long-term view, understanding that it is rarely a straight road and that there will be bumps along the way. How one deals with those challenges is what’s key.
If you could go back and get another degree, what would you get it in?
If I could go back and get another degree, I would actually get two—one in psychology and one in nutrition. People are highly complex and interesting in so many ways. Similarly, how we treat and feed our souls is critical to our well-being.
What’s your favorite thing about living in London?
There are many aspects of London to love. Most importantly is the diversity, whether it be of people, languages, food or architecture.
Who was your most influential mentor? And why were they impactful?
I have had the good fortune of having many mentors over the years. It all starts with your family. Throughout my career, a few themes have remained consistent: there is no substitute for hard work; treat people the same way that you would like to be treated; and it is about the journey and not destination, so make sure you have fun along the way.