Partner Spotlight - Greg Khachatrian

What's your professional background, and something we won't find in your bio?

At 20, Greg’s first job was a clerk position at a casino. “It’s ironic” says Greg “You have to be 21 to be in a casino… There I was working there - and I couldn't even go on the gaming floor.” Greg’s professional journey is one of old school work ethic. Working his way up the chain from a Clerk to Accountant to Controller, and then Director of Finance. Greg earned his stripes working for the Greektown Casino for 12 years and experiencing more than many do in an entire career.

“That’s unusual these days,” says Greg. “Nowadays it's a lot more common to see people jumping from job to job. By staying in one spot I was exposed to a lot - I helped build the accounting team, worked through multiple refinancing periods, navigated a bankruptcy and multiple ownership changes”. By the young age of 32, Greg had earned his way to not just one - but five CFO offers. He eventually took a position at a casino in Miami.

When Greg finished his tour of duty in Miami, he got a phone call from a former colleague and mentor, Cliff Vallier, a Senior Partner of Solyco Capital. The two once worked together earlier in Greg’s career. This time, Cliff was working on something new, and that something was Solyco. “Cliff’s call about the opportunity at Solyco is very much a testament to why building enduring professional relationships matters.” says Greg.

Greg met the team over dinner and his onboarding happened very quickly thereafter. “The process of me joining the team was very much like the Solyco ethos. When we have the right leadership and the right opportunity – we move fast”.

What do you want investors to know right now?

A lot of investors will try to time the markets, which unless they have a crystal ball - can be difficult to do. From Greg’s vantage, people are waiting on the sidelines to see the recession come through and are hoping for some discounts on equity. The consensus seems the soft landing is more likely.

Greg advises that investors should take a longer-term horizon, balance and rebalance their portfolio every 5 to10 years to match their strategy and goals.

“I enjoy private equity deals, because they can change your life,” says Greg. “These deals can be risky. But if done with proper due diligence, and an understanding of the product, potential, and their leadership, it can be a valuable lens for selecting the right opportunity. After all, companies such as Google, Amazon, Ring, etc., at one time, were all considered private equity deals and the people that took the risk of investing in them were rewarded.”

Teach us something....

For those in the alternative investment space, it’s vital for the investor to understand there is a longer runway to earning returns. Alternative investments aren’t very liquid and they’re a higher risk than being in the public markets, however, as mentioned before, they can be life changing if done correctly. Understanding your investor risk profile is an important piece of building your strategy.

A risk profile in investments is an evaluation of an individual's willingness and ability to take on risk. It considers their risk tolerance (psychological comfort with volatility) and risk capacity (financial ability to handle losses). It helps determine suitable investments based on the investor's preferences and goals.