The Weatherford Way

There is a school of thought that says purpose statements should be aspirational. The problem -- when you look across an industry with more than 7,000 private equity firms, each competing for talent and new deals – is that these statements proclaiming either a firm’s mission or its values all start to sound the same. Yet we at Weatherford Capital are quite different from the more traditional PE fund managers.

With this in mind, in crafting our purpose statement, we chose to focus less on what we want to accomplish and more on what we know to be true, which is simply this: Together, we can accomplish more, making a positive impact on the world.

On paper or on screen, this sentiment on its own may not carry much weight. As much as we talk about our shared commitment to faith, honesty, loyalty, hard work and collaboration, for these ideas to “earn” their substance, they need to be evident in everything we do. Which is why each day this ethos informs our relationships, our investments, how we recruit and promote a culture of empowerment and trust, our expansive philanthropic efforts, and how we carry out our fiduciary duty to our investors. It’s also why we are so transparent, and across the board get as much satisfaction out of rolling up our sleeves to take on a big hairy challenge as we do when it’s time to celebrate the wins.

It’s a small point, but it’s also symbolic: we aren’t structured as a rigid fund with a defined window to market it, make commitments, and then realize those investments over a set period. We are true long-term investors. We partner with business owners, trust their vision, and work alongside them as long as necessary to fulfill it. We understand the unique nature of family businesses because we are a family business. This instills a sense of humility and pride that can only be forged over a lifetime across a dinner table.

As much as we can talk about The Weatherford Way, it’s not until people work with us -- and see and hear how we work with them – that it begins to resonate. While we believe it comes through on our podcast, more than anything else, we know it comes through over time and in working with us. Because as a family-owned private investment firm, we are different, and we believe that is where our unique edge lies.