Welcoming our 2026 Big City Bright Future interns

This July, we were pleased to welcome Daniella Okoye and Johaina Khan to GCP for a two-week placement, part of our continued support for the Big City Bright Future programme.

Both arrived keen to get stuck in, and that’s exactly what they did. Over the fortnight, Daniella and Johaina were given a genuine window into private equity in practice, sitting in on live investment discussions, building financial models, and getting hands-on with commercial research and strategic analysis. Here’s what they made of it, in their own words.

Our Internship at GCP: What We Learned

From day one, the team made us feel properly part of the team. Rather than sitting quietly and observing from a distance, we were encouraged to ask questions, get our hands on real data, and learn how investment decisions are made.

We started off learning what private equity actually is (something neither of us really knew much about before), plus how GCP invests and what its culture is like. Then we got into how firms decide what a company is worth. It’s not just about the numbers on a spreadsheet; things like how strong the leadership team is or how loyal a company’s customers are matter just as much.

“My favourite part was getting involved in due diligence. It showed me just how much work goes on behind a single investment decision, and how many angles you need to consider before committing to a deal.” Johaina Khan

We also had a go at building our own financial model. We learned about things like EBITDA and working capital, which had felt like jargon before, and it all started to make a lot more sense once we could see it in practice. We got shown how a fund actually works day-to-day and spent time with the investor relations team, seeing how GCP builds and maintains trust with its investors.

Alongside the sessions, we were also given real materials from one of GCP’s live deals and asked to build our own investment appraisal, just like the investment team would. It was a great way to put what we’d just learned about valuing a business into practice and see for ourselves how much thought goes into weighing up a company’s strengths and risks before any investment decision is made.

“Building the investment appraisal was the highlight for me. It was the first time I’d properly researched a company from a commercial angle, and it gave me a much clearer sense of how investment decisions actually get made.” Daniella Okoye

In the second week, things shifted from how deals happen to what comes after. We learned how GCP works with the companies it invests in to help them grow, whether that’s through strategy, operations, or just general support. We also spent time with the marketing team, which was a nice change of pace and gave us a totally different view of the business.

We also got a look at what goes on behind the scenes at GCP, spending time with the team who support the partners and keep the office running. Our session with front of house showed us how much thought goes into making people feel welcome.

We finished by presenting everything back to the team, including our investment appraisal. It gave us valuable practice explaining our thinking to people with real experience in the industry.

What stood out most to us was just how approachable everyone at GCP was. People were always happy to explain things and answer questions, and we never felt like we were just there to watch. We’re leaving with a much better understanding of private equity, and skills we know we’ll use again. Thanks to the whole team for making our two weeks so genuinely enjoyable and eye-opening.

“Thank you to the whole team at GCP for such a welcoming two weeks. I’ve come away with a much clearer picture of private equity, and it’s an experience I’ll definitely take with me.” Daniella Okoye

“I’m really grateful to everyone at GCP for how much time they gave us over the two weeks. It’s been brilliant getting to learn from people who are so passionate about what they do, and it’s an experience I won’t forget.” Johaina Khan