Lee Roth, Vice President

Q: Your background in investor relations spans over a decade. How did you come across your role at TPG?

I spent most of my career working with Israel-based companies trading in the US. When I was looking for a new opportunity, I wanted to find a position that would allow me to utilize this international experience with a new group of companies, and when I saw how great a reputation TPG had built in the Chinese market it seemed like a perfect fit. The fact that we have such a balance between domestic and international is also great. If you have too many companies of the same type, it can take some of the excitement away from the job.

Q: You’re considered the team’s “jack of all trades.” How so?

I came to TPG as a consultant, with no set role or responsibilities. My purpose was really to be the catch-all. When I joined, the firm was much smaller and everyone had to get in the trenches when needed. I seemed to always raise my hand, no matter where on the spectrum a project fell. It’s always how I’ve approached IR though. Having started in the business during college and worked my way up, I was taught to have the attitude that there’s no project too big or too small, no matter where in the pecking order you are. One minute I’m putting together a plan for communication around a major event and the next, I’m talking to a private investor who owns 25 shares of a client’s stock in his IRA.

Q: And you’re also the “techie” of the group?

I was a journalism major in college and have no formal tech-related training, but I’ve been a geek as long as I can remember. When I was young, I’d take apart broken gadgets and try to fix them. That led to a fascination with computers (in the early-mid 90s, when “state of the art” was less powerful than our cell phones are now). I had always read whatever tech and gadget-related books, magazines and (eventually) blogs I could find. I actually did my first internship in PR, but once the higher-ups learned about my techie tendencies, they moved me over to IR so I’d be available to help putting technical language into plain English. Thirteen years and some truly amazing companies later, I’m still thankful I took apart that first Walkman in the ‘80s.

Q: What part of your role at TPG is most rewarding to you?

The diversity and being part of such a strong team. In the past, I’ve always been pigeon-holed as “the tech guy” or “the international guy,” and while I enjoyed having a specialty, I always wondered what it would be like to work on a broader range of companies. Since joining TPG, I’ve been given the opportunity to spread my wings and work on anything and everything. It hasn’t always been easy, but I’ve loved every minute of it.

Q: Where would we find you on an ideal weekend or work holiday?

It depends on the season. In the winter, either on my couch or in the kitchen trying to refine some of my recipes; when the weather’s warm, I’d be wandering around Manhattan, in a nosebleed seat at Yankee Stadium or in front of a grill, testing out that barbecue sauce and spice rub I was working on in the winter.