In this edition of Behind the Waterfall, Lily Le Dieu, Senior Consultant, reflects on her journey to qashqade and what drew her to a smaller, agile company where she could make a real impact. She shares what stands out to her about qashqade’s diverse, collaborative team, her hands-on exposure to waterfall models and client implementations, and why she’s excited about the industry’s shift toward greater transparency and automation.
What brought you to qashqade?
I wanted to be part of a smaller, agile company where I could really have an impact, not just be a cog in a machine. qashqade is fast-paced and you get to do a bit of everything. It’s a smart mix of finance and tech, which really clicked for me, and I saw room to contribute across different areas and grow as the company does.
What makes qashqade special in your eyes?
Honestly, the people. It’s a diverse team I get to work with – Hungarian and international – and everyone’s willing to jump in and help out. We combine diverse insights and skills, creating a supportive environment where everyone steps up to help. I also love working directly on client waterfall models and implementation projects. Calls with a variety of stakeholders give me insight into the real challenges they face in their operations, which helps me see how our tech actually makes their lives easier.
Why private markets? What initially sparked your interest?
I like that private markets are complex but not just about numbers. What drew me in was the unique mix: complex financial models that require long-term thinking, engaging with important stakeholders and fund accountants, and analyzing detailed calculations. It’s rewarding to take all that complexity and deliver something meaningful that actually helps the client. Plus, I get to interact with the people behind the numbers, which keeps it interesting.
What trends are you seeing in your area of work?
Transparency and information exchange between GPs and LPs is becoming more important than ever. Also, the days of manually crunching numbers in Excel are fading fast. Automation isn’t just nice to have anymore; it’s becoming a must to avoid errors and speed things up. qashqade is helping clients make that jump.
What’s something exciting happening at qashqade right now?
We just launched an internal training platform that’s made learning way easier and more efficient. Before, training materials were scattered and sometimes outdated. Now, everything’s in one place, easy to find, and constantly updated. It’s helping the whole team stay sharp on both the software and the private markets industry.
