From the Outdoors to Orion: Emery Zahner’s Unconventional Path to Investing

Emery Zahner has worn many hats: commercial fisherman, hunting guide, and now, Senior Investing Associate at Orion. Through it all, Emery has chased the autonomy to run fast and make his own decisions. Learn more about how Emery’s curiosity for new experiences and tenacity to see things through brought him to a fast-paced team of ambitious investors.

Captain on the Court and on the Water

I grew up with two older brothers, both of whom were key role models of mine. We went to the same schools, built similar friendships, and played the same sports. With everything from basketball to football, lacrosse to soccer – we were a literal and metaphorical team. I was heavily influenced by them but also wanted to be more than the “last Zahner,” which manifested in a few ways.

In high school, I worked weekends organizing tennis games for a children’s camp and played with the resident professional during our downtime. I enjoyed our matches, so I figured I’d start to play. I began my freshman year without understanding the rules – I think I went scoreless in my first match. Over time, I learned to love the sport, and by my sophomore year, I was honored to become our team’s captain. Enjoying the game made it easy to put in the hours required to improve.

I’ve always been an outdoorsy person. I remember catching my first fish when I was a kid, after which I begged my parents to drive me to the shore and let me cast away. When I was fifteen, I started working as a mate on commercial and charter fishing boats, and I eventually got my own captain’s license.

I split my time working charters, where people pay to fish recreationally, and commercial fishing, where we’d sell the catch. When I started, I didn’t have a driver’s license, so my poor mother would wake up at three in the morning to drive me down to the marina. She knew it was a dream job for me, and I’m forever grateful for her patience.

Hunting for New Experiences

I studied economics in college because I saw it as the intersection of logic and numbers, two areas that interest me. Practicality also drove me to minor in Spanish: I wanted to be able to communicate with as many people as possible, and I had a transformative teacher who pushed me to learn more. You’ll never hear a better gringo accent.

I studied abroad in Spain for a few months and ended up working as a hunting guide in Salamanca. At the time, I was looking for a way to enjoy the outdoors, and on a whim, I figured I’d try hunting for big game. I cold called a bunch of guides in Spain, pitching that if they’d just give me abed to sleep in and some food to eat, I’d work without pay. Eventually, a guide who runs one of the bigger operations took a chance on me.

I truly had no experience; on the very first day, I struggled to even load my weapon. I was paired with a client who was paying a small fortune to come hunt – with me. I drove us around a dense forest in a manual car, stalling out as we went off-road. We saw absolutely nothing all morning. After lunch, I decided to change our strategy and try a few new spots. Out of sheer luck, we got two prize animals. The next few months were an excellent experience. I spent my days in the woods every day making unforgettable memories and lasting friendships.

Running with Responsibility

When I first joined Orion through the investing summer analyst program, I remember being thrown into the fire on day one, joining live deals and having no idea what I was doing. But once I showed that I was getting the hang of it, I was immediately given more responsibility. More recently, I’ve been fortunate to lead some exciting deals. Here, you have outsized responsibility on a small, fast-moving team where everyone knows each other well.

Some of my favorite moments at Orion have been going to management meetings and getting to know sellers with vastly different personalities. The one thing they have in common is knowing how to run an excellent business because of the care they have for their team. That has always been the same: our founders care about their technicians and staff who drive their businesses.

I’ve also enjoyed staying close to sellers through their next chapter, whether they retire or stay in the business. Our team is invested in the performance of our companies: instead of just handing the business off and checking it off our to-do list, we take interest in the company’s growth years after the sale. I’ve kept in touch with the sellers I’ve worked with, and it’s always a pleasure to get updates on their lives.

I joke that going from commercial fishing and hunting to working in finance in New York City isn’t the most logical progression, but in many ways, it’s what made the most sense for me. I like to chase exciting opportunities where I can take responsibility and run with it.

Building on Your Own Brilliance

An important lesson I’ve learned at Orion is that there are many ways to skin a cat; what’s most important is that you develop your own way of doing things. You approach a problem best when you’re doing what makes the most sense to you. A trap I fell into early was trying to recreate others’ work instead of building my own.

We have brilliant people on our team, each of whom has a unique style. Once I realized how distinct everyone’s process is, I learned to approach problems through my own lens. It’s great to pull from other team members’ strategies and to learn from them but trying to mimic their thought process is a fool’s errand.

That being said, one of the biggest reasons I chose to come back to Orion after my internship was the deep respect I have for the people I work with. I’m still learning day after day, which is important to me, especially at this stage in my career. I’ve found an excellent spot to continue that learning and build the foundation I’m looking for.