The CEO's Guide to the Investment Galaxy: Navigating Markets to Build Great Companies

by Sarah Keohane Williamson

Navigate the investment community with confidence to build great companies

The CEO's Guide to the Investment Galaxy by Sarah Keohane Williamson provides indispensable insights for business leaders navigating the landscape of the global investment community. Not all shareholders are created equal. Knowing who your shareholders and the other members of the investment community are―and what drives them―is key to your success. Whether you're stepping into a CEO role at an established company or spearheading a promising start-up, this guide demystifies the diverse members of the investment community you will encounter, from pension funds to private equity firms to proxy advisors, and provides practical advice to help attract the shareholders who can support you in building a great company.

Williamson draws on her extensive research of and experience with the investment community to deliver actionable strategies for engaging with shareholders and insulating your company from short-term pressures. The book offers a roadmap to effective communication and capital raising, helping you succeed in today's complex business environment―and fortify you against future challenges.

Inside the book:
+Gain insights into the personalities, motivations, and strategies of various investor types
+Learn effective communication tactics to manage investor expectations
+Explore practical approaches to aligning your business with long-term investment goals

The CEO's Guide to the Investment Galaxy is written for CEOs, board members, business leaders, and entrepreneurs looking to deepen their understanding of the investor landscape to fuel long-term company performance. It's also invaluable for journalists, policymakers, investors, and students aiming to grasp the nuances of modern of corporate finance.

288 pages, Hardcover

First published September 23, 2025

About the author

Sarah Keohane Williamson is the Chief Executive Officer of FCLTGlobal. Williamson leads FCLTGlobal’s efforts at creating a mission-oriented, global cross value chain CEO problem-solving community supported by innovative, practical research and targeted communications and building our team.

Williamson assumed her current role in 2016, after spending over 21 years at Wellington Management, most recently as a Partner and Director of Alternative Investments. Prior to joining Wellington Management, Williamson was at McKinsey & Company, worked at the US Department of State, and a was mergers & acquisitions investment banker for Goldman, Sachs & Co.

Williamson also serves as a Director of Evercore (NYSE:EVR) and EXL Service (NASDAQ: EXLS), chair of the board of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, and a member of the boards of MITIMCo and the Women’s Foundation of Boston. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Williamson earned her MBA, with distinction, from Harvard Business School and her BA in Economics, with honors, from Williams College. She holds the Chartered Financial Analyst and the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst designations. She is a US citizen and is married with three grown children.