We had a chance to ask Dan a few questions so you could get to know him better. Here's what he had to say.
Daniel A. D’Aniello | Co-founder and Chairman Emeritus | The Carlyle Group
Washington Business Hall of Fame (WBHOF): What was the hardest job you have ever done?
Dan: "Without a doubt, the founding of The Carlyle Group and the establishment of a complex business from the ground up. This painstaking, yet incredibly rewarding process basically had four components: (1) attracting top quality professionals and investors to a start-up venture in a relatively immature industry; (2) fully understanding our fiduciary responsibilities and setting up the infrastructure and systems to ensure we complied with each; (3) assembling a global investment footprint manned by local investment teams around the world that were unified and loyal to the OneCarlyle culture; and (4) creating an incentive-based compensation structure that aligned the interests of our investment teams with those of our investors.”
WBHOF: Did you have a mentor or a role model over the course of your career?
Dan: "My role model and my inspiration was my mother. As a single mother, she worked four jobs, seven days a week for 25+ years to provide for me. Because of her unimaginable investment in me, I have tried not to waste any opportunity to repay the great debt I feel that I owe her legacy. I’d also be remiss not to mention my great fortune to have co-founded Carlyle and partnered with David Rubenstein and Bill Conway for 32 years, two men of great integrity and incredible business acumen.”
WBHOF: What’s the one thing you want the Greater Washington business community to know about your company this year?
Dan: “Announced during our 2nd quarter earnings release, but not effective until January 1, 2020, we are officially changing our corporate structure to a ‘Full C-Corporation’ from a publicly traded Limited Partnership. We believe it will simplify our structure and unlock shareholder value by making Carlyle’s shares much easier to own.”
WBHOF: If you were to create a slogan or a theme song for your life, what would it be?
Dan: “The hard sciences of any industry, or field of endeavor, are presumed, but the soft sciences (e.g. articulate communications and interpersonal skills) are what ultimately produce leaders.”
WBHOF: If you could choose one person, living or dead, to have dinner with, who would it be? Why?
Dan: “I would want to have dinner with Jesus Christ. I am a member and loyal supporter of the Catholic Church and I would relish the opportunity to dine with my ultimate judge.”
WBHOF: What do you think is the single greatest challenge facing the next generation?
Dan: “Understanding that success comes from what you contribute to society, not what you take from it. Unfortunately, the younger generations today, perhaps due to the apparent sense of entitlement, don’t fully understand “earned success” and, in many cases, cynically look down on success instead of treating it as a goal to work towards for the benefit of themselves and all of society.”
WBHOF : If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
Dan: “The discernment of sincerity and truth in others…for obvious reasons, of course.”
Join us December 4, 2019 as we honor Dan and three other outstanding Washingtonian business leaders at our 32nd Annual Washington Business Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Gala!