In companies backed by private equity, the CFO is often hired to enhance the finance function’s professionalism. That can mean better reporting, stronger controls, cleaner forecasting, more disciplined processes, and, in many cases, a major systems upgrade. For founder-led or family-owned businesses taking on institutional capital for the first time, …
Change Management: The CFO Skill That Makes Transformation WorkRead More »
Executives who have spent most of their careers in public or privately held companies often think they know what it will feel like to run a private equity–backed business. The fundamentals are familiar: strategy, people, execution. But leading in a PE-backed company feels different. The pace is faster, the expectations …
Private equity firms are disciplined about most things: deal sourcing, diligence, and value creation plans, among them. But when it comes to succession planning, according to AlixPartners’ 10th Annual PE Leadership Study, the data suggests a blind spot. According to the study, only 26% of PE-sponsored companies have formal succession …
Succession Planning: An Overlooked Driver of PE PerformanceRead More »
Private equity deal value surged in the first half of 2025. But underneath the headline numbers, the market tells a more nuanced story—one that has clear implications for how PE firms hire and lead at the portfolio company level. Here’s what we’re seeing in the market and reading in analyses …
2025 Private Equity Trends: What They Mean for Talent StrategyRead More »
In a recent episode of Invest Like the Best (May 27, 2025), Graham Weaver, founder of Alpine Investors, crystallized his firm’s approach to private equity in four powerful words: “Solve it with talent.” Behind that phrase is a strategic insight that shapes how smart investors approach value creation—especially in lower-middle …
Solve It with Talent: The Private Equity Advantage That Can’t Be UnderwrittenRead More »
