CEO and C-suite Succession, Corporate, Private Equity
Making the Leap from Corporate Leader to PE-Backed CEO
Published in Harvard Business Review. As private-equity ownership expands and talent grows scarce, investors are increasingly recruiting CEOs from the corporate world—but not all succeed. Leading a PE-backed firm demands five capabilities: commercial orientation, strategy under pressure, wide influence, risk-taking (especially on talent), and interpersonal range. Rigorous, honest assessment of candidates’ fit and readiness improves the odds of finding the right CEO.