With the long view, PE firms make steady partners through the ups and downs
When people think of the private equity (PE) industry, they often picture big Wall Street firms launching headline-grabbing takeovers of multi-billion-dollar companies. But this is a caricatured version of what PE firms actually do: forge long-term relationships with companies of all sizes across industries to help them scale and build value sustainably. In fact, according to the American Investment […]
It’s not every day you land a job with one of the world’s leading investment firms ($571 billion in assets under management), then one month later find yourself amidst a global pandemic—just as you’re getting acclimated. Enter Ann (Kim) Chung. In February 2020, Blackstone made this announcement welcoming her as a core part of their nascent […]
REDIRECTED How to identify key value drivers for your business
In working closely with founders and CEOs during various points of their “company growth journey,” what I’ve learned is—no matter your size or industry—creating value should be the foremost priority. Why? Because the ability to do so is a company’s greatest asset. Ultimately, the question leaders need to answer is “What is actually driving value?” Beyond that, […]
There’s a common misperception that private equity (PE) firms only make investments to maximize short-term profits, but this generally isn’t the case. Many PE firms develop long-term relationships with their portfolio companies (portcos), and the COVID-19 pandemic has been a reminder that these relationships can prove invaluable in times of crisis. Chris Paldino is a Managing Partner of Hidden Harbor […]
With COVID-19 drastically altering the healthcare landscape, our PE fund client needed to quickly understand the effects these changes were having on a healthcare provider of interest — and they needed to know across geographic areas spanning six states in two weeks. Based on our proprietary approach, from our selection of vetted candidates the PE […]
An interview with CapitalSpring’s Richard Fitzgerald
COVID-19 has fundamentally altered the way many businesses operate, and restaurants have been forced to make the most significant changes of all. Richard Fitzgerald is a co-founder and Managing Partner at CapitalSpring, a PE firm dedicated to the restaurant industry (companies in their portfolio include staples like Taco Bell and Dunkin’ Donuts), and he recently shared […]
REDIRECTED The Evolution of Sales and Marketing into a Growth Engine
For small and early-stage companies, sales growth is essential: it is a leading indicator of future performance and represents the most important measure of value accretion. However, the marketing and sales practices employed by many organizations today result in a failure to meet growth objectives. And while CEOs continue to rank sales growth as a top priority, many are dissatisfied with the results. So […]
How We Did It: Commercial Due Diligence Case Study
Our PE Fund client needed to understand the viability of a home furnishing e-commerce business. Tapping into our invitation-only Intelligent Network, we specifically vetted and introduced multiple best-in-class groups to match the client with a specialized third-party resource with extensive online retail experience. Within two days, we successfully paired the client with a group that was […]
An interview with The Halifax Group’s Scott Plumridge
As American companies fight to recover from COVID-19 and the resulting economic downturn, the private equity industry has stepped in to provide capital, expertise, and many other forms of assistance. But how, exactly, are PE firms approaching such an unprecedented situation? What lessons can they teach other companies, including those that aren’t PE-backed? What does […]
How Pandemic-Era Managers Can Level Up By Using Collaboration Tools
Effective managers are capable of articulating their company’s values and a clear set of concrete goals, while also maintaining a commitment to diversity and open communication. These principles will help companies move from a rigidly hierarchical dynamic in which workers feel disconnected from their jobs to one in which they feel like stakeholders and partners […]
An interview with the American Investment Council’s Drew Maloney
At a time when companies are in desperate need of capital (and every other form of support they can get), the private equity industry has assumed a larger role in the U.S. economy. That’s why now is a good time to take a closer look at private equity – how it functions, the ways in […]
Interim CEO services are highly coveted in transitionary economies, such as those experienced during the 2008 housing crisis, the COVID-19 recession and the 2023 bank failures. What works for a chief executive officer under normal circumstances doesn’t cut it when times are especially tough. That’s why private equity firms, their portcos, and private and public […]
Fractional CFOs: What They Do, Why You Might Need an Interim CFO Instead
The chief financial officer is crucial role. But not all businesses can afford – or are ready – for one. One alternative to committing to a full-time (and expensive) C-suite financial executive is a fractional CFO. “The biggest role of a fractional CFO is going to be high-level overview. The business is typically not going […]
Identifying an interim chief financial officer can be tedious, if not expensive. Companies that don’t know what they’re looking for when they begin their search could spend large sums of money on headhunters and recruiting firms. They can also lose valuable time interviewing unqualified candidates. When hiring an interim CFO instead of a permanent replacement, […]
