ABOUT
During my career, I have had the opportunity to work with more than 100 different PE shops as they have sought out Operating Partner talent around the world. I’ve interviewed thousands of sitting and prospective Operating Partners; and have also spoken with hundreds of the GPs and LPs who are reliant on their contribution.
In fact, it is only over the course of the last decade that it seems to have gained more widespread adoption across the asset class. As with anything new, we don’t yet have any uniform agreement on exactly what an Operating Partner does. Defining the role remains tricky particularly because so many firms see it as meaning vastly different things.
a relatively new creation.
THE ROLE OF THE OPERATING PARTNER IN PRIVATE EQUITY IS
THE ROLE OF THE OPERATING PARTNER IN PRIVATE EQUITY IS
ABOUT THE OPERATING PARTNER
I hope that this blog can serve the community of Operating Partners in PE as it sheds light on some of the various issues that people deal with in that chosen career. Perhaps it can be a resource for aspiring Ops Partners and occasionally bring some value to those with more tenure in the actual role. As always, I invite your comment and contribution as we explore these topics. Don’t be shy about giving me your point of view or suggesting topical areas to cover.
Chris is focused on recruiting portfolio operations teams for private equity clients. Over the last 20 years, he has built his practice to focus on operations teams and speaks regularly on the strategies for creating this capability. He counsels PE firms on how to establish and grow their own offerings, and he has spoken at the country’s top business schools on portfolio operations as a career destination. Business Week magazine recognized Chris as one of the “Top 100 World’s Most Influential Headhunters.”
As a Founding Partner at Lancor, Chris established the firm’s US presence in 2009. Prior to Lancor, Chris was a partner with CTPartners (formerly Christian & Timbers) and was also a member of that firm’s operating committee. Spending nine years on that platform, he was a founding member of its Technology, Media, and Telecommunications Practice, and worked extensively to build the firm’s footprint in private equity. Prior to his career in executive search, Chris was a practicing attorney with Ulmer & Berne.
Chris earned a J.D. from the University of Akron School of Law and a BA in accounting from John Carroll University. He is also a board member at Providence House, a Cleveland-based crisis nursery that provides assistance and hope to at-risk moms and their children.
CHRIS CONTI
behind the blog
For more details on the work we do at Lancor, please visit our website here.
