Why outcome-based pricing is coming for professional services — and what it means for PE underwriting There is a number buried in a recent Wall Street Journal exclusive on ServiceNow that should stop every professional services firm — and every private equity investor who owns one — cold. Fifty percent of ServiceNow’s new business revenue […]

What Two Decades of Executive Search Taught Me About PE’s Most Important Role Twenty years ago, when I started placing operating partners at private equity firms, the role barely existed. Most funds relied on a handful of retired executives on advisory retainers — no carry, no seat at the table, no real accountability. Today, operating […]

At the start of 2024, I wrote a post advising Operating Partners to keep their heads down and hold onto good seats. The market felt seized up. Activity was sluggish, and the client base was understandably cautious. Many firms were struggling to sell assets, and cost centers — including portfolio operations — were under review. […]

I’ve always been curious about people. Who are they? What are their stories? How do they think? I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised at headhunting’s inate attraction for me. The best part of my job is, without question, meeting interesting people. I get perspective from them that gets my mind racing about new ideas […]

We’ve hit the dog days of Summer—those long, sweltering stretches that seem to drain us in more ways than one. I’ve heard from several private equity clients about their “Out in August” policies, granting teams the freedom to work from beach houses or mountain retreats for part of the month. It’s a chance to unplug, […]

How does a firm know that it has the right person in the leadership chair for the Portfolio Operations team?  I occasionally get asked this question and TBH there’s not one foolproof way to answer it.  Many factors will influence your decision, but perhaps keep in mind some of the below points and themes. As […]

About John FlanneryJohn Flannery joined Charlesbank in an advisory role in 2019 after 31 years at GE, where he most recently served as chairman and chief executive officer. At Charlesbank, he co-leads the Portfolio Resources Group, working with CEOs and their teams to improve operating performance, strategy and governance. He also helps the PRG team […]

If you happen to be a sports fan, and in particular a college football fan, then you most likely have heard about the NCAA Transfer Portal.  Created in 2018, it’s a database where collegiate athletes can test their marketability to other college programs to potentially improve their situation as a student athlete.  There’s been quite […]

Now that I have drawn a line in the sand around the superiority of housing industry specific Operating Partners alongside the deal teams who focus on those sectors, I need to examine the reasons why I arrive at this conclusion.  I’ll start at the macro level, and progress down with more granularity as we dive […]

I ran my first Operating Partner search in 2006 for TPG. We wanted an executive who would come in and contribute across the firm’s Technology related deals. Back then, I really didn’t know what an Operating Partner role was all about, but the folks at TPG sure did. I’m grateful to have been in that situation so […]