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 […]

One of the more prevalent developments within Portfolio Operations teams has been the creation of the Human Capital Partner. As money and debt become more of a commodity, and transformation expertise is more regularly and uniformly deployed, one of the remaining levers ripe for differentiation centers around Human Capital. The prosperity of a PE firm […]

When I started writing this blog I wanted it to be a destination for both sitting and prospective Operating Partners. It occurred to me that many times an exec becomes an Operating Partner because they’ve had experience with a PE firm via deal due diligence. It dawned on me that there’s a greater majority of […]

It seems to me that a company’s organizational structure is always being pressure tested for how it responds to the realities of a changing market. So many times we see large corporations undergo significant structural overhauls. One day they are organized in distinct business units where the GMs run the show with a good degree […]

“Make Private Equity Great Again.”  Can the Operating Partner role “Make Private Equity Great Again?” Maybe we could print up some hats!  Seriously though, borrowing the phrase in a playful manner and applying it to Private Equity got me thinking a bit. Can Operating Partners play a role in humanizing our industry? Certainly, the PE […]

Earlier this month I had the great fortune to attend The Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. For those of you lucky enough to have experienced it for yourselves, you already understand how special the event is. For those that haven’t, it is as close to perfection in a golf […]

In 2006 when I ran my very first Operating Partner search the environment around the role was markedly different from what we see today.  Back then, even getting a successful executive to consider taking such a role inside a “corporate raider” was a tall order. Many times when I called a CEO about an Operating Partner […]

What to expect during the most drastic change in your career, and how you can take control over the outcome. I recently counted up the number of Operating Partner searches I’ve been involved with over the course of the last 10 years. It’s just about 45 in total. Interestingly I would also say that there […]