Private Equity Executive Search

A leadership gap at the wrong point in the deal cycle, whether that is the first 100 days of a new platform, a transformation in flight or the approach to exit, it carries a cost that compounds quickly. The right executive accelerates value creation. The wrong one delays it.

Redgrave is a specialist executive search firm for the private equity market. We work with sponsors, Operating Partners and portfolio management teams to appoint permanent and interim executives who understand the demands of PE ownership and can perform inside them. Our partner-led approach means the person who understands your investment thesis is the person who builds your shortlist.

Why PE firms choose Redgrave for executive search

Private equity executive search requires a different lens to traditional executive search. The brief is shaped by the investment thesis, value creation plan and deal timeline, not simply a job specification. Assessing a candidate means understanding how they will perform under sponsor ownership, within a PE-backed environment, not just whether they have a strong CV. And because value creation rarely waits, speed matters.

Here is what shapes how we work with PE clients:

We understand the value creation agenda, the 100-day imperative, the relationship between management and the board, and the difference between a leadership hire that supports an exit multiple and one that threatens it. That context shapes everything: how we interpret your brief, how we assess candidates and how we position the opportunity to leaders who can thrive in PE-backed environments.

Most PE-backed businesses need flexibility when it comes to leadership hiring. Sometimes you need a CFO in a role immediately while a permanent search runs alongside it. Sometimes a transformation requires an Operating Director for six months before a full-time appointment makes sense. We can advise on both, with the same level of partner involvement and assessment rigour.

Every PE executive search we run is led by a senior partner throughout. The person who sits in your briefing meeting is the person who makes the candidate approaches and assesses them, and presents the shortlist. That senior involvement throughout the process ensures better judgement and stronger decision-making at every stage.

Supporting private equity across the full deal lifecycle

The leadership needs of a PE-backed business evolve throughout the investment lifecycle. Whether assessing a management team before acquisition, strengthening leadership during transformation or preparing for exit, we help clients identify and appoint the leaders needed to deliver the next phase of growth.

Leadership quality is a material factor in deal risk. Before acquisition, we can provide independent assessment of management team capability, evaluating whether the existing team can execute the value creation plan or whether changes will be needed from day one. That insight is most valuable before you close, not after.

New platforms require management teams that did not exist before. Whether you need a CEO to lead from day one or a full senior leadership team built around an acquired business, we can move at the pace the deal demands. PE executive search at this stage is about speed and conviction, having the network and the relationships to reach the right people immediately.

The majority of value creation plans require leadership change or reinforcement. A CFO to drive margin improvement. A CCO to rebuild commercial momentum. An Operations Director to professionalise processes ahead of scale. An interim executive to lead a specific workstream while a permanent search runs. We have placed across every one of these scenarios, and we understand the performance standards they demand.

The right management team at exit is not always the team that created the value. Sometimes succession is part of the exit preparation itself: a new CEO who can lead the business through the next chapter of ownership, or a CFO whose profile is credible to the incoming investor. We have supported PE sponsors through management succession as part of exit strategy and understand the sensitivity and timing those processes require.

How we support PE clients

Our PE practice operates across three interconnected service areas. They are often used in combination, particularly in active portfolio businesses where permanent, interim and assessment needs can arise simultaneously.

Permanent executive search for PE-backed businesses across all C-suite and senior leadership positions. We manage the full process from brief to accepted offer, with partner involvement throughout. Our average time from brief to shortlist is faster than the market average, because our network is already warm before the search begins.

Interim executives for PE-backed businesses who can be in role and delivering within days of engagement. We draw on a network of senior interim leaders who have worked inside PE-backed businesses before and do not need PE ownership explained to them. For Operating Partners managing value creation across multiple portfolio companies, our interim capability offers a reliable, fast-response resource.

Independent, objective assessment of leadership capability, used pre-acquisition for management team evaluation, at platform build for new appointment validation, and during transformation to assess whether the existing team can take the business where the value creation plan requires. Driven by our proprietary leadership model, our specialist consultants and chartered business psychologists deliver evidence-backed, high-stakes human capital diligence.

Some Of Our Clients

We’re proud to partner with leading organisations across the UK, Europe, and the United States. Our mission is to help build leadership teams that drive growth and innovation on a global scale.

Private equity executive roles we place

We place permanently and on an interim basis across the full C-suite and senior leadership spectrum for PE-backed businesses:

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Finance Director
Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Operations Director
Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and Marketing Director
Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) and Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)
Chief People Officer (CPO) and HR Director

We also work at Operating Partner level, supporting sponsors who need a specific operational capability within a portfolio company for a defined period, whether that is a technology transformation, a commercial rebuild or a post-acquisition integration.

Private equity sectors we work across

Our PE executive search practice is sector-agnostic. The deal structure and value creation dynamics
matter more than the industry. That said, we have particular depth in the following areas:

If your sector is not on this list, contact us. The deal-cycle expertise and leadership assessment capability we bring is applicable across most sectors where private equity is active.

FAQs

1. What is PE executive search and how is it different from standard executive search?

Private equity executive search is executive search conducted within the specific context of PE ownership, where the brief is shaped by a value creation plan, where assessment must account for performance under sponsor ownership, and where speed is a genuine constraint rather than a preference. A PE executive search firm needs alignment and an understanding of the investment thesis, the deal stage and the exit horizon. Often it requires finding candidates who have worked successfully inside PE-backed businesses before. Redgrave’s PE practice is built around that context from the outset of every engagement.

2. Do you work with Operating Partners directly?

Yes. Operating Partners are one of our most frequent points of contact. We understand the Operating Partner model and the specific demands it places on the executive search process: the need to move across multiple portfolio companies simultaneously, the requirement for executives who can operate with a high degree of autonomy and the importance of speed. We work with Operating Partners at sponsor level as well as at portfolio company level, and we can operate under whichever engagement model suits the fund’s structure.

3. Do you provide human capital due diligence for PE transactions?

Yes. We provide independent leadership assessment and management team evaluation as a pre-acquisition service by assessing the capability, commercial credibility and execution track record of the management team against the requirements of the value creation plan. This service is used by sponsors, Operating Partners and advisers as part of commercial and management due diligence. We can also support post-acquisition assessment where the composition of the management team needs to be evaluated after close.

4. Which PE deal stages do you work across?

All of them. We support sponsors and portfolio management teams from pre-acquisition through platform build, transformation, buy-and-build and add-on integration, through to exit preparation and management succession. The nature of the brief and the pace of the search changes significantly across those stages, and our experts are structured to flex accordingly. We are built to be a consistent resource across all deal stages.

5. What makes Redgrave the right PE executive search firm?

Our private equity practice is built around the specific demands of PE-backed businesses, not adapted from a general executive search model. Covering permanent and interim, we understand the deal cycle, the value creation language and the relationship between management and sponsor. And our directness means you will always know where your search stands and what our point of view is, which is what Operating Partners and sponsors need from an executive search firm they are trusting with a material leadership decision.