Blog

Navigating the Future: Bespoke CEO Trends

Navigating the Future: Bespoke CEO Trends

The role of a CEO is undeniably pivotal in steering a company towards growth, nurturing a winning culture, and fulfilling value creation goals. Our work recruiting CEOs into software and SaaS companies sheds light on how CEO needs are evolving, especially in private equity backed companies.

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Bringing Clients Unprecedented Access to Executive Talent in AI/ML

Bringing Clients Unprecedented Access to Executive Talent in AI/ML

Perhaps no other innovation in the last decade has disrupted as many sectors as Artificial Intelligence has started to disrupt today.

This week we are announcing our coverage of the Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning sector. The move will provide clients with talent market insight and curated access to leaders who can scale AI firms and drive AI/ML adoption within software and SaaS companies.

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Go-to-Market Planning for 2024: Laying the Groundwork for Growth

Go-to-Market Planning for 2024: Laying the Groundwork for Growth

The slowdown in corporate spending due to economic and geopolitical uncertainties has prompted many companies to rethink their growth strategies for the near and distant future.

When asked during a recent SBI Growth Forum hosted for sales leaders of companies with $250M in revenue or higher, those responding unanimously said that they wished they had taken action sooner relative to talent and productivity improvement initiatives.

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Why Executive Searches Fail – and How to Avoid the Pitfalls

Why Executive Searches Fail – and How to Avoid the Pitfalls

A failed executive search can be an expensive mistake for a company or sponsor to make. In our experience evaluating tens of thousands of executives and recruiting more than 1,000 leaders for technology and SaaS companies, we see a range of reasons that these mistakes happen.

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A Year of Talent Triumphs and a Look Ahead:  2023 Reflection & 2024 Outlook for the Private Equity Sector

A Year of Talent Triumphs and a Look Ahead: 2023 Reflection & 2024 Outlook for the Private Equity Sector

As we close the chapter on 2023, it’s clear that this year marked a paradigm shift in the private equity sector. Our industry has long grappled with numerous factors that drive success in portfolio companies. However, 2023 was the year we collectively acknowledged a fundamental truth: talent is the number one factor in ensuring the success of portfolio companies and the realization of an investment thesis.

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Webinar Recap: Avoiding Bad C-Suite Hires in Private Equity Portfolio Companies

Webinar Recap: Avoiding Bad C-Suite Hires in Private Equity Portfolio Companies

Bad C-suite hires are a real possibility in the tight labor market for private equity portfolio companies.

The negative effects of a C-suite mis-hire on company growth and culture means that companies must take care to find the right candidate for their executive roles. But there are best practices for search and recruiting to ensure companies can right C-suite hires in a timely manner to drive growth in the increasingly competitive private equity market.

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The Monumental Costs of a Bad Executive Hire

The Monumental Costs of a Bad Executive Hire

In this post, we’ll share four strategies for mitigating this risk. These strategies are based on the processes we have developed over the years that enable us to achieve our 99% placement success rate. But first, let’s look at the costs and ramifications of making a bad hire. 

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Access to the Best Leadership Talent Before You Need It

Access to the Best Leadership Talent Before You Need It

The SRG service draws from our unmatched network of seasoned software and SaaS executives. We have built that network over a decade of working with thousands of candidates and 90% of the most active private equity software and SaaS investors.

Our turnkey approach means we effectively manage the talent network for you, tracking the leaders who matter most. With SRG, you will solve your next search before it starts.

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Five Go-to-Market Skillsets for Driving Growth in Turbulent Economic Times

Five Go-to-Market Skillsets for Driving Growth in Turbulent Economic Times

Today a CFO is central to strategy and execution on the value creation plan for a private equity backed portfolio company. The CFO plays a critical role in shaping the path to the private equity backer’s investment thesis by driving growth while maintaining sound financial stewardship.
Reduced investor risk tolerance, depressed company valuations, and longer hold times to achieve investment thesis are on the horizon for firms that don’t proactively fortify their businesses.

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Three Types of CFOs for Growing in Turbulent Times

Three Types of CFOs for Growing in Turbulent Times

Today a CFO is central to strategy and execution on the value creation plan for a private equity backed portfolio company. The CFO plays a critical role in shaping the path to the private equity backer’s investment thesis by driving growth while maintaining sound financial stewardship.
Reduced investor risk tolerance, depressed company valuations, and longer hold times to achieve investment thesis are on the horizon for firms that don’t proactively fortify their businesses.

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The Spotlight is on Leaders Who Drive Capital-Efficient Growth

The Spotlight is on Leaders Who Drive Capital-Efficient Growth

The “Grow at all Costs” strategy has lost its luster. Economic headwinds, curtailed access to capital and the sharp drop in exit opportunities have put the spotlight on capital-efficient growth, or what some call “smart growth.”Reduced investor risk tolerance, depressed company valuations, and longer hold times to achieve investment thesis are on the horizon for firms that don’t proactively fortify their businesses.

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Benchmark Portfolio Company Talent with the Industry’s First Human Capital Trend Report

Benchmark Portfolio Company Talent with the Industry’s First Human Capital Trend Report

At Bespoke Partners, we pledge to be a true human capital partner to our clients. That means we are willing to step up and share the risk associated with finding and recruiting the right talent.
Reduced investor risk tolerance, depressed company valuations, and longer hold times to achieve investment thesis are on the horizon for firms that don’t proactively fortify their businesses.

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Our Two-Year Guarantee is Our Pledge to  Deliver Human Capital Excellence

Our Two-Year Guarantee is Our Pledge to Deliver Human Capital Excellence

At Bespoke Partners, we pledge to be a true human capital partner to our clients. That means we are willing to step up and share the risk associated with finding and recruiting the right talent.
Reduced investor risk tolerance, depressed company valuations, and longer hold times to achieve investment thesis are on the horizon for firms that don’t proactively fortify their businesses.

read more
Four Steps for Mitigating the Risk of Making a Bad Hire

Four Steps for Mitigating the Risk of Making a Bad Hire

In this post, we’ll share four strategies for mitigating this risk. These strategies are based on the processes we have developed over the years that enable us to achieve our 99% placement success rate. But first, let’s look at the costs and ramifications of making a bad hire. 

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Optimizing Portfolio Company Leadership to Manage Through Turbulent Times

Optimizing Portfolio Company Leadership to Manage Through Turbulent Times

As the world responds to a possible recession, geopolitical conflicts, and supply-chain disruptions, private equity portfolio companies must prepare for the economic downturns that can hamper growth strategies.

Reduced investor risk tolerance, depressed company valuations, and longer hold times to achieve investment thesis are on the horizon for firms that don’t proactively fortify their businesses.

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Webinar Recap: How Behavioral Assessments Can Accelerate Leadership Transformation

Webinar Recap: How Behavioral Assessments Can Accelerate Leadership Transformation

Modern personality testing and behavioral assessments can streamline interview processes and accelerate the identification and recruiting of high-impact executives. In fact, these techniques can make executive searches proceed faster and produce better results at the same time.

That was a takeaway from the panel discussion in our recent webinar with Hunt Scanlon, featuring Steve Maxwell of Audax Private Equity, Bespoke President Eric Walczykowski, and our Vice President of Bespoke Partners’ Leadership Advisory Practice Megan Hay.

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Behavioral Assessments Accelerate Leadership Transformation

Behavioral Assessments Accelerate Leadership Transformation

What causes leaders to fail? The reasons are seemingly endless: lack of experience, poor communication, a misguided reliance on outdated strategies, and misaligned goals, among many more. All are valid, to be sure. Here’s another critical and often overlooked reason:...

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Search 2.0: Impact of the Science of Search

Search 2.0: Impact of the Science of Search

If you are refreshing or rebooting the leadership of the portfolio company, then time is of the essence. The new leaders need to be on board and driving hard as early as possible if the company will achieve the investment thesis.. At Bespoke Partners, we have studied...

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