We’re working closely with Operating Partners in different PE companies just as we used to work a lot with fractional CXOs in 2022, advisors in 2019, and consultants in 2016.
Nuances vary, of course, but the underlying model remains largely the same.
(And I’ve walked the walk, starting in consulting in 2008, and still ranking in the top 3 for “business advisor” on Google.)
Some OPs we’ve worked with fit portfolio companies better than others. And the mix is fully reliant on a CEOs skill set and decision-making framework, the core capabilities they need to fill in on, the company GTM strategy over the next few months, and the board’s promises or expectations.
A great OP coming from a CEO tech startup role may not fit immediately well in a traditional chemical compounds company or an HVAC rollup business. And an automotive CEO may be a disjointed fit to a small PE roll up of digital service firms (like one I’m invested in myself).
Or they can be the perfect fit should they need to balance the extremes of the CEO in that specific character.
This is where 100-day plans are so common, where due diligence comes in play pre-acquisition, and why both annual plans and exit goals should be clearly defined – between the board, the CEO, executive recruiters, and possible OPs.
Here is a summary of a list of traits great OPs often share – that is, a few of these strongly held with sufficient understanding of the 360.
Growth Shuttle InsiderGrowth Shuttle Insider
The Operating Partner’s 2026 Checklist to Scale Every Portfolio Firm
Mario Peshev
