By Mario Peshev, DevriX
Value creation is being remade in real-time as artificial intelligence disrupts traditional workflows, go-to-market motions become increasingly complex, and the pressure on private equity (PE) firms to prove ROI intensifies. This transformation is changing how PE firms work with their management teams and how they build frameworks to drive measurable, sustainable revenue.
Too often, PE firms struggle to achieve this outcome and instead rely on existing management teams to drive growth post-acquisition. Meanwhile, PE firms are missing a robust, data-driven Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy that drives real results.
To better understand these mounting challenges and the operational shifts required to secure strong exits, we connected with five industry experts in Private Equity, Revenue Operations (RevOps), and product transformation.
This roundtable Q&A explores how PE leaders are moving beyond financial engineering to build data-driven revenue engines using RevOps and artificial intelligence.
Robert Annas, an experienced Private Equity Portfolio Manager, Investor & Board Member and leader in maximizing stakeholder value through performance improvement, financial, capital, operational and Go-to-Market Transformation https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-annas
Stanley (Skip) King, former SAP and Blackstone Advisor https://www.linkedin.com/in/stanley-king-skip-282a831
Marlon Davis, Product Portfolio Transformations for PE-Backed, B2B SaaS Companies https://www.linkedin.com/in/marlondavis
Bill Taysom, Fractional CMO (Previously VP Marketing, Caliber Companies) with experience in private equity real estate firms https://www.linkedin.com/in/billtaysom
Suhas Uppalapati, Managing Partner, Provest Equity Partners https://www.linkedin.com/in/suhas-uppalapati-2298bb7
Are You Finding that Many Private Equity (PE) Firms’ Portfolio Companies Struggle to Achieve Effective & Consistent Value Creation with Their Current Tools?
Marlon Davis, Product Portfolio Transformations for PE-Backed, B2B SaaS Companies:
“Yes, in many cases, PE-owned companies struggle to use tools to achieve effective and consistent value creation. This is not because tools are inherently ineffective, but because they are often not adopted or used in ways that consistently drive business outcomes. Many of these companies lack access to flexible product operating models that align with their business and guide tool selection, implementation, and use.
Value creation in private equity firms is highly dependent on the product function. What I see across PE-owned portfolio companies is that tool adoption and effective usage are highly dependent on having a clear operating model. In most cases, that operating model simply isn’t in place. Without it, teams don’t know which tools matter, how to use them, or how customer evidence should inform product decisions and financial outcomes. As a result, tools either never get adopted or are implemented tactically and measured by activity rather than impact.
This dynamic varies by PE ownership profile, but it is consistent across all of them. Private equity firms are very good at installing financial and operating controls, yet far less consistent at installing product and customer operating systems that guide tool adoption and usage toward value creation.”
Stanley (Skip) King, former SAP and Blackstone Advisor:
“Absolutely. We would go to the A-list conferences around the world. Blackstone sponsored those events for networking and knowledge sharing.
In those meetings, top-line revenue growth was always among the top topics of discussion because CEOs are under constant pressure to grow it. Most had the energy to pursue it, but they didn’t necessarily know exactly how they would do it.
Beyond Salesforce and your classic CRM platforms, there was actually very little being done in the companies I met with that I would consider execution on revenue, rather than making it more efficient. I saw very few tools and technologies being applied to make it more effective.”
Suhas Uppalapati, Managing Partner, Provest Equity Partners:
“Yes! Fragmented data systems and legacy tools across portfolio companies make it difficult to align operations with strategic value-creation goals. This fragmentation and digital maturity gaps often struggle to create operational value creation beyond financial engineering.
In addition to the legacy and fragmented systems in the portfolio companies, many PE firms are traditionally focused on applying the playbook on where and how to win rather than focusing on RevOps that creates the operating system of how the play runs efficiently to achieve effective and consistent value creation.”
How May this Challenge Persist in 2026?
Marlon Davis, Product Portfolio Transformations for PE-Backed, B2B SaaS Companies:
“This situation is not new for 2026, but rather a continuation. It has persisted for years and will continue to do so as more firms move into private equity ownership unless operating models are addressed explicitly.
This isn’t an easy situation. Even those PE firms with the highest operating discipline in managing their portfolio companies cannot simply apply cookie-cutter operating models. They have to tweak and adapt them in practice to drive value creation for each company.
This is where tools often get misunderstood. Tools create leverage only when someone owns the operating system behind them. Operating partners tend to own that system, while advisors support it. Confusing the two is one of the biggest reasons PE portfolio companies struggle to turn tools into value.
What I am ultimately saying is this: regardless of the year, systems and capabilities are the only things that drive effective tool selection and sustained value creation.”
Suhas Uppalapati, Managing Partner, Provest Equity Partners:
“RevOps is a unifying operational model that aligns revenue functions, standardizes processes, and centralizes data and analytics. For PE firms, RevOps accelerates value creation by enabling predictable operating models that reduce execution risk, Clearer reporting that enhances transparency and oversight, and stronger exits backed by disciplined revenue performance and rigorous metrics.”
Bill Taysom, Fractional CMO (Previously VP Marketing, Caliber Companies) with experience in private equity real estate firms:
“I don’t believe the challenge of implementing tools will improve in 2026. AI will add even more complexity, while 95% of AI pilots reportedly fail to produce measurable ROI. If anything, leadership might be more selective, driven by an imperative to survive operationally.
Identifying and establishing useful frameworks will create a positive shift. Firms hyper-focused on growth need to realize that they must balance growth against structure to stabilize and effectively scale.”
How Do You Define RevOps and Its Ability to Impact PE Firms with Predictable Operating Models, Clearer Reporting, and Stronger Exits?
Robert Annas, an experienced Private Equity Portfolio Manager, Investor & Board Member:
“Revenue Operations (RevOps) is the strategic alignment of sales, marketing, and finance functions designed to optimize revenue generation, eliminate operational inefficiencies, and drive predictable, repeatable growth. Unlike traditional sales operations focused solely on the sales function, RevOps creates horizontal collaboration across all go-to-market teams, unified by a common set of data, processes, and accountability metrics. At its core, RevOps asks: ‘How can we operate as one integrated system rather than disconnected departments?’
For PE firms and their portfolio companies, RevOps impact is transformative at every stage-from acquisition through exit. During due diligence, RevOps reveals the true revenue potential hidden in silos and unoptimized processes. During the hold period, RevOps creates predictable, measurable revenue systems that dramatically improve forecast accuracy and pipeline discipline. According to research from Forrester, companies with formal RevOps functions achieve 19% faster revenue growth compared to peers without integrated revenue teams, and they see 15-25% improvements in sales productivity in year one alone. By the time a company reaches exit, a RevOps-enabled business presents a much stronger narrative to potential buyers: auditable processes, clean data, transparent reporting, and a scalable model that reduces buyer risk. This operational maturity typically commands higher EBITDA multiples and facilitates smoother due diligence, directly translating to stronger exit valuations and faster deal closure.”
Stanley (Skip) King, former SAP and Blackstone Advisor:
“I think it will vary widely within the PE portfolio of companies, and it varies even wider, depending on the industry that you’re in. Revenue operations within each industry and each company will have a different definition.
So you’re going to hit some folks, you’re going to say ‘revenue op’ too? The response might be ‘that’s marketing.’
Are you going to say revenue operations and someone, someone that’s kind of grown up in sales, will say, ‘that’s got to be sales execution.’
Or if you talk to someone else about revenue ops, it’s going to be compensation, and that means it’s HR.
It varies widely by industry and by company. But it begins with a clear definition as to exactly what revenue ops really is.”
Bill Taysom, Fractional CMO (Previously VP Marketing, Caliber Companies) with experience in private equity real estate firms:
“RevOps is the revenue engine. It’s everything forward-facing that drives a company’s success. The RevOps leader is better positioned to impact the customer experience (CX) than any other member of the team, tying together the interests of product, marketing, sales, and customer service into one coherent ecosystem.
This is key to balancing brand and growth so they complement each other rather than compete. Delivering on our promises is core to our brand equity and long-term growth. RevOps is distinctly positioned to make this happen.”
How Have You Seen AI Augmenting RevOps with Measurable Outcomes to Improve Sales Productivity and Company Bottom Lines?
Robert Annas, an experienced Private Equity Portfolio Manager, Investor & Board Member:
“AI is most effective in RevOps when it moves beyond productivity gains (fewer manual tasks) and targets measurable business outcomes-faster deal cycles, higher conversion rates, and more accurate forecasting. Early research shows that teams embedding AI within real-time workflows, such as lead routing and scoring, report stronger business impact than those using AI for general tasks like content generation. For example, companies leveraging AI-driven forecasting and deal-scoring workflows experience faster pipeline velocity and better visibility into pipeline health; managers report spending less time on forecasting calls to gather context and more time coaching and removing blockers.
On the sales execution side, AI is automating unglamorous but critical administrative tasks that drain rep productivity-CRM logging, email drafting, and meeting prep. When reps spend less time on administrative overhead, they sell more. Real-world examples show that AI-powered workflow automation and next-best-action prompts directly translate operational efficiencies into measurable revenue outcomes. Companies implementing RevOps with AI support are also seeing improved forecast discipline: AI flags stalled deals and surfaces risk indicators earlier, enabling leadership teams to gain clearer pipeline visibility and reduce the volatility that frustrates deal teams and board reporting. The result is lower operational cost, faster revenue cycles, and more reliable EBITDA growth-all of which directly enhance company bottom lines and support stronger exit multiples.”
Bill Taysom, Fractional CMO (Previously VP Marketing, Caliber Companies) with experience in private equity real estate firms:
“Before ChatGPT, our firm used a sophisticated (and expensive) data enrichment platform to provide personalized financial data to our sales team, enabling more informed conversations with prospects. This included investors’ actual net worth, capital events, and even political affiliations. When ChatGPT launched, we added Jasper, Parrot, and HubSpot automation, as well as ChatGPT, to our marketing processes. These accelerated routine tasks improved our research capabilities as force multipliers/accelerants, not talent replacements. AI is a great tool, but it also requires parental supervision.”
What Are 2-3 RevOps Trends You Predict Will Take Shape in 2026 to Affect PE Firms and Portfolio Companies’ Performance?
Robert Annas, an experienced Private Equity Portfolio Manager, Investor & Board Member:
“Trend 1: AI-Driven Predictive Operations as Table Stakes. In 2026, RevOps teams will move beyond manual forecasting and process management to AI-augmented decision-making as standard practice.
Trend 2: Unified Data Infrastructure as the Revenue Differentiator. In 2026, PE firms will prioritize unified data environments across their portfolios as a critical lever for value creation.
Trend 3: RevOps as a Core Portfolio Company Success Metric. PE firms will increasingly assess RevOps maturity during due diligence and track RevOps KPIs (forecast accuracy, pipeline visibility, revenue predictability, customer acquisition cost trends) as leading indicators of value creation throughout the hold period.”
Bill Taysom, Fractional CMO (Previously VP Marketing, Caliber Companies) with experience in private equity real estate firms:
“The Captain Obvious answer is AI. Clearly, this technology is reaching into every corner of our business ecosystems. Sorting through the vast sea of options to identify useful solutions will require a strategic perspective, discerning assessment, and thoughtful integration to avoid tremendous waste of time, resources, and brand equity, especially as AI pushback is showing signs of intensifying.
RevOps ecosystem optimization will continue. Even without AI, we live in a dynamic world that requires both pivots and the maturity to hold steady where warranted. This is where collaboration, learning, and a high-EQ perspective drive superior results-results that are beyond the capabilities of AI.”
What Tips Do You Have for Any Firm or Company to Align Their Strategic Approach Better to Unify Data to Processes, People, and Tech Stacks to Drive Revenue More Efficiently?
Robert Annas, an experienced Private Equity Portfolio Manager, Investor & Board Member:
“Start with process clarity, not technology. Too many companies rush to implement new tools before understanding their actual revenue processes. Before selecting technology, map your customer journey, identify your core revenue processes (lead generation, qualification, pipeline management, forecasting, customer success), and agree on accountability. RevOps is about tightening the revenue system to grow faster and operate with less waste-not introducing new complexity. Once processes are clear, technology choices become obvious.
Establish a unified data strategy with a single source of truth. Many portfolio companies operate with data fragmented across multiple systems with no clear ownership or integration. Create a data governance model that designates which system owns which data element (your CRM owns customer and opportunity data, your marketing automation owns campaign data, etc.), and establish integration protocols that keep all systems synchronized in real time. Clean, unified data is the foundation for both human decision-making and AI effectiveness; without it, neither will work.
Align all three constituencies-data, processes, and people-simultaneously. The most common mistake is implementing new tools or processes without preparing people for the change. Assign clear ownership of RevOps functions (forecast governance, pipeline discipline, data quality); train all go-to-market teams on new processes; and establish KPIs that hold teams accountable to the model. RevOps is not a destination but an operating discipline that evolves as the company scales. Revisit and refine your data, processes, and team structure at least quarterly to ensure they continue to support your growth objectives and exit timeline.”
Stanley (Skip) King, former SAP and Blackstone Advisor
“There is a tremendous opportunity in AI to drive a more effective sales pursuit. Not efficient necessarily, even though efficiency would come, but a more effective pursuit and prototyping, prototyping with various AI platforms, which have promoted themselves around effective revenue generation, is where I would start.
I’ve identified 3 or 4 AI companies that have built a protocol to help sales professionals globally.
My recommendation is to start small, fail quickly in your prototype, and get to the point that AI is an integral part of your go-to-market plan.”
Analysis: Operational Intelligence Is the New Growth Engine
The insights shared by our expert panel underscore a fundamental reality for 2026: Value creation is a hard requirement.
This shift is driven heavily by the need for strict governance and operational intelligence, which are now foundational to driving sustainable value and scaling effectively across portfolios.
While much of the industry buzz currently centers around AI and autonomous tech, the truth is that these agentic systems are often not yet production-ready in most private equity environments.
As our panelists explained, AI can augment and enhance existing processes, but it still requires significant supervision. Interestingly, agile SMBs are already catching up by deploying these tools nimbly, whereas larger portfolio companies remain constrained by fragmented data, legacy tools, and disconnected departments.
As our panelists rightly pointed out, many private equity firms rely heavily on the existing management team to drive growth post-acquisition. While management buy-in is crucial, simply delegating the growth strategy to them often overlooks the lack of a robust, data-driven GTM framework.
This is a process and a journey, not a destination.
As PE and RevOps leaders, we must remember that predictability takes time. It often takes 6 to 9 months for a new system to sink in fully and for staff to build the right habits. The secret to success is straightforward if not always simple: unify your data, process, and people.
Thank you to our expert panel for shedding light on the operational realities and friction points facing portfolio companies. Their insights offer a clear mandate for PE firms: operationalize your revenue engine now, or risk leaving substantial enterprise value on the table at exit.
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I’m Mario Peshev, CEO of DevriX and a mid-market operator specializing in RevOps architecture and digital operating infrastructure for private equity-backed companies. For the past 20 years, I have worked with executive teams to build scalable revenue systems that connect go-to-market execution with FP&A visibility, executive decision making, and enterprise value creation. Through DevriX, I support portfolio companies with strategic advisory and embedded implementation across RevOps, web and data engineering, and applied AI systems designed to improve operational efficiency, accelerate PMI initiatives, and stabilize revenue growth.
