Private Equity

Value creation through people – before, during, and after the investment

The private equity market has seen significant growth in capital inflows, fund sizes, and investment activity in recent years. At the same time, competition for attractive investments has increased significantly and value creation increasingly depends on the ability to strengthen management, organisation, and governance in portfolio companies in a short time.

Private equity ownership places special demands on pace, execution, and management capacity. Active ownership, transformation, professional board, and management practices, and a sharper focus on performance and scalability are key elements of the value creation agenda. In this context, access to the right leaders and a strong management team is a key differentiator.

Recruitment for portfolio companies

At GML, we help Private Equity companies to identify, attract, and assess leaders and key profiles for their portfolio companies. We work across industries and sizes – from growth companies and carve outs to more mature platforms in transformation or consolidation phases.

We typically recruit for:

• CEO, CFO, and COO roles
• Commercial managers (sales, marketing, go to market)
• Operations, supply chain, and digital/IT
• Board members and advisory board profiles

Our industry insights and local market knowledge enable us to quickly understand the portfolio company’s situation and identify profiles that can deliver results in a PE ownership characterised by high ambitions, clear goals, and a short time horizon.

Management assessment and due diligence

In addition to recruitment, GML has great expertise in assessing management teams in connection with acquisitions, refinancing, or major strategic decisions. In the due diligence phase, we assist investors with a structured and nuanced assessment of management capacity, composition, and development potential.

Among other things, our assessments focus on:

• Leadership quality and ability to execute
• Interaction and roles in the leadership team
• Scalability to address the growth and transformation agenda
• Risk and success-critical management factors
• Need for additional profiles or changes in the team

Assessment provides the private equity company with a solid basis for decision-making – both in the investment process and in the planning of the first 100 days after the acquisition.

A talent market in motion

The talent market is more fluid and competitive than ever. While many executives are bound by incentive structures in existing organisations, the continued growth of Private Equity portfolios creates a strong demand for experienced leaders who can navigate change management, governance, and value creation in an active ownership model.

This requires a proactive and systematic approach to management recruitment, succession, and talent development – both at fund level and in the portfolio companies.

Our knowledge – your strength

At GML, we work as a close sparring partner for Private Equity companies. We bring market knowledge and networks that enable us to match the right profiles to specific value creation plans, whether it be scaling, international expansion, professionalising the organisation, or exit preparation.

We understand the dynamics and support the ability of private equity players to realise potential and optimise returns across their portfolio.

We identify the leaders and specialists who can drive transformation, operational improvement, and growth in portfolio companies – often with tight time horizons and high return requirements.