Bespoke Partners

Most first-time CEOs do not take board formation seriously enough. Patrick Dennis includes himself in that. His first CEO role was a public company. At the time, his view was that he would see these people once a quarter. He was, as he puts it, too green to know. His framework now: match each independent director to the highest-impact, highest-complexity element of the value creation plan, and use the second seat to backstop any genuine flat spot in the CEO's own background. Not to work around the CEO, but to make them more effective leading the person in that function. The people around the table matter more than the count. Eric Walczykowski and Patrick Dennis, CEO of Avaya, former CEO of Venafi, discuss on the next episode of Tailored Talent.  Register today: https://lnkd.in/gZbf94kg #executivesearch #privateequity #CEO #leadership

CFO supply in PE-backed software is constrained heading into 2026. Exit-proven finance leaders are staying in seat through anticipated liquidity events, and sponsors are adjusting, evaluating step-up candidates and first-time CFOs with operational depth over title tenure alone. Lisa (Rundlet) Gordon, Partner in our Finance Practice, highlights how the mandate has shifted. Financial reporting is expected. What differentiates candidates now is the ability to influence revenue execution, manage capital allocation, and support transaction readiness. The operational CFO is the baseline, not a premium profile. Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gwpQ5Exe #executivesearch #privateequity #leadership #finance

We are pleased to welcome Matthew Hagan as a Data Specialist on our Research team. Prior to joining Bespoke, Matthew worked at Sophos as a Data Intern, where he focused on data entry and analysis. Welcome, Matthew. We are glad to have you on the team! #executivesearch #privateequity #leadershipdevelopment

The deal model tells you where you are trying to go, but the thesis behind it tells you what you have to believe to get there. After taking the CEO seat multiple times in PE-backed software, Transformational Technology Company Leader, Patrick Dennis, makes a point of doing his own outside-in research against the three or four points that underwrite the deal thesis. Some of them will be on the right track while others may need to be redefined. The earlier you surface those gaps and renegotiate them with the sponsor, the less damage they do later in the hold. Register here for the in-depth discussion: https://lnkd.in/gZbf94kg #executivesearch #privateequity #leadershipdevelopment

There is a tendency in PE-backed companies to think about the executive team as a destination: get the right people in seat and keep them there for the full hold. That is not how Patrick Dennis approaches it. He hires to the season the company is in. Bespoke Partners CEO Eric Walczykowski and Transformational Technology Company Leader Patrick Dennis dig in in Part 2. Don't miss Part one on 4/1: https://lnkd.in/gZbf94kg #executivesearch #privateequity #leadershipdevelopment

Holding out for the proven CRO costs more than most PE sponsors realize. Searches that stay open to a first-time go-to-market executive close in roughly 93 days. Searches that insist on a proven name stretch to 120. In a five-year hold, that difference represents a real portion of your value creation window.  Elizabeth Moses, Partner in our Go-to-Market practice, covered this on a recent Tailored Talent, along with what it takes to support a step-up executive well, how the CRO role is changing, and where the CSO and CCO split is starting to make sense. Read the full recap: https://lnkd.in/gjip8t4X #executivesearch #privateequity #leadership #CRO #CSO #CCO

We are excited to welcome Sahar Samman as Principal on our Finance Practice team. Sahar brings a strong blend of executive search and financial services experience to Bespoke. Most recently, she was a Senior Associate at Falcon Partners, where she spent four years partnering with private equity clients on lower-middle-market leadership builds across consumer, professional services, specialty manufacturing, and software. Prior to that, she held roles at Nationwide Insurance spanning both business technology and derivatives investment operations. Welcome to the team, Sahar! #executivesearch #privateequity #leadershipdevelopment

There is no on-demand market for elite software CEOs. The leaders who can drive a high-multiple exit inside a PE hold period are executing, approaching liquidity, or already in conversations with other sponsors. By the time urgency peaks, the full market has shifted. Boards that treat CEO succession as a standing discipline, not a response to pressure, consistently access stronger candidates on better terms. If leadership change is a possibility in the next two to three quarters, the conversation should start now. There is no on-demand market for elite software CEOs. Matthew Sommi, SVP of Private Equity Partnerships, explains why preparation beats urgency every time: https://lnkd.in/gAMaN7gi #executivesearch #privateequity #CEO #leadership

Eight, nine, ten person boards have become surprisingly common in PE-backed software. The tradeoff is speed, and in this market, speed is not something you can easily get back once you have traded it away. The board structure is often fixed in the shareholder agreement. Who fills those seats usually can be negotiated. The more useful question is whether the directors around the table can backstop the highest-complexity elements of the value creation plan. Bespoke Partners CEO Eric Walczykowski and Patrick Dennis, CEO of Avaya, former CEO of Venafi, talk through board formation as a practical value creation tool. Join the discussion: https://lnkd.in/gZbf94kg #executivesearch #privateequity #leadership

Industra Talent Partners, Bespoke's industrial executive search affiliate, just released its 1H 2026 Food and Beverage Manufacturing Sector Talent Trends report. For sponsors and operating partners with F&B portfolio exposure, the shift in value creation playbook and its implications for leadership team composition are directly relevant to where the market is heading. Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/gprfRDbS #foodandbeverage #manufacturing #privateequity #leadership