What Private Equity Investors in Software Are Prioritizing Right Now: Insights from the 2026 PEI Human Capital Forum
At this year’s PEI Human Capital Conference in New York, one theme came through loud and clear: expectations for leadership teams in software and SaaS are evolving faster than ever.
More Than a Closer: What Private Equity Boards Demand from Go-to-Market Leaders in 2026
I recently sat down with Andrew Reynolds, Partner in our Go-to-Market practice, to work through what private equity boards are demanding of go-to-market executives right now and where the model is breaking down.
Discipline Over Disruption: Data-Backed Implications for Go-to-Market Leadership in Private Equity
The overarching finding is that GTM leadership is no longer just a growth function. It has become a valuation lever with direct implications for how sponsors structure, compensate, and sequence commercial leadership across the hold period.
The Private Equity CEO Playbook: How Patrick Dennis Thinks About Value Creation, Boards, and Building the Right Team
Most conversations about value creation in PE-backed software stay abstract. Frameworks get named, principles get cited, and very little of practical use gets said. My conversation with Patrick Dennis on Tailored Talent was not that conversation.
The Scaled AI Era: 5 Leadership Trends Reshaping Software in 2026
If AI is still a pilot inside your organization, you are operating behind the market.
Executive Search Turns 100 Years Old…and the Dirty Little Secrets in Today’s Typical Recruiting Firms
Thorndike’s retained search business model barely evolved beyond his original. He would still recognize almost all the search firms that operate today.
Designing the Exit: The Expanding Role of the Private Equity-Backed CFO
The private equity finance leadership market enters 2026 with greater clarity and discipline after several years of volatility and delayed exits.
If You Want a New CEO, the Best Time to Start Your Search Was 90 Days Ago
If you want a CEO today, the best time to start your search was 90 days ago. The second best time is today.
Why the Go-to-Market Number Two Has Become the Most Critical Hire in Private Equity-Backed Software
On a recent episode of Tailored Talent, I sat down with Liz Moses, Partner in our Go-to-Market practice, to talk through what is happening in PE-backed software right now and what it means for the leadership builds we are running.
Software Will Keep Eating the World…and AI is Setting the Table
If you have been in tech long enough, you have lived through several “software is over” predictions. Open source. Cloud. Mobile. Containerization. None of them eliminated demand for software. AI will be no different. What changes is which companies capture the next cycle.
Why Backchannels Are Essential to Executive Vetting
Most executive mis-hires do not happen because a search firm failed to conduct a routine reference check. They happen because the process was surface level. That is why at Bespoke Partners, we are Built Different.
Reflecting on Five Years in a Built Different Firm
Over the years, I have heard a consistent refrain from the people who know Bespoke Partners best, candidates, clients, and employees alike. They tell me the same thing. Bespoke feels different.