Transformative CEOs and Board Members
First Time Right Placement of CEOs, Board Members, Presidents, GMs and Other Senior Leaders Who Transform Portfolio Companies
In the News:
Bespoke Partners Taps Founder Kristie Nova to Lead CEO Search Practice
Bespoke Partners recently announced that Founding Partner Kristie Nova will lead the firm’s dedicated CEO practice placing high-impact Chief Executive Officers in private equity portfolio companies.
Exclusive
Exclusively for private equity portfolio companies: CEO leader search driven by value creation plans
Efficient
Ultra-efficient recruiting with 95% success rate
Unique
Unique network & data-driven process find transformative CEOs and other senior leaders in half the average time
Our Leaders in this Practice
Kristie Nova
Founding Partner
CEO Practice Lead
23+ years of executive search experience, Kristie founded Bespoke Partners in 2011 with one private equity client and not even a handful of employees. Through Kristie’s tireless efforts in recruiting, business development, and mentoring her team, Bespoke now partners with the world’s most successful private equity firms.
Katherine Baker
Partner
Co-lead of CEO Practice
Katherine helps build executive teams for private equity backed software & tech companies. Over the last 6 years Katherine has completed over 100 searches for firms such as WCAS, Francisco Partners, Clearlake Capital, Insight Partners, TA Associates, Providence Equity, and more.
How to Navigate a Tight CEO Market: Insights from Bespoke Partners’ Leaders
Katherine Baker, co-lead of Bespoke Partners’ CEO practice, and Jenny Gray, Senior Vice President in the CEO practice explore current CEO market trends, the challenges of a limited talent pool, and the strategic approaches private equity firms are using to navigate this landscape.
Learn why more CEOs are transitioning to board roles, advisory positions, or taking extended breaks, and how these shifts are influencing board composition and executive leadership strategies.
How to Navigate a Tight CEO Market: Insights from Bespoke Partners' Leaders
Track Record for this Practice:
370+
Number of CEO Placements
38+
Number of Exits Assisted
$26.4B
Enterprise Value Creation
<100
Average Days to Close
9.6
NPS Score
Private Equity Talent Report:
CEO Trends
Download your copy of the newest edition.
Our ultra-efficient Search and Leadership Advisory services will source, place, and accelerate onboarding of transformative CEOs, GMs, Presidents and Board Members.
Our unique Search 2.0 process ties CEO and senior leadership search to the specific value creation plan for achieving the investment thesis for a private equity-backed software or SaaS company.
Find out why Bespoke Partners was selected as the search firm of choice for over 100 CEO and Senior Leadership searches for Tier 1 private equity firms.
How it Works
Step 1
Value Creation Leadership Mapping
Data-driven assessment of leadership team and organizational strengths and gaps, identifying changes needed to execute on the value creation plan.
First Time Right
Executive Placement
Recruiting of leadership team members, rapidly finding and placing the right executives who can achieve the investment thesis. The recruiting utilizes our unique Search 2.0 process to accelerate successful placement.
Step 2
Step 3
Accelerated
Onboarding
Tools and services that quickly integrate a new leader into the company and enable them to start creating value on day one.
Search 2.0
Data-driven:
Process finds and places candidates typically in half the time of industry average
Advanced Scorecards:
Comprehensive view of candidate’s fit with the role
Deep Validation:
Typically 20+ backchannel reference checks per candidate
Bespoke-Placed Leaders Create Value
We place senior leaders with proven track records in:
- Expanding addressable markets
- Streamlining operations and increasing margins
- Leading M&A and inorganic growth
- Deploying technologies that deliver major efficiencies
- Driving partnerships that expand go-to-market capacity
- Implementing high-efficiency revenue generation
- Building & inspiring world-class teams
Case Studies
LBO Orchestrator
Bespoke-placed CEO steers cybersecurity company through two leveraged buyouts in four years, generating significant investment returns
Growth Driver
Bespoke-placed CEO leads legal software firm to record growth, market leader status and leveraged buyout for >$1.5B valuation
IPO Leader
Bespoke-placed CEO leads HR software solution firm to acquisition and expansion into new markets, new capital investment and successful IPO in less than two years