Think Like an Owner

Dan Cremons - Winning Moves in Private Equity - Ep.222

May 14, 2024

Dan Cremons, founder of Accelera Partners, shares insights on value creation in private equity, discussing the importance of revenue growth, building the right team, and common traps for first-time CEOs. He emphasizes the evolving playbook of private equity and strategies for sustainable value creation.

01:27:07

Episode guests

Dan Cremons

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Quick takeaways

Revenue growth is key for equity value, impacting margin expansion, debt reduction, and overall company growth.

First-time CEOs can enhance focus and efficiency by avoiding traps and utilizing tools like Eisenhower boxes and quarterly priority setting.

Prioritizing customer retention strategies can significantly boost long-term equity value within a business and strengthen revenue streams.

Deep dives

Key Point 1: Importance of Revenue Growth

Focusing on revenue growth is crucial for creating equity value in a business, as it impacts margin expansion, debt reduction, multiple expansion, and overall company growth. Strategies such as customer retention and pricing optimization play key roles in driving revenue growth.

The Impact of Revenue Growth on Business Expansion and Debt Pay Down

01:29

Introduction

2min

Insightful Guidance on Insurance for Small Company Acquisitions

2min

Exploring Career Background and Alpine Experience in Private Equity

4min

Building Value through Revenue Growth in Private Equity

29min

Navigating First-Time CEO Challenges

23min

Navigating the Shift from Investing to Operations in Private Equity

21min

Strategies for Success as a First-Time CEO

6min

Ep. 222: Alex (@aebridgeman) is joined by Dan Cremons (@DanCremons).

My guest today is Dan Cremons, author of Winning Moves, 105 Proven Ways to Create Value in Private Equity-Backed Companies, and founder of Accelera Partners where he focuses on helping private equity groups unlock people-powered value creation. Dan started at Alpine Investors for 12 years before leaving in 2021 to found Accelera, and his book is an incredibly thorough documentation of everything he learned about the private equity playbook and how it needs to evolve.

Dan and I talk about the five buckets of value creation and what the biggest drivers are, what great value creation looks like at a PE firm and company level, traps for first-time CEOs, and interviewing executives to make sure you have the right team in place.

Listen weekly and follow the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Breaker, and TuneIn.

Learn more about Alex and Think Like an Owner at https://tlaopodcast.com/

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Links:

→ Buy Dan's bestselling book on PE value creation - Link

→ Resources for private equity professionals – Link

→ Resources for PE-backed executives – Link

→ Connect with Dan on LinkedIn – Link

Topics:

(00:00:00) - Intro

(00:04:13) - Dan’s career background and learnings from Alpine

(00:13:29) - How the Private Equity playbook has changed over time

(00:16:23) - What a 10/10 PE firm looks like

(00:25:40) - Categories of winning moves

(00:30:21) - What have been your biggest learnings about revenue growth?

(00:39:05) - First-time CEO traps

(00:46:36) - Identifying priorities

(00:53:39) - Alex’s perspective on finding focus

(00:58:58) - Dan’s formative experiences

(01:07:42) - Evaluating management teams

(01:15:36) - Upskilling team members

(01:20:02) - Winning the first few weeks in the CEO role

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Think Like an Owner

Dan Cremons - Winning Moves in Private Equity - Ep.222

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Key Point 1: Importance of Revenue Growth

Key Point 2: CEO Traps and Strategies

Key Point 3: The Power of Customer Retention

Key Point 4: Pricing as a Value Driver

Exploring Career Paths and Finding Fulfillment

Evaluating and Enhancing Organizational Capabilities

The Impact of Revenue Growth on Business Expansion and Debt Pay Down

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts