Private Equity Podcast: Karma School of Business From Turnarounds to Growth: Ben Gaw on Building High-Performing Teams in Private Equity
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Jul 16, 2025 Ben Gaw, Partner and Head of Portfolio Operations at Cross Rapids Capital, shares his inspiring journey as a first-generation immigrant to becoming a leader in private equity. He discusses key strategies for identifying growth opportunities in mismanaged companies and emphasizes the importance of agile decision-making. Gaw highlights the role of soft skills and servant leadership in building high-performing teams. Transforming challenges into successes, he underlines the need for collaboration and effective resource allocation to drive immediate growth.
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Ben Gaw's Immigrant Journey
- Ben Gaw is a first-generation immigrant from the Philippines who worked hard to finance his education and career in the US.
- His path to private equity was circuitous, involving consulting, turnarounds, and portfolio operations roles at multiple firms.
Speed Trumps Perfection in Turnarounds
- Speed is crucial in turnarounds; acting fast outweighs getting the decision perfectly right.
- Quick imperfect actions greatly increase success chances in distress situations.
Invest in Defensible Markets
- Invest in companies with defensible markets and strong customer relationships, even if they're currently mismanaged.
- A company with high switching costs and a right to exist can often be turned around successfully.