The Real Due Diligence | What Makes or Breaks a Deal

🎙️ The Private Equity Podcast — Episode with Cyril Aboujaoude, Co-Founder of TioPo Capital

In this episode, Alex Rawlings is joined by Cyril Aboujaoude, Co-Founder of TioPo Capital, a hands-on private equity firm investing in SMEs across the UK and France. Cyril shares the journey of launching TioPo, their operationally driven approach to investing, and how young, entrepreneurial grit fueled their path from deal number one to a thriving portfolio.

They explore the nuances of deal origination, value creation, and the power of people in private equity. From ERP frustrations to navigating downturns and structuring creative deals, Cyril breaks down the real-world lessons of building a firm from scratch—while staying laser-focused on operational excellence.

⏱️ Timestamps:

00:03 – Introduction to Cyril Aboujaoude and TioPo Capital’s mission
00:30 – TioPo’s founding story, operational mindset, and portfolio growth
01:24 – What TioPo really looks for beyond standard investment criteria
01:57 – The importance of vision alignment and execution capability
03:24 – How they assess management teams during diligence
04:35 – Why slow decision-making is riskier than a bad hire
05:29 – Biggest value creation levers: hiring an operating partner over fundraising
06:46 – Building a 100-day transformation plan post-deal
07:45 – One thing target companies should fix pre-investment: ERP systems
08:55 – How TioPo evaluates companies during downturns and market volatility
10:20 – Analyzing long-term performance and identifying macro-inflated businesses
12:51 – Most creative deal structure: partnering with the seller’s son as CEO
14:50 – Reflections on the challenges and naivety of doing their first deal
16:11 – Cyril’s top recommendations: FT, WSJ, Aswath Damodaran, and local gazettes
17:10 – How to connect with Cyril and learn more about TioPo Capital

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• People over projections: Execution ability, humility, and shared vision are more important than just strategy.
• Operations-first philosophy: Value is built in the engine room—TioPo hires operating partners before fundraising staff.
• 100-Day Plan Discipline: They begin value creation planning during diligence, long before Day 0.
• ERP readiness = smoother scale: ERP systems are the most overlooked growth barrier.
• Smart structuring builds trust: Their first deal involved bringing in the founder’s son as CEO and co-investor.
• Past ≠ future, but it’s all we’ve got: Cyril emphasizes analyzing 20+ years of company performance to identify real resilience.

Raw Selection partners with Private Equity firms and their portfolio companies to secure exceptional executive talent. We focus on de-risking executive recruitment through meticulous search and selection processes, ensuring top-tier performance and long-term success.

🔗 Connect with Alex Rawlings on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexrawlings/
🌐 Visit Raw Selection: www.raw-selection.com

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