Brilliant People Podcast

Before Jimmy Holloran was leading talent strategy for a $16B private equity powerhouse, his path ran through classrooms, consultancies, portfolio companies, and boardrooms—and, in the very early days, behind the bar at his family’s Irish pub in St. Louis.Today, as Talent Partner at American Industrial Partners (AIP), Jimmy is reshaping what it means to drive value through people. He built the firm’s talent function from the ground up—advancing it from Talent 1.0 (better hiring, structured feedback), to Talent 2.0 (proactive leadership development, early diligence, a repeatable CEO playbook). Now, he’s laying the groundwork for Talent 3.0: a full-cycle leadership engine anchored by the Alpha Lab to grow and promote the next generation of C-suite talent.

As Founder & CEO of WestRiver Group—a thematically driven investment platform that funds and builds companies across the global innovation economy, and Vice Chairman of Topgolf Callaway Brands, Erik has led and scaled some of the most iconic and forward-looking brands in sports, tech,and entertainment. Under his leadership, Topgolf became a globalphenomenon, reimagining how people connect through play. He’s also a recognized visionary at Singularity University, where he helps organizations embrace exponential technologies to tackle complex global challenges.

Ram Charan, world-renowned business advisor, has spent decades inside boardrooms guiding CEOs and leadership teams through transformative decisions. Fortune calls him "the most influential consultant alive," and for good reason - his insights on leadership, strategy, and talent development have shaped the course of global businesses. Joining him in conversation is Kevin O’Neill, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Acertitude, a firm dedicated to unleashing human potential through executive search. Together, they delve into the forces shaping today’s business landscape and what separates great leaders from the rest.

From professional basketball to private equity, Rob Delaney's journey is as diverse as it is impressive. Now Managing Director at Carrick Capital Partners, a growth-oriented investment firm, he is laser-focused on helping entrepreneurs scale their software and tech-enabled services companies, with a keen eye on the payments space.In this dynamic episode of the Brilliant People Podcast, Rob joins host Linnea Jungnelius, Global Head of Marketing & Strategy at Acertitude, to unpack:-Focusing on the critical few factors that move the needle in business-Building unshakable trust with management teams-Carrick's value creation playbook, showcased through DailyPay's meteoric rise-The role of artificial intelligence in private equity and portfolio companies-Maintaining peak performance and keeping your “monster" in check

Mark Fiske, seasoned marketeer and master of digital, is Operating Partner and Head of Digital Transformation at H.I.G. Capital, one of the largest and most influential private equity firms in the middle market, managing $65 billion in capital across a portfolio of over 100 companies. In his role, Mark drives the digital transformation strategy and co-leads the Generative AI practice, partnering with portfolio management to accelerate value creation. Before making his mark in PE, Mark led the marketing teams at fast-growing powerhouse brands like Ancestry and Credit Karma.In our latest episode of the Brilliant People Podcast, Mark joins host Linnea Jungnelius, Global Head of Marketing & Strategy at Acertitude, to explore:-The evolution of the operating partner role and its impact on growth-Proven marketing strategies for driving scale and success-Navigating the shifting landscape of the modern CMO-Harnessing Generative AI as a powerful tool for value creation

Ben Humphreys is a Senior Operating Executive at Monomoy Capital Partners, a private investment firm focused on the middle market. The firm recently closed Fund V, exceeding its initial $1.6 billion target to close at an admirable $2.25 billion.Ben has journeyed through many of the world's elite organizations, including investment firms like BlackRock and Cerberus along with enterprises like General Electric.Leveraging rich experience as both operator and operating partner, Ben takes a hands-on approach to partner with portfolio management and transform companies at Monomoy.On this episode of the Brilliant People Podcast, Linnea Jungnelius, Global Head of Marketing & Strategy at Acertitude, sat down with Ben to share his toolkit approach to value creation. The show covers Ben’s strategic frameworks for organizational change, recruiting winning leaders, building strong partnerships, and what allows him to show up and be his best self.

Jerry Hughes is the Director of Commercial Excellence at American Securities, a leading private equity firm in the U.S. with $27 billion in committed capital. With typical equity investment ranging from $300-700 million, Jerry has the exciting remit of scaling sizeable industry players and capturing market share.With a career that’s revolved around the persistent pursuit of growth, Jerry has the tested ideas and tools that strengthen sales and marketing capabilities – and achieve business results.On this episode of the Brilliant People Podcast, Linnea Jungnelius, Global Head of Marketing & Strategy at Acertitude, was priviledged to sit down with Jerry to share some of those with you.The show also covers the American Securities approach to value creation, Jerry’s views on the big value unlock of AI in sales, and what inspires him to work and live life to the fullest.

Dominic is Managing Director and Head of Digital & AI at Bridgepoint, Europe’s leading middle-market growth investor with €43 billion euro of assets under management. As part of the Operational Support Group, he is a force for advancing digital, dispersing collective wisdom, building brands, and driving growth.

David Acharya is the Managing Partner of Acharya Capital Partners, a New York City-based PE firm that buys and grows lower middle market companies.He discovered his passion for the independent sponsor model after progressing over 25 years as a private equity investor with a fund, and investment banker on Wall Street, thriving in the pace of change, alignment, and impact that he's able to bring forth. David also serves on the Board of ACG Global, the community for middle market deal-making.

Over the last 20 years, Farhan shaped and pioneered some of the most visible and successful digital transformations in the consumer and financialsectors, holding leadership positions with Ahold Delhaize, McDonald’s, Bank of America, and Target.As chief digital officer of Ahold, he cracked the code on digital change for its 20 brands. It’s no surprise that when Ahold acquired FreshDirect, he was asked to serve as interim CEO and pivoted the company from survival mode to growth mode. Farhan took the private equity plunge in 2021, today an operating partner at BayPine, a private equity firm with an unrelenting focus on modernization that invests in core-economy, market-leading businesses. His rare vantage point from holding roles as Operating Partner, CEO, and Chief Digital Officer give him an edge in delivering digital capital and guiding portfolio leaders.