

Private Equity Funcast
Jim Milbery and Devin Mathews
Hosted by Devin Mathews and Jim Milbery, partners at ParkerGale Capital, a middle-market private equity group. This bi-weekly show is a lively discussion of the uses of technology to improve business operations for companies with less than $100 million in revenue.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 5, 2021 • 46min
Software Buyout Lingo Explained
Devin is back with Ben Falloon and Cass Ziebel to talk about software buyout lingo. The trio revisits past popular episodes with all new "lingo" updates. Sit back and enjoy, and there just might even be a lesson or two to learn in between all the laughing (or is that crying?).

Jul 21, 2021 • 43min
Selling a Portfolio Company
Jim and Devin are back together on this latest episode, talking about Exits for portfolio companies. How do we time our exits? Do we get unsolicited offers or do we take them to market? When does management get involved? These are just a few of the questions that we answer on this latest episode.

Jul 15, 2021 • 51min
What Makes a Good Board Member with Jason Heltzer
Another conversation with Jason Heltzer, Managing Partner at Origin Ventures and a Chicago Booth professor in the second of a three-part series on Board Meetings. In part two we talk about ideal board members -- and the not-so-ideal board members.

Jul 8, 2021 • 37min
Talking Shop with Kelly Cornelis from LaSalle Capital
Partner Kristine Heinze talks with Kelly Cornelis, Partner and COO of LaSalle Capital, a long time friend of ParkerGale. Kelly talks about her journey clawing her way into Private Equity, and her experiences as a founding member of Chicago Women in Private Equity.

Jun 24, 2021 • 1h 4min
Software Buyouts in Germany
Devin sits down with Christoph Jost and Peter Waleczek, the founders of Berlin-based software buyout fund Flex Capital. Christoph and Peter started as tech entrepreneurs prior to founding Flex and they discuss their process of raising their first fund, what they look for in a deal, how they source companies, and what they do with them after the acquisition. They also talk about the similarities and differences between the US and German tech buyout market.

Jun 17, 2021 • 39min
Why NPS is one of the most important metrics we track as a PE firm
The ultimate question: "On a scale of 0-10, with 10 being very likely, how likely are you to recommend us to a friend or colleague?" Operating Principal Cici Zheng talks with Jessica Pfeifer, General Manager and Co-Founder of Wootric, an InMoment Company about Net Promoter Scores (NPS) and why it's the ultimate question to help measure customer loyalty. In this episode, we cover what NPS is, the benchmarks for a good NPS score, and most importantly, why we think it's important from both the portfolio company and private equity firm perspective. We discuss how ParkerGale uses NPS throughout the lifecycle of an investment, from due diligence, during our hold period, and prior to the sale of a company. We also share some of the key takeaways that our portfolio companies have learned when it comes to implementing a program, whether it's learning how to close the loop on the customer feedback or how it can help prioritize decision making across all functional areas.

Jun 8, 2021 • 1h 11min
The Case for 1st Time CEOs
Devin sits down with Jordan Brugg, the Head of Private Equity at SpencerStuart to discuss his research on whether repeat or first-time CEOs outperform over the long-term. You might be surprised with the findings. Devin and Jordan dive deep into the study, talk about CEO assessment, and offer some tips for people looking for their first CEO job running a PE-backed company.

May 26, 2021 • 57min
The Board Perspective of People Operations
Jimmy is joined by Dave Kellogg, Board Member of a couple ParkerGale companies and writer of the Kellblog. The two discuss a classic post from Dave's Kellblog - A Missive To Human Resources, where Dave argues that HR exists to "Help Managers Manage." The two dissect the pithy purpose, discuss common pitfalls People Ops leaders fall into, and share examples when People Ops leaders really shine.

May 19, 2021 • 52min
CEO Interview - Todd Dauchy from SMA Technologies
Our newest portfolio company CEO, Todd Dauchy, sits down with Principal Kevin Fitzgerald to talk about his journey from being CTO to the CEO seat.

May 7, 2021 • 33min
WomenHack: Helping Diverse People Get Hired in Tech
Partner Kristina Heinze talks with Lisa Hudson -- Director of Global Events for WomenHack. Its mission is to promote gender equality in tech and help people get hired at companies committed to diversity in the workplace across 125+ cities around the world. Kristina and Lisa talk about WomenHack's approach and Lisa's wide range of experience working all over the world. So come have a listen and use the promo code "PARKERGALE" to get a 15% discount on upcoming WomenHack Events.


