Private Equity Funcast

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.

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.

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.

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.  

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.  

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.

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.

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.

Jim spends an hour with Jason Heltzer, Managing Partner at Origin Ventures and a Chicago Booth professor in the first of a three-part series on Board Meetings. This series germinated from Jason's tweetstorm on the elements of a healthy board. In part one, we talk about the board deck itself, in parts two and three we'll discuss board members and the actual board meeting.

Jimmy is joined by Ted Bililies, Managing Partner at AlixPartners, to share the results of the Sixth Annual Private Equity Leadership Survey, which focuses on leading investments during times of disruption. They discuss the top priorities for generating value, the increased focus on human capital due diligence, and the evolving role of leadership when managing through disruption.