Bespoke Partners’ ‘Search 2.0’ Process Delivers High-impact Executives to Private Equity Portfolio Companies

High-Performance Recruiting Places Transformative Leaders Who Drive Value Creation for Software Companies

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bespoke Partners, a leading provider of retained executive search and leadership advisory services, today announced that its Search 2.0 process has produced industry-leading results in recruiting high-impact leaders for private equity portfolio companies.

Search 2.0 is Bespoke’s comprehensive data-driven approach to executive search that holistically links leader recruiting to a private equity firm’s value creation plan to achieve an investment thesis.

Developed over the past decade, the Search 2.0 process has resulted in:

• 30 percent cut in portfolio company hold periods thanks to high-impact finance leader placements.
• 97 percent executive placement success rate.
• Hundreds of exits, M&A events and other strategic growth initiatives led by Bespoke-placed leaders.
• Highly accelerated search time for key positions, typically half of the average search time using traditional methods.
• 100 percent repeat customer engagements among tier 1 clients.

What is Search 2.0?

With state-of-the-art assessment tools and Bespoke’s unmatched industry network, Search 2.0:

• Maps executive position requirements to the investment thesis to pinpoint organization changes and leadership needs.
• Utilizes unique data-driven techniques for faster search that places transformative leaders typically within the first 100 days of a private equity acquisition.
• Results in First Time Right recruiting of leaders who are the best fit for an organization and executive team.

“The first 100 days after a new portfolio company is acquired are critical,” said Bespoke CEO Kristie Nova. “To achieve or exceed an investment thesis, the portfolio company needs to execute on the value creation plan as quickly as possible. Our Search 2.0 process is the industry’s first search methodology to employ data-driven assessments to map leadership recruiting to the portfolio company value creation plan.”

Heart of Search 2.0: The FIT Profile

The centerpiece of Search 2.0 is Bespoke’s FIT Profile, a candidate and company evaluation framework offered via Bespoke’s Leadership Advisory Practice.

The FIT Profile accelerates identification and placement of executives who are the right fit for the company and investment thesis. It includes:

• Leadership Capacity Inventory: Comprehensive assessment of a candidate’s leadership strengths and weaknesses, with Deep Validation, the industry’s most in-depth backchannel reference checking.
• Organizational Strength Index: Data-driven appraisal of the candidate’s fit with the organization and potential to execute on the value creation plan.
• Executive Leadership Team Analysis: Evaluation of the leadership team’s skills and gaps to determine a candidate’s ability to complement strengths and raise execution to a new level.

“Leadership changes for a portfolio company need to take place as quickly as possible to set it on the path to the investment thesis,” said Bespoke President Eric Walczykowski. “But the costs of a mis-hire can be extreme and can actually permanently derail the value creation plan. Our Search 2.0 and FIT Profile enable searches to be conducted with lightning speed and efficiency while placing the right leaders.”

“There is a science to identifying strengths and gaps in a company’s leadership and assessing the leaders who are the best fit for that company,” said David Shpiz, Managing Partner of Bespoke’s Leadership Advisory Practice. “Our searches and leadership advisory services significantly decrease the risk that human capital issues will derail value creation and growth plans that support the investment thesis.”

Working with Bespoke

Search 2.0 and the FIT Profile feature prominently in three search programs now available from Bespoke:

• Transformative CEO & Board Recruiting Program: For portfolio companies whose CEO is departing or who need other top leaders, Bespoke brings its data-driven approach and a dedicated team to finding CEOs, board members, general managers and other top leaders who will drive a company to the value creation target.
• First Time Right CFO Recruiting Program: Bespoke has an unparalleled track record in placing transformative finance leaders who know how to maximize margins, streamline operations and set portfolio companies on the right growth path. Bespoke’s dedicated CFO recruiting team completes a CFO placement in typically half the industry average time.
• Human Capital Acceleration Program: During the crucial first 100 days after a private equity acquisition, Bespoke can transform the leadership team of a company and provide accelerated onboarding to enable newly placed executives to start delivering value on day one. Learn more: https://bespokepartners.com/human-capital-acceleration-first-100-days/

Visit bespokepartners.com to learn how Search 2.0 can transform portfolio company leadership.

About Bespoke Partners

Bespoke Partners is a retained executive search and leadership advisory firm dedicated to partnering with leading private equity firms, including Thoma Bravo, Francisco Partners, Clearlake Capital, WCAS, GI Partners, Apax Partners, CVC Capital Partners, and TA Associates, to recruit software talent and assess and evaluate teams at every stage of the investment lifecycle, from growth equity to buyout. Bespoke Partners’ search expertise includes all C-Level searches, as well as Board of Directors and internal private equity Operating Partner searches. Bespoke’s leadership advisory expertise includes organizational due diligence as well as executive assessment, onboarding and coaching. Bespoke Partners has offices in San Diego and Austin. For more information, please visit: www.bespokepartners.com.