The Private Equity Podcast, by Raw Selection
Hosted by Alex Rawlings, Managing Partner of Raw Selection, a specialist executive search firm. Join us as we interview the leading experts in Private Equity, unlocking their secrets of success to share with you. Discover how some of the top Private Equity professionals got into Private Equity, how they rose to success and learn about some of the mistakes they made along the way. Alex has strong connections to the Private Equity industry through his executive search firm, Raw Selection, which specialises in working with Private Equity firms and their portfolio companies across Europe and North America. Alex is straight talking and to the point and aims to unlock real gold you can build into your firm or portfolio companies. Find out more at www.raw-selection.com
Episodes
Alex Rawlings speaks with Nigel Green on why private equity firms struggle with organic growth and how better hiring, faster execution, and customer focus can unlock value.
⏱️ Timestamps & Key Takeaways
00:00 – Introduction
Nigel’s background and advisory focus
00:29 – Career Highlights
- Two successful exits before 30
- Now advising PE-backed companies on growth
01:34 – Biggest PE Mistake
- Weak commercial operators
- ...
Alex Rawlings speaks with Jeff Helfgott, CEO of Boardroom Salon, about scaling PE-backed multi-unit businesses. They discuss talent strategy, retention, resilience, and how to turn operational fixes into sustainable growth.
⏱️ Key Timestamps
00:00 – Introduction & Jeff’s Background
From barbershop beginnings to PE-backed CEO.
01:04 – Common PE Mistakes
Overlooking talent strategy during diligence.
02:11 – Talent Assessmen...
Mike Esposito shares his journey from a 30-year career at Goldman Sachs to co-founding Franchise Equity Partners, highlighting their differentiated approach to private equity through franchising and multi-unit retail investing.
⏱️ Key Timestamps
00:00 – Introduction
00:30 – Career background and transition to PE
01:45 – Pitfalls of “me-too” PE strategies
03:13 – Leaving Goldman Sachs during COVID
04:41 – Advisory ...
Guest: Meg Pogue, Founder, Mission Squared
Host: Alex Rawlings
Meg Pogue joins Alex to discuss the psychology behind change in private equity-backed businesses. A former CEO who scaled her company from 2 to 95 employees, Meg now works with executive teams to navigate transformation, cultural friction, and the human dynamics of growth and acquisitions.
The conversation explores why acquisitions and major transformations often trig...
Guest: David Williams, CEO, Advantage Services Group (ASG)
Host: Alex Rawlings
David Williams joins Alex to share how he transitioned from consulting into entrepreneurship through acquisition — and scaled a home services platform to $100m+ in revenue in just five years.
Since acquiring his first HVAC business in Oregon during COVID, David has completed 10 acquisitions, expanded into three states, and grown organically at ~20% an...
In this episode, Alex Rawlings speaks with Andrew Sachs, Founder of Mauloa, about why he believes the traditional private equity model is fundamentally flawed — and what a long-term alternative looks like.
After starting his career at Morgan Stanley Capital Partners, Andrew built Mauloa around a simple philosophy: no excessive leverage, no forced exits, and a focus on compounding cash flow over decades.
Mauloa takes minority stakes (...
In this episode, Alex sits down with Peter Rossi, a UK-based CTO with 25+ years in technology and 15 years in commercial leadership. From running trackside IT at McLaren to leading 22 acquisitions in a PE-backed group, Peter shares hard-earned lessons on growth, integration, and operating under pressure.
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 – Introduction & career overview
00:28 – Life at McLaren & high-performance environments
01:2...
In this episode, host Alex Rawlings welcomes James Carver, a seasoned CFO with two private equity-backed exits under his belt. James shares his unique journey from the trading desk to executive leadership, and unpacks valuable lessons from navigating complex M&A deals, ESOP sales, and private equity integrations.
⏱️ Episode Highlights
00:00 – Intro & Background
James shares his career path from stock analysis to FP&A...
Episode Overview:
In this episode, Alex Rawlings speaks with Richard Fitzgerald of CapitalSpring, a private equity firm specializing in foodservice and multi-location consumer businesses. Richard shares insights into CapitalSpring’s differentiated, sector-focused approach, how they’ve scaled over 20 years, and the recent $1B+ exit to Bain Capital. He also unpacks their latest fundraising success in a tough market and the importance ...
🎧 Episode Summary:
In this episode, Alex Rawlings speaks with Chris Sznewajs of Pacific Avenue Capital Partners about building a private equity firm focused on complex corporate carve-outs and businesses owned by “unnatural owners.” Chris shares how Pacific Avenue identifies overlooked assets, drives value through operational focus, and recently expanded into Europe with a team-first approach.
He dives into the lessons from bu...
In this episode, Alex Rawlings is joined by Alex Sabel, Vice President at THL Partners, to explore how the firm is embracing AI across its operations and portfolio. Alex leads THL’s research function and AI strategy, bringing a data-driven, quant mindset to private equity.
He shares how THL uses AI internally to improve investment workflows, how portfolio companies are deploying AI to drive product innovation and efficiency, and wha...
In this episode, Giovanni Zangani joins Alex Rawlings to share insights from operating in Vietnam’s emerging private equity landscape. As Managing Partner at Maestro Equity Partners, Giovanni discusses the firm’s hands-on approach to investing in consumer and F&B businesses, the challenges of deal execution in emerging markets, and why local understanding is critical to success.
⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro to Giovanni & Maes...
In this episode, Sam and Taavo from CEO Advantage return to dive into the 5X CEO Assessment—a diagnostic tool developed from two years of research into top-performing private equity-backed CEOs who delivered 5x+ MOIC.
The conversation explores how the 5X model—comprised of Strategic Clarity, Scalable Talent, Relentless Focus, Disciplined Execution, and Energized Culture—is used not just as a conceptual framework, but as a practical ...
In this episode, Alex Rawlings is joined by Tim Schulte, Value Creation Partner at Council Capital, a Nashville-based private equity firm investing in healthcare businesses across tech-enabled services, outsourced services, and provider platforms.
Tim brings a unique blend of consulting, operational, and investing experience. He shares how Council Capital drives value creation through collaboration, leadership development, and a str...
🎧 Guest: Maxwell Nee – Chairman, Family Office Insider & Managing Partner, Black Mountain Capital
🌍 Episode Theme: 10X Deals, Market Gaps & Global Investing
In this episode, Alex Rawlings is joined by Maxwell Nee to explore how thinking bigger—10X bigger—can simplify investing and unlock outsized returns. Maxwell shares his 3-leg framework for identifying high-potential opportunities and dives into emerging trends acro...
In this powerful episode, Marc Adams shares his remarkable journey from a stage 4 cancer diagnosis to a full recovery—and how that experience inspired him to rethink private equity. Now leading Acquisitions for You, Marc helps business owners double their company’s value and cash out tax-free—without debt, dilution, or outside capital.
With 40+ years in leadership, IPOs, and M&A, Marc discusses his “Double and Keep It” framework...
Overview:
In this high-energy episode, Alex Rawlings is joined by Brad Pilcher, Partner and Co-Founder at Bonaccord Capital Partners, a leading mid-market GP Stakes investor. Brad shares his fascinating journey from aspiring concert pianist to private equity investor, and dives deep into how the private equity world is evolving — particularly around culture, capital, talent, and growth.
They explore how mid-market firms can scal...
In this episode, host Alex Rawlings speaks with Eric Wiklendt, Managing Director at SpeySide Equity, a private equity firm focused on lower middle-market manufacturing businesses.
Eric shares his “fix and build” value creation strategy, the key elements of successful human capital alignment, and why cost accounting is the hidden killer in many portfolio companies. With deep operational experience, Eric offers a grounded perspective ...
📍 Episode Overview:
Alex Rawlings welcomes Taavo Godtfredsen and Sam Allison, co-founders of Advantage CEO, to discuss insights from their two-year research study of over 50 private equity-backed CEOs who averaged 6.2x MOIC. They break down the habits, systems, and mindset that separate high-performing CEOs from the rest—and introduce their proven 5X CEO Model.
⏱️ Key Timestamps:
00:00 – Introductions
Taavo and Sam share t...
Note: The securities mentioned in this podcast are not considered a recommendation to buy or sell and once should not presume they will be profitable.
In this episode of The Private Equity Podcast, Alex Rawlings welcomes Scott Neuberger, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Karmel Capital, a private equity firm investing in late-stage software and AI companies. Scott shares deep insights into how Karmel Capital leverages AI within its...
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