Jobs at PE backed companies

Hi guys, my apologies in advance if the topic is not related to this forum. I couldn't find a better place to post it.

I have 20+ years experience in Semiconductor industry, most recently a senior director at a $200B+ company.

For the second half of my career, I would like to take a general management role with a significant P&L responsibility. I was told that a medium sized PE backed company (e.g. $1B market cap) might be a good option.

A few basic questions: 1. Is my assumption valid that I can get a leadership role in a PE backed company? 2. If so, what kind of people at PE companies are engaged in leadership planning activities? 3. How do I identify and reach out to those people? What might be a key selling point (beyond my expertise in an industry)?

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

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1) yes - as a Sr. Director at a company that size your experience probably translates to at least a VP level role at a Portfolio Company. Equity should be part of your comp package.

2) typically, the deal team leading the investment will begin to start recruiting for leadership roles while under LOI. There is always ongoing need for new roles/replacement post acquisition. Either way, they typically hire headhunters to fill these roles, so you will want to get on the headhunters radar.

3) lookup PE firms that have done deals in your particular industry segment - almost all PE firms post what industries they invest in and current & prior investments. They also post the profiles of their Investment Professionals - so find the ones that lead the deals that are relevant to your industry and reach out for an intro chat.

 

A recruiter who specializes in hiring for PE portcos recently recorded a webcast on this topic.

"I don't know how to explain to you that you should care about other people."
 

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