Bespoke Partners, a leading provider of retained executive search and leadership advisory services for private equity-backed software companies, announced today that Founding Partner Kristie Nova will lead the firm’s dedicated practice placing high-impact Chief Executive Officers in private equity portfolio companies.

“I’m thrilled to return to my roots and lead our search practice to bring exceptional CEOs to our clients,” Kristie said. “The CEO plays the most critical role in driving portfolio company growth and achieving value creation objectives. Finding the most effective leader for that role has never been more important than in today’s challenging economic climate.”

Kristie founded Bespoke Partners in 2011 and grew the firm into the premier human capital advisory partner for private equity firms investing in the growth and middle market software sector. As private equity firms have raised record-breaking funds in recent years, Bespoke likewise has expanded its executive network and search expertise to address leadership needs for companies across the private equity spectrum, from growth to middle market to large cap.

In doing so, the Bespoke team has developed unique insights into the types of chief executives who can lead a portfolio company to achieve an investment thesis.

“Kristie provides exceptional search leadership that will enable us to fast-track the recruiting and placement of CEOs who understand how to inspire teams and grow businesses despite today’s uncertain economic conditions,” said Eric Walczykowski, Bespoke’s Chief Executive Officer. “We are excited to partner with private equity firms to bring their portfolio companies CEOs who win.”

“A key trend we are seeing is demand for CEOs who know how to orchestrate capital-efficient growth in their companies,” Kristie added. “Strategies pursued in the past to ‘grow at all costs’ are no longer viable when economic headwinds make capital more expensive and reduce access to funding. We have a network of CEOs with proven ability to lead companies to grow profitably.”

Bespoke Partners places on average three CEOs per quarter in the portfolio companies of top tier private equity firms. Bespoke-placed CEOs have gone on to lead companies to multiple acquisitions, high-growth market expansion, and numerous successful exits with valuations of more than $1 billion, generating many multiples in enterprise value. Examples of firms that excelled under the leadership of Bespoke-placed CEOs include Brightly, Provation, Quest and Therapy Brands.

Bespoke’s sector expertise and leadership assessment methodology allow the firm to identify leaders who have the greatest potential for success in a role and to recruit them in typically half the industry average time. The company boasts a 99% placement success rate.

“Our experience with recruiting top leaders enables us to comprehensively analyze the technical skills and leadership behaviors that will make a CEO successful in a given company,” Kristie said. “Then our unmatched network of CEOs with outstanding private equity track records permits us to quickly identify and engage the leaders who will be the best fit.”

About Bespoke Partners

Bespoke Partners is a leading firm focused exclusively on executive recruiting and leadership advisory services for private equity-backed software companies.

More than 90% of the most active private equity software investors in the US have relied on Bespoke for leadership recruiting and advisory. Bespoke transformed leadership at portfolio companies achieving buyout transactions totaling more than $25 billion in 2021 alone.

Bespoke’s unique, data-driven services complete searches in typically half the industry average time with a 99% placement success rate.

The firm partners with more than 70 top tier private equity firms, providing human capital services that accelerate execution of value creation plans, cut the risk of mis-hiring, and empower leadership to achieve the investment thesis.

To learn more visit bespokepartners.com.

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