Private equity / CEO search
The sponsor-backed CEO search.
A founder steps back, a platform needs a builder, or a plan needs a reset. Each one is a different CEO.
A sponsor-backed CEO search finds a chief executive who can lead a private equity owned company and deliver the investment plan on the sponsor's timeline. Steward Well runs these searches for portfolio companies from $50M to $500M, led by a partner, with a calibrated shortlist in 21 days.
What kinds of CEO searches do sponsors run?
- Founder transition. The founder sells and steps into a board seat or out of the business.
- Platform build. The sponsor plans add-ons and needs a CEO who can buy and integrate.
- Reset. The plan has slipped and the board needs a new leader mid-hold.
- Exit preparation. The company needs a CEO buyers will trust in a sale.
What makes a good sponsor-backed CEO?
A sponsor-backed CEO runs a company and a plan at the same time. They need to work well with a board that meets often and asks hard questions. They need to know their numbers as well as their CFO does.
The best candidates have done it before, inside a sponsor's hold period, and can tell you what went wrong as clearly as what went right. We push for that story in every interview.
Why should the CFO and CEO searches be planned together?
The CEO and CFO run the plan as a pair. If you hire both in the same year, the order matters. A new CEO will want a say in the CFO. A strong CFO already in place can steady a new CEO's first months.
We help sponsors plan the sequence. Sometimes that means pausing one search so the other hire can weigh in. See our portfolio CFO search page for the finance side.
How do you handle a founder who is stepping back?
With respect. Founders built the thing the sponsor bought. A good transition keeps their knowledge and their relationships inside the company.
We talk with the founder early, with the sponsor's blessing. We make sure the new CEO and the founder can work together for the overlap period, before an offer goes out.
How does a Steward Well search run?
- Discovery. A partner meets the owner, the board or sponsor, and the team the leader will inherit.
- A written success profile. What this person must have done by month twelve, agreed before we call anyone.
- An original market map. Built for your seat, not pulled from a stack of resumes.
- A calibrated shortlist in 21 days. Qualified, interested and assessed against the profile.
- Scored interviews, deep references and offer support. The search closes in 45 to 90 days.
- Twelve months of check-ins, backed by a written 12-month guarantee.
A partner runs every step. You never get handed to a junior team after the pitch. See the full approach.
Questions buyers ask first
Do you run CEO searches outside private equity?
Our CEO work is mostly for sponsor-backed companies. For founder-led businesses, we more often search for the CFO and the leaders around the CEO.
How do you assess a CEO candidate?
Against a written success profile tied to the investment plan. We score structured interviews and take references beyond the list the candidate gives us.
How long does a CEO search take?
We commit in writing to a calibrated shortlist in 21 days and a completed search in 45 to 90 days.
What if the new CEO doesn't work out?
Every retained placement carries a written 12-month guarantee. If the hire does not last twelve months, we run the search again on the terms in the engagement letter.
See where your search stands before it starts.
The readiness diagnostic takes two minutes. It shows the gaps that slow a search down. When you're ready, a partner takes the first call.