Building high-performing leadership teams in private equity

An interview with Monika Dowal, a senior vice president at Finatal, on how private equity firms build and keep management teams as hold periods lengthen and value creation plans change. She covers the traits that distinguish strong management teams, why CEO and CFO alignment matters for execution, and how operating partners can assess leadership and spot talent gaps. The conversation also takes in the difficulty of attracting and retaining executives over extended holds.

1. Longer hold periods and evolving value creation strategies are making management team building and retention more complex.
2. CEO and CFO alignment is presented as essential to executing value creation plans.
3. Operating partners are described as assessing leadership capabilities and identifying talent gaps.
4. Changing investment timelines and market conditions are reshaping what firms need from leadership.