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We believe you need exceptional talent with unique skills and attributes to maximize your returns. We call this Private Equity DNA™.

To define Private Equity DNA™ we worked with our clients and the academic research of Professor Steven Kaplan, at Chicago's Booth School of Business, to identify the key characteristics that indicate success.

Our team has completed hundreds of searches for the most demanding and successful private equity investors and CEOs. Starting with your Investment Thesis, we identify the leadership insights and know-how that are pivotal to your investment success, creating what we call your Leadership Thesis™. We then deliver with speed and rigor.

We are proud of our track record of delivering for our clients:

  • 77% of our assignments support Private Equity investors appointing Chief Executives.

  • We have worked for 50% of the top 25 Private Equity funds.

  • We have 90% repeat business.

  • We have 97% success rate.

  • 60% of our Partners have worked in Private Equity backed businesses.

  • 90% of our assignments support Private Equity investors appointing Board Chairs, Chief Executives, and their Direct Reports.

WE HELP PRIVATE EQUITY PARTNERS INVEST IN, GROW, & EXIT THEIR PORTFOLIO COMPANIES. WE SUPPORT YOU IN APPOINTING BOARD CHAIRS, CHIEF EXECUTIVES, & DIRECT REPORTS WITH PRIVATE EQUITY DNA™.

INVESTORS

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Distressed & Special Situations

Venture & Growth Capital

Buyout

ALL STAGES

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INVEST

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GROW

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EXIT

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Tech Media & Telecoms

ALL SECTORS

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Consumer

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Industrial & Energy

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Healthcare

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Business Services

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Financial Services

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INVESTMENT THESIS TO LEADERSHIP THESIS

A fully-developed Leadership Thesis™ is the key to appointing the Chief Executive and senior executive team that will deliver the results expected in your Investment Thesis.

The Leadership Thesis™ simply captures the strategic and operational deliverables that your leadership team must achieve, in order to exceed your Investment Thesis.

Assessing, developing or replacing the team should always start with a question: Do they have the skills, experience and track record to achieve the Investment Thesis?

Have they proven they can do it?

Do they have Private Equity DNA™?

50% OF CHIEF EXECUTIVES IN PRIVATE EQUITY BACKED COMPANIES FAIL. TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE IT BETTER!

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PRIVATE EQUITY DNA IS KEY

IN OUR EXPERIENCE, ONLY 10% OF HIGH PERFORMING EXECUTIVES HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO SUCCEED IN PRIVATE EQUITY.

Appointing the right Chair and Chief Executive is key in private equity backed companies. The right leader and team will drive significantly better returns. At Vardis we search for Private Equity DNA™.

Research by Professor Steven Kaplan, at Chicago’s Booth School of Business, analyzed common interview results from hundreds of CEOs hired to lead private equity portfolio companies. Factor analysis was used to relate their characteristics to investment results.

Three critical CEO success factors stand out. 

CEOs rating higher than their peers on these characteristics more than double the likelihood of success: Persistence, Proactivity, and Efficiency

We call this Private Equity DNA™.

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