Acquisition & leadership transition
Recruit leaders for newly acquired businesses, planned succession and confidential replacements. Define what needs to change, what should be preserved and how the incoming executive will work with ownership.
EXECUTIVE RECRUITING FOR INVESTORS & THEIR PORTFOLIO COMPANIES
The right leadership
for your next investment.
From a newly acquired business to a company preparing for its next stage of growth, the leadership decision matters. Ghali Asad helps private equity firms, venture capital investors and portfolio companies recruit CEOs, COOs, CFOs, vice presidents and directors across the United States.
21 years of executive search experience · Cross-industry perspective · Personally led relationships
21 yearsIn executive search
C-suite to directorLeadership hiring across functions
NationwidePortfolio company searches across the U.S.
WHERE WE FIT
Leadership hiring across
the investment lifecycle.
A single critical hire or several leadership searches. An established platform or a newly backed company. The mandate sets the direction.
Portfolio company performance
Find executives who can address the company’s actual operating priorities: financial discipline, margin improvement, commercial growth, talent development and stronger management systems.
Platform & add-on integration
Recruit operators and functional leaders for multi-location businesses, new platforms and acquisition integration. Evaluate experience building repeatable processes across teams, sites and business units.
VC-backed growth
Support founder-led businesses as they build the executive team for their next stage. Focus on the transition from hands-on execution to scalable operations, with attention to runway, resources and founder dynamics.
Succession & confidential search
Plan a leadership change with controlled outreach and a clear disclosure strategy. Align on who needs to know, when identities can be shared and how candidate conversations should be handled.
Multiple leadership hires
Coordinate CEO, finance, operations, commercial and director-level searches around one business plan. Account for reporting relationships, hiring sequence and the complementary capabilities the team needs.
EXECUTIVE & FUNCTIONAL LEADERSHIP
Build the team that
moves the business forward.
Scope, scale and company stage matter as much as the title. We define the role before defining the candidate list.
CEO & President
Enterprise leadership aligned with ownership, the board and the company’s next chapter.
Growth strategy · Founder transitions · AccountabilityCOO & Operations
Operators who can translate priorities into execution across people, processes and locations.
Operational scale · Integration · Multi-site leadershipCFO & Finance
Finance leadership suited to the reporting, planning and decision-making needs of an investor-backed business.
FP&A · Cash visibility · Reporting · Finance infrastructureCommercial Leadership
Executives and leaders who can build a disciplined approach to revenue and customer growth.
CRO · VP Sales · Marketing · Business developmentPeople & Technology
Leaders who strengthen the organization and the systems supporting its growth.
CHRO · VP HR · CTO · CIO · Product & engineering leadershipVPs & Directors
Functional leaders who turn strategy into daily execution and create depth beneath the C-suite.
Finance · Operations · Supply chain · Construction · Regional leadershipCROSS-INDUSTRY COVERAGE
Different businesses.
The same need for the right leader.
Ghali has worked with private equity firms across most major industries. Each search combines that broader perspective with research into the specific market, business model and operating environment.
Technology & Software
SaaS, technology-enabled services and growth businesses.
Manufacturing & Industrial
Production, distribution, supply chain and industrial services.
Hospitality & Food Service
Hotels, restaurants and multi-unit operating businesses.
Retail & Consumer
Store networks, consumer businesses and omnichannel operations.
Construction & Building Services
Contractors, specialty trades and field-service businesses.
Healthcare Services
Provider organizations and healthcare service platforms.
Business & Professional Services
Service businesses with client, talent and operational complexity.
Other Portfolio Businesses
Search scope shaped around your industry and leadership requirements.
WHY WORK WITH GHALI
Executive search built around
your investment priorities.
The goal is a relevant shortlist with a clear rationale for each introduction—and a search partner who understands the decision.
A mandate beyond the job description
Start with the business situation: ownership expectations, growth plans, operating constraints and the outcomes required of the hire. Translate those priorities into a focused search brief.
Evidence beyond a recognizable employer
Examine what the executive personally owned, the scale of the business and the conditions behind their results. Distinguish experience maintaining a mature organization from experience building or changing one.
Investor, founder & executive alignment
Explore expectations around autonomy, board communication, decision-making and pace. Make the working relationship part of the assessment, especially during an ownership or leadership transition.
Relationship access plus targeted research
Draw on relationships developed over 21 years in executive search, then build a targeted market map. Engage relevant passive candidates with a credible explanation of the opportunity.
One relationship across the leadership team
Work directly with Ghali, supported by his recruiting group and national network. Connect senior executive hiring with the VP and director talent needed to make the leadership team effective.
Candid feedback while there is time to act
Discuss candidate response, compensation expectations, location constraints and potential friction as the search progresses. Use weekly updates to make informed adjustments rather than wait for the final shortlist.
THE SEARCH PROCESS
Define the outcome.
Find the leader.
A disciplined process that keeps the investor, hiring team and candidates aligned from kickoff through transition.
Align on the mandate
Agree on business priorities, essential experience, decision-makers, compensation, equity expectations, location and confidentiality. Define what success should look like in the first year.
Map & engage the market
Identify relevant companies, ownership environments and executives. Combine relationship-led introductions with targeted research and thoughtful outreach to passive talent.
Assess & present
Explore scope, results, motivation and fit for the operating environment. Present a focused shortlist with the rationale, expectations and questions that need further validation.
Guide the decision & transition
Coordinate interviews and feedback, support offer discussions and maintain communication through the start. Align the final reference process with your hiring priorities.
Weekly search updates · Market feedback · Engagement terms agreed around the search scope
Ghali AsadExecutive recruiter · New York City · Nationwide searches
YOUR SEARCH PARTNER
21 years of relationships.
A business owner’s perspective.
Ghali Asad brings 21 years of executive search experience to leadership hiring for private equity firms, venture capital investors and their portfolio companies. His work spans major industries and leadership roles, including CEOs, COOs, CFOs, vice presidents and directors.
Having founded and operated his own recruiting business, Ghali understands that a senior hire is a business decision with consequences for the entire team. His approach connects the search to the company’s priorities, the realities of the market and the conditions a leader needs to succeed.
Based in New York City, Ghali works with his recruiting group and a national network to reach executives across the United States. Clients work directly with him on search strategy, candidate discussions and decisions along the way.
Personally led
Direct involvement and clear ownership of the relationship.
National reach
Searches shaped around location, relocation and the business’s needs.
PE & VC REQUIRE DIFFERENT LENSES
The company’s stage
changes the search.
An executive can have an impressive track record and still be wrong for the mandate. We look at the context in which they will need to perform.
For private equity investors
Focus on the operating plan, board expectations, financial discipline, integration requirements and the transition from prior ownership. Relevant investor-backed experience is assessed alongside the executive’s actual responsibilities and results.
For venture capital investors
Focus on company stage, founder collaboration, product and commercial maturity, resource constraints and the ability to build. The search considers whether the leader can operate at today’s scale while preparing the organization for what comes next.
For portfolio company leaders
Translate the investor’s objectives into a practical role and an attractive opportunity. Align the CEO, board and functional team before outreach so candidates hear a consistent story.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Before we start a search.
Do you work directly with investors or with portfolio companies?
Both. A search can be sponsored by a private equity or venture capital firm, an operating partner, a board member, a founder or the portfolio company’s leadership. We establish the decision-makers and communication process at kickoff.
Can you help with leadership changes following an acquisition?
Yes. We support planned transitions, succession and confidential replacements. We can also recruit executives to work alongside existing leadership when continuity and additional capability are the priority.
Are searches limited to a particular industry or location?
No. Ghali works across major industries and supports searches throughout the United States. Each assignment defines the relevant sector experience, business scale, on-site requirements and relocation expectations.
Do you recruit below the C-suite?
Yes. Searches include vice presidents, directors and other leadership roles across finance, operations, sales, marketing, people, technology and industry-specific functions.
How do you evaluate fit for an investor-backed business?
We discuss the candidate’s experience with ownership, boards, accountability and organizational change, alongside their functional expertise. We examine the scale, resources and operating conditions behind their results and identify areas requiring deeper validation.
How do you handle compensation and equity expectations?
We align on the proposed package and surface candidate expectations early, including base salary, incentives, equity, vesting and relocation where relevant. The company and its advisers determine the final package and documentation.
How do you manage a confidential search?
We agree on the disclosure plan before outreach, including how the opportunity is described and when identities can be shared. Candidate interest is discussed before presentation, and sensitive information is shared on a need-to-know basis.
What are the timing and fee arrangements?
Timing depends on the mandate, market, compensation and decision process. We agree on a search plan, communication cadence and engagement terms in writing. We discuss retained, engagement-based or contingency options according to the role and scope.
LET’S TALK ABOUT THE BUSINESS
Your next investment.
Your next leader.
Planning an acquisition, strengthening a portfolio company or building the executive team for growth? Start with the business priorities and the leadership you need to deliver them.
Private equity executive search · VC portfolio recruiting · CEO, COO & CFO search · VP & director hiring
Speak directly with Ghali.
Share the role, the company’s stage and what the incoming leader needs to accomplish.
Start a conversation on LinkedInFor investors, operating partners, founders and portfolio company hiring leaders. Initial discussions can stay at the mandate level.Send an email directly to Ghali