Private Equity Talent Market Update (4Q 2025)

Spire Search Partners reveals talent market highlights in the PE sector for 4Q 2025.

Key Trends

After a quiet Q3, the end of Q4 saw a steady rise in hiring plans for Q1 ’26. Firms are quickly getting their heads around implementing AI for internal operational efficiency. A renewed focus on leveraging AI for value creation in portfolio companies is experiencing a surge.

Leadership, across the board, has become agile and adaptable to stay ahead of the curve, and staff have quickly realized it’s not the same world their parents or even their older siblings grew up in.

In 2026, identifying and securing these high-impact operators will be essential for strong management companies and portfolio performance.

The Constant Demand for PortCo CFOs

Hiring high-impact portco CFOs remains a major challenge – in many cases, it’s not about finding them or making an offer. The real difficulty is in “getting them over the line” or having an offer accepted. Not all portcos provide the same upside or opportunity, and the top CFOs have their pick. We see firms shifting, where it makes sense, to consider candidates at the next level down, such as Heads of Finance or FP&A. Companies are becoming more creative in sourcing and hiring CFOs from different but aligned industries, after years of over-indexing on 100% industry alignment. We’ve also seen an uptick in the use of interim/consulting CFOs, where appropriate, to hold the seat while a “longer than expected” search takes place.

Interim-to-Perm as a Risk Mitigation Tool

With the cost of a bad hire being higher than ever, Q4 saw a significant increase in the use of the interim-to-permanent strategy. Instead of rushing to select a permanent CFO or COO, firms are opting for high-caliber short-term executives to stabilize the company for 6–9 months. This approach allows private equity firms to continue advancing while ensuring the permanent candidate aligns well with the company’s culture and long-term goals.

The Rise of the AI Translator/Influencer

The conversation shifted from AI experimentation to enterprise-wide execution. However, the biggest bottleneck isn’t the technology; it’s the leadership gap. PE firms are aggressively seeking AI Translators to implement AI and to identify which value-creation milestones can be unlocked through automation and predictive analytics.

Bridging the AI Execution Gap: Key Insights from our CFO Roundtable

During our October PE CFO Roundtable, the conversation centered on redefining the CFO as an AI architect. CFOs are leveraging automation to scale, focusing on predictive portfolio insights and rapid document analysis. However, a significant cultural bottleneck remains: institutional knowledge. See our MEETING RECAP

Recent Searches

Director of Finance @ PE Mgmt. Co.
Director & VP of Portfolio Analytics (team build)
Director of Compliance
VP/Principal of Portfolio Operations (Generalist)
Principal/Partner – Portfolio Operations (GTM)
VP of Capital Markets
CFO – LMM Consumer Services Portco

Notable Market Moves

PE/VC CFO

Mark Garcia joins Battery Ventures (AUM $17.8bn) as a Finance Partner. He previously was the Senior Controller at Summit Partners.
Quiet Capital (AUM $2.5bn) appoints Adam Yee as Partner and Chief Financial Officer. He previously was Chief Financial Officer at GI Partners.
Soma Capital (AUM $1bn) appoints Joseph Landsman as the Chief Financial Officer. He comes from Camber Creek where he served as the Chief Financial Officer.
Mill Point Capital (AUM $3.6bn) promoted Brett Roeske to Deputy Chief Financial Officer. He previously was the Vice President and Controller.
Matthew Norris joins Chicago Pacific Founders (AUM $2.7bn) as the Chief Financial Officer. He comes from The Edgewater Funds where he served as the Chief Financial Officer, Chief Compliance Officer and Senior Partner.

Operating Partners and Execs

Evan Lorch joins Thoma Bravo as Operating Partner. He previously was the Chief Financial Officer at WebPT (backed by Warburg Pincus).
James Nouss joins Gemspring Capital as Managing Director of Portfolio Operations. He comes from TowerBrook Capital Partners, where he was a Senior Principal of Portfolio Group.
Brian Kelly joins Lightspeed (AUM $25bn) as Operating Partner. He previously was the Senior Vice President, Global GTM Strategy, Revenue Operations and Field Sales Specialists at Snowflake.
Greater Sum Ventures ($500mn) appoints John Cimba as Operating Partner. He comes from PropertyTek where he served as the Chief Executive Officer.
Deepak Batheja joins Lee Equity Partners as Operating Partner. He comes from Little Fern where he was the Operating Partner.
John Knapp joins Graham Partners (AUM $4bn) as the Chief Operating Partner. He comes from Boston Consulting Group where he served as the Managing Director and Senior Partner.
FFL Partners (AUM $5.4bn) appoints Molelo Seame as the Vice President of Business Development. He comes from Red Iron Group.
Center Rock Capital Partners (AUM $1.6bn) appoints Verlin Bush as the Operating Partner. He comes from NN, Inc. where he was the Vice President of Global Manufacturing Strategies.
Alexander Grau joins Strategic Value Partners as the Managing Director of the North American Operating Team. He previously was the Managing Director of Corporate Investments at Hudson Advisors.
Autotech Ventures (AUM $500mn) appoints David Le as Senior Operating Partner. He previously was the Advisor at revshop inc.
Garnett Station Partners(AUM $3.5bn) hires Austin Hemken as Operating Executive – Data & AI. He comes from Shore Capital Partners where he was the Senior Manager.

HR/Talent

Whitney Cacase joins 1823 Partners (AUM $1bn) as the Chief People Officer. She previously was the Senior Vice President of Human Capital Management at General Atlantic.
Bessemer Venture Partners (AUM $20bn) promoted Mitch Clay to Senior Director of Talent, BVP Forge. He previously was the Director of Talent.
Oak HC/FT (AUM $5.3) promotes Stephen H. Dierksto Director, Head of Fintech Talent. He previously was the Associate Director of Talent.

IR/BD

Mercato Partners (AUM $1.34bn) appoints Erika Morgan as the Head of Investor Relations. She comes from Cross Creek.
BayPine (AUM $3.3bn) appoints Amy Harschas Partner, Head of Capital Formation and Investor Relations. She previously was the Senior Advisor at American Securities.
Bessemer Venture Partners (AUM $19bn) hires Megan Ananianas the Director of Business Development. She comes from Great Wave Ventures where she was a Venture Partner.
Barry Herzog joins ARCH Venture Partners (AUM $12bn) as the Director of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships. He previously was the Director of Strategic Technology Partnerships at Air Products.
Paul S. Lee joins Foundation Capital (AUM $6bn) as the Partner and Head of Investor Relations. He comes from ICONIQ where he was the Senior Vice President, Capital Markets and Investor Relations.
Alex Williams joins Grafton Street Partners (AUM $900mn) as the Head of Investor Relations and Capital Formation. He comes from RCP Advisors as the Vice President, Business Development & Investor Relations.
ZC Ventures (AUM $1.4bn) appoints Ivy Qian as the Vice President of Capital Formation & Investor Relations. She previously was the Cofounder, Chief Operating Officer & Chief Financial Officer of COHOUSE.

COO

Joe Amadio joins Agellus Capital ($400mn) as Partner and Chief Operating Officer. He previously was the Managing Director at Thompson Street Capital Partners.