In this episode, Alex sits down with Peter Rossi, a UK-based CTO with 25+ years in technology and 15 years in commercial leadership. From running trackside IT at McLaren to leading 22 acquisitions in a PE-backed group, Peter shares hard-earned lessons on growth, integration, and operating under pressure.
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 – Introduction & career overview
00:28 – Life at McLaren & high-performance environments
01:23 – VC due diligence & scaling tech businesses
02:24 – Building and exiting a SaaS company
03:50 – The biggest PE mistake: rigid M&A planning
07:25 – Lessons from Formula One
10:21 – Why professionalising leadership can slow growth
14:23 – How to double EBITDA in a PE cycle
18:56 – Integration lessons from 22 acquisitions
20:19 – Resources & how to connect
🔑 Key Takeaways
- Plan for ambiguity. You can only acquire what exists in the market.
- Not all revenue is equal. Cutting “non-core” products can damage the core.
- Protect speed. Over-professionalising leadership reduces risk tolerance and slows execution.
- Simplify to scale. Focus on core products and commercial outcomes to grow EBITDA.
- Integration is human. Success comes from winning hearts and minds — not just aligning systems.
Raw Selection partners with Private Equity firms and their portfolio companies to secure exceptional executive talent. We focus on de-risking executive recruitment through meticulous search and selection processes, ensuring top-tier performance and long-term success.
🔗 Connect with Alex Rawlings on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexrawlings/
🌐 Visit Raw Selection www.raw-selection.com
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