The Private Equity Podcast, by Raw Selection
Alex Rawlings
Hosted by Alex Rawlings, Managing Partner of Raw Selection, a specialist executive search firm. Join us as we interview the leading experts in Private Equity, unlocking their secrets of success to share with you. Discover how some of the top Private Equity professionals got into Private Equity, how they rose to success and learn about some of the mistakes they made along the way.Alex has strong connections to the Private Equity industry through his executive search firm, Raw Selection, which specialises in working with Private Equity firms and their portfolio companies across Europe and North America. Alex is straight talking and to the point and aims to unlock real gold you can build into your firm or portfolio companies. Find out more at www.raw-selection.com
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 24, 2026 • 27min
Scaling a Home Services Business
David Williams, CEO of Advantage Services Group, is an owner-operator who scaled HVAC, plumbing and electrical businesses to $100M+ via acquisitions and organic growth. He recounts moving to Oregon for his first buy, completing 10 acquisitions, and expanding across states. He focuses on building one integrated company with infrastructure, systems, strong GMs and a deliberate culture centered on urgency and trust.
Mar 17, 2026 • 21min
Balance Sheet First Investing Like an Operator, Not Traditional PE
Andrew Sachs, founder of Mauloa and former Morgan Stanley Capital Partners professional, invests in minority stakes in family businesses with a long-term, low-leverage playbook. He dismantles conventional PE thinking. He champions no debt, no forced exits, culture-first leadership, and compounding cash flow over decades.
Mar 10, 2026 • 22min
The lessons from Formula 1 to 22 acquisitions by a Private Equity-backed CTO
Peter Rossi, a CTO with 25+ years in tech who ran trackside IT at McLaren and led 22 PE-backed acquisitions, shares high-pressure lessons. He discusses how F1 taught rapid problem solving and lateral thinking. He warns against rigid M&A planning and replacing founder-doers with perfection-focused leaders. He stresses simplifying product sets, protecting speed, and making integration about people.
4 snips
Mar 3, 2026 • 28min
What Two PE Exits Taught James About Winning as a CFO
James Carver, an experienced CFO with two private equity-backed exits and a background in investment banking and FP&A, walks through his journey from trading desks to scaling businesses. He discusses M&A complexities, building SOPs and quote-to-cash processes, value-creation levers like territory expansion and inventory efficiency, and the role of advisors and cultural respect in acquisitions.
8 snips
Feb 24, 2026 • 23min
Learnings from a $1BN+ exit and 300 investments in Private Equity
Richard Fitzgerald, co-founder and managing partner of CapitalSpring, built a sector-focused PE firm that scaled from $3M to 300 investments and a $1B+ exit. He discusses why multi-location consumer and foodservice businesses win, how specialization beats generalist approaches, the value of labor-light models, and a hybrid debt/equity playbook that helped fundraising in a tough market.
4 snips
Feb 17, 2026 • 24min
Building a Value Creation Machine & Scaling a Private Equity Firm
Chris Sznewajs, founder and managing partner of Pacific Avenue Capital, builds value through complex carve-outs and investments in businesses owned by 'unnatural owners'. He discusses expanding into Europe with a people-first approach. He outlines proprietary corporate sourcing, the mechanics of a TotalEnergies carve-out, and why a dedicated ops team of generalists drives cross-border integration and EBITDA growth.
7 snips
Feb 10, 2026 • 32min
How private equity firm THL is winning with AI implementation
Alex Sabel, VP at THL Partners who leads research and AI strategy, discusses how THL embeds AI across the firm and its portfolio. He covers data foundations, a compute-focused investment thesis, practical internal AI use, and how portfolio companies deploy agents and operational automations. He also talks about failing fast, build vs buy decisions, and everyday AI tools.
Feb 3, 2026 • 22min
Emerging markets investing in the consumer & retail sector
Giovanni Zangani, Managing Partner at Maestro Equity Partners — a Vietnam-focused growth investor in consumer, retail and F&B. He discusses why Vietnam rewards hands-on, founder-aligned investing. Short takes on common diligence mistakes, running concentrated, operator-led deals, and how local knowledge and post-investment involvement drive success.
Jan 27, 2026 • 47min
The 5 step playbook assessment on business leadership effectiveness
Taavo, senior partner at CEO Advantage and co‑author of The 5X CEO, and Sam, co‑founder of CEO Advantage and co‑author, discuss the 5X CEO Assessment. They cover Strategic Clarity, Scalable Talent, Relentless Focus, Disciplined Execution, and Energized Culture. Short practical uses include onboarding, diligence, performance reviews, and how the tool highlights alignment gaps and prioritization needs.
10 snips
Jan 20, 2026 • 18min
How Private equity Firm Council Capital Approach Value Creation
Tim Schulte, a Value Creation Partner at Council Capital, shares insights from his extensive background in consulting and startups. He discusses the common mistake in private equity of reinventing the wheel and emphasizes the value of collaborative approaches. Tim outlines three models of value creation, advocating for Council's substantive and collaborative method. He highlights the role of their CEO Council in mentorship and the importance of tailored toolkits for portfolio support. Talent acquisition, with rigorous assessments, is central to their strategy for driving growth.
