For the past two decades, Post Capital Partners has remained committed to an Executive-First investment approach, prioritizing strong leadership as the foundation for building outstanding companies. By partnering closely with experienced executives, we have successfully identified, evaluated, and grown businesses across industries—from healthcare and education services to waste management and managed IT services.

This strategy has fostered a robust network of industry-leading executives who bring deep expertise, strategic vision, and leadership to both our investment searches and portfolio companies. Whether working with existing management teams or supporting executives looking for their next challenge, we collaborate through proactive searches, majority recapitalizations, management buyouts, and growth capital investments.

By honing this approach over 20 years, we have gained valuable insights into what drives business success, how leadership has evolved, and why our model continues to be a competitive differentiator in private equity. Here are three key lessons we’ve learned:

Lesson #1: What Makes A Great Leader

Today’s leaders face evolving challenges: remote work, multigenerational teams, and rapid technological change. According to a recent Gallup poll, U.S. employee engagement fell to its lowest level in 10 years, with only 31% of employees engaged, and research shows that leadership accounts for at least 70% of variance in employee engagement scores. Executives who foster collaboration, manage diverse teams, and drive innovation are the ones who build thriving businesses.

And while industry knowledge is critical, we partner with executives who excel as leaders. They don’t just understand their industries, they inspire, motivate, and adapt. 

At Post Capital, our approach is to prioritize executives with strong leadership skills. In Harvard Business Publishing’s 2024 Global Leadership Development Study, 70% of leadership and development professionals say it is important or very important for leaders to master a wider range of effective leadership behaviors to meet current and future business needs. This aligns with our experience: executives who excel in communication, emotional intelligence, and adaptability create resilient, high-performing companies.

Lesson #2: Why People Are The Drivers Behind Great Investments  

Over the past twenty years, we’ve developed an approach to evaluating industries and investments that starts with the people. We immerse ourselves into a target industry ecosystem by partnering with one or more talented executives and analyze the industry alongside those key industry participants. This includes understanding the opportunities and the key players while developing a strategic growth plan.

This approach has become an outsized advantage for Post Capital. By creating long-term executive partnerships, we work with top leaders to learn and evaluate opportunities together. Partnering early helps us assess opportunities, conduct due diligence, and shape strategic growth plans from the outset. By leveraging an executive’s deep industry knowledge, we gain a clearer understanding of sector dynamics and business potential before making an investment. 

Lesson #3: A Talent Ecosystem Creates Long-Term Value 

Our experience has shown that executives deliver value beyond their immediate leadership roles. The best leaders don’t just drive companies forward—they also mentor, coach, and strengthen the broader talent network.

At Post Capital, we take a long-term, holistic view of leadership. Many of our executives remain involved beyond their initial roles, transitioning into advisory positions, board seats, or mentorship roles within our portfolio. For instance, executives we’ve worked with often refer other talented leaders, further strengthening our ability to match the right leadership with the right business. This creates a cycle of shared expertise and institutional knowledge that benefits the entire firm.

Several executives who successfully led businesses within our portfolio later took on coaching roles for new leaders, helping to guide strategy and execution based on firsthand experience. This broader view of talent—beyond transactional hires—has been instrumental in our success

Looking Ahead

As we continue to evolve as a firm, our commitment to an Executive-First approach remains unchanged. The business landscape will keep shifting, but one constant remains: strong leadership is the cornerstone of great companies. By investing in exceptional people, fostering deep partnerships, and leveraging our growing talent network, we are poised to build even stronger businesses in the coming years.