Bill Nunan, seasoned private equity expert with extensive experience working across multiple verticals and current CEO of Lexipol, joins the podcast today to share his deep knowledge of the private equity world. Along the way, he offers a clear explanation of what it means to be a private equity operator, the evolution of best practices, and how these changes have shaped today’s business landscape. Bill emphasizes the importance of strategic planning, particularly in the context of add-on acquisitions, and the value of building strong relationships with founders.

Our guest also discusses how to manage daily priorities, focusing on achieving destination economics while balancing the challenges that come with mergers and acquisitions. He shares actionable advice on the collaborative nature of private equity, explaining how operators and sponsors can work together to create long-term value through strategic partnerships. The conversation as shared here today highlights the importance of developing a platform story to guide business strategy and concludes with key insights on building effective teams and managing deal sourcing relationships. For anyone navigating the fast-paced world of private equity, this episode delivers essential strategies for success from a proven industry leader.

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Intro

04:38 Transitioning from Public to Private Equity

05:45 Evolution of Best Practices in Private Equity

06:50 Role of a Private Equity Operator Explained

09:52 Daily Responsibilities of a Private Equity Operator

11:42 Focusing on Destination Economics for Growth

14:46 Importance of Strategic Planning for Add-On Acquisitions

18:24 Collaborative Approach Between Sponsors and Operators

22:28 Key Concerns of Founders During Add-On Acquisitions

24:55 Framework for Managing Deal Sourcing Relationships

29:11 Managing Simultaneous Deal Pursuits

32:42 CEO’s Role in Add-On Acquisition Strategy

36:51 Building a Platform Story for Business Strategy

39:41 Defining a Strong Platform Story for Market Positioning

41:18 Lexipol's Global Mission in Public Safety Management

43:22 Advice for Deal Sourcing and Building Relationships

44:59 Changes in Deal Sourcing Over Time

46:12 Best Practices for Effective Deal Sourcing Outreach

49:28 Private Equity as a Pervasive Business Model

52:41 Building and Leading Powerful Teams as a CEO

53:42 Traits of Effective Private Equity Partners

55:41 The Importance of Collaboration Between Operators and Sponsors

Key Takeaways:

"A private equity operator is hired to deliver destination economics. Growth in EBITDA is the mission. Challenges don't change that."

"The secret to success is building a powerful leadership team. Develop opportunities for the organization."

"Prioritize actions that drive the biggest impact."

"A good platform story creates uniqueness and differentiation. It defines a space you can own."

"Private equity is pervasive. Study it, become an expert. It's different from founder-led or public companies."

"Building powerful teams is my greatest strength. Invest time in developing leaders and making them successful."

"Strong relationships with founders buffer tough moments in deals. They help align post-transaction expectations."

"The rigor of an M&A plan is crucial. Define your targets and dismiss what doesn't fit your strategy."

Links:

Dan Herr: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielherr/

Matt Rooney: https://www.coastalpartners.co/

Bill Nunan:

Rod Jimenez, CEO of Sceptre Hospitality Resources (SHR), joins the podcast today to share his experience and insights on driving technological innovation in the hospitality industry. He reviews some of SHR’s history as well as its recent strategic partnership with Access Group and Guestline, highlighting how their AI-powered solutions and automation streamline hotel management. He explains how, with SHR’s unified platform, hotels can optimize guest booking, revenue management, and distribution across multiple channels.

Rod also emphasizes the importance of building strategic partnerships, including private equity, to drive long-term business growth in the hotel industry. Today’s episode is filled with essential insights into how the future of hospitality tech is shaping the industry, and how SHR fulfills its role as an industry leader, helping hotels succeed through innovation.

Episode Highlights:

0:00 Intro: Hotel Tech M&A & SHR's Access Partnership

1:15 SHR's Growth Story: Hotel Management Technology

2:21 SHR's Hotel Tech Stack: Unified Application Suite

4:38 Private Equity in Hotel Tech: First Experiences

5:04 Early-Stage Founder & PE: Conversations & Deal Sourcing

6:00 Strategic Investor Partnership: SHR & Singapore Investor

9:00 Finding the Right PE Partner: Alignment & Outcomes

13:00 How Many PE Firms Should a Founder Talk To?

14:30 Filtering PE Outreach: Identifying Genuine Interest

15:30 Serent Capital & SHR: Building a Relationship

17:00 Relationship Building in M&A: Why It Matters

21:56 Effective PE Outreach: Engaging Founders Like Rod Jimenez

22:17 Responding to PE Outreach: A Founder's Perspective

27:30 Inbound M&A Interest: How Much is Normal?

28:42 Increased PE Interest: Timing & Market Dynamics

30:00 Tracking PE Conversations: A Founder's Process

30:31 What Founders Look for in PE Investors

35:00 PE Engagement Techniques: What Works for Founders

39:00 Private Equity Due Diligence: Approaching New Industries

42:30 The Right Time for a PE Deal

45:48 Post-Acquisition Integration & The Future of Hotel Tech

49:17 The Value of Private Equity: A Founder's Perspective

49:31 Private Equity Boards: Impact & Strategic Growth

53:27 Deal Sourcing Tips for Private Equity Professionals

59:34 Private Equity Defined: Optionality for Founders

59:44 Connect with Rod Jimenez

Key Takeaways:

"Build trust and be genuine."

"Approach with curiosity, not false conviction. Be honest if you don't know the space."

"In private equity, character trumps everything.”

"The value of a board is in collective wisdom and pushing you to grow."

"Don't stretch your expertise. If you don't know, just say you're curious to learn."

"Optionality is key in private equity. It provides choices for founders."

"The real work starts after the transaction. Focus on integration and delivering on expectations."

Links:

Dan Herr: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielherr/

Matt Rooney: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-rooney-coastalpartners/

Rod Jimenz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodrigojimenez/

SHR Group: https://shrgroup.com/

Coastal Partners: https://www.coastalpartners.co/

In today’s episode, Matt and Dan break down compensation structures in private equity, focusing on sourcing professionals and business development (BD) teams. They emphasize aligning base, bonus, and carry structures to drive scalable capital deployment and discuss how discretionary bonuses and performance-based incentives ensure long-term success. The episode also covers salary ranges across experience levels and highlights the growing importance of BD professionals in shaping firm outcomes.

As private equity compensation trends evolve, our hosts outline how aligning incentives with firm goals builds high-performing sourcing teams. From base salary to carry structures, they offer a roadmap for creating competitive, results-driven compensation plans. In today's competitive landscape, firms that implement these strategies will lead in talent acquisition and capital deployment. You can’t afford to miss this must-hear episode packed with crucial insights for thriving in private equity business development.

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Understand Differences in Private Equity Compensation Structures

01:22 Break Down Base, Bonus, and Carry for Sourcing Roles

02:31 Identify Standard Compensation for BD Professionals

03:40 Review Base Salary Ranges for Sourcing Professionals

05:48 Balance Base Salary and Bonus for Maximum Performance

06:49 Differentiate Between Junior, Mid-Level, and Senior Tiers

07:18 Adjust Bonus Structures Based on Experience

09:00 Set Clear Expectations for Base Salary and Bonus

10:50 Structure Discretionary and Performance-Based Bonuses

11:09 Implement Common Bonus Structures

12:42 Tie Discretionary Bonuses to Firm Performance

14:54 Incentivize Sourcing Teams

16:50 Adopt Performance-Based Bonuses for Larger Teams

18:01 Use Common Performance Metrics to Drive Compensation

19:06 Decide on Flat or Percentage-Based Bonuses

21:12 Distinguish Proprietary vs Banker-Sourced Deal Compensation

23:20 Clarify Add-On vs Platform Deal Bonuses

25:50 Align Sourcing Compensation with Lehman Fees and Buy-Side Origination

27:50 Embrace the Evolution of BD Compensation in Private Equity

29:04 Bridge the Gap Between BD and Deal Team Compensation

31:00 Offer Carry Compensation for BD Professionals

35:15 Use Equity in Sourced Companies as an Incentive

37:37 Incorporate Team Bonuses into BD Compensation Plans

40:29 Tailor Carry Packages to Attract Top Talent

44:10 Plan for Long-Term Carry and Vesting

48:08 Adapt Sourcing Compensation to Firm Goals

50:44 Prepare for the Future of BD Compensation in Private Equity

52:59 Structure Compensation to Build a High-Performing BD Team

59:51 Apply Best Practices for Performance-Based BD Compensation

01:02:57 Negotiate and Maximize Your Compensation in BD Roles

Key Takeaways:

"Not every private equity firm is the same. Maybe they're value-focused, or maybe they're a bit more patient. All of that influences compensation structure."

"In years where folks have success, the bonus can far surpass their base salary."

"The three main pieces of private equity compensation are base salary, bonus, and carried interest or equity."

"In years where folks have success, the bonus can far surpass their base salary."

"The BD function is maturing. Compensation is growing, and the gap is narrowing between BD professionals and their deal team counterparts."

Links:

Dan Herr: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielherr/

Matt Rooney: