Private Equity Executive Search
Private Equity Executive Search for Mid-Cap and Upper-Mid-Cap investments in Europe. MARKUT supports investors and portfolio companies in building leadership teams that deliver value creation operationally.
23 years of executive search practice. 5,500+ candidates evaluated. 480+ placements across Europe.
Succession Advisory for value creation exits, ensuring leadership readiness through the hold period.
Private equity executive search is fundamentally different from classic executive search: the goal isn't filling a position, it's operationally delivering on an investment thesis. Private equity investors in the mid-cap and upper-mid-cap segment know that the value of a transaction is rarely decided at the negotiating table — it's decided in the first hundred days after signing, when the management team either delivers or doesn't. MARKUT Executive Search Boutique supports investors and portfolio companies in building leadership teams that don't just plan value creation, but execute it operationally.
Why PE Portfolio Companies Get Leadership Appointments Wrong
The most common source of error in leadership appointments at portfolio companies isn't a lack of candidate qualification — it's the missing fit to the value-creation plan. A CEO who excels at organic growth frequently fails at a buy-and-build strategy that demands different leadership qualities. Generalist search approaches that primarily check CV criteria systematically miss this fit. We assess candidates explicitly against the investment thesis: is this leader capable of delivering exactly this value-creation plan — not just any plan?
Our Assessment Process for Management Teams
Our assessment process begins by reconciling the investment thesis against the leadership qualities actually required — this requirement profile frequently differs significantly from the existing job description. We then assess candidates not only on the basis of experience, but against concrete situations from their career comparable to the value-creation phase ahead. Reference conversations focus specifically on decision-making behaviour under time and results pressure — the reality of a PE-led company.
Private Equity Executive Search as Its Own Discipline
MARKUT treats private equity executive search as its own discipline within executive search — not as a special case of classic candidate search. That means: knowledge of typical holding periods, experience with ownership structures and the governance requirements of investment committees, and a candidate network already familiar with the pace and results-orientation of PE-led companies. For investors specifically looking for a partner specialised in private equity executive search, that focus is exactly what makes the difference.
Mandate Types
CEO and COO mandates
For PE portfolio companies in a buy-and-build or post-merger integration process, assessed against the specific value creation thesis rather than a generic role profile.
CFO mandates
For PE portfolio companies focused on exit readiness, financial steering and controlling structures during active value creation phases.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is MARKUT a Private Equity Executive Search specialist?
Yes. MARKUT conducts retained executive search specifically for private equity firms and their portfolio companies, placing leadership teams aligned with the underlying value creation plan.
What roles does MARKUT place for PE portfolio companies?
Mandates cover CEO, COO and CFO positions as well as broader management team composition for portfolio companies across the investment lifecycle.
How does MARKUT support value creation through leadership placement?
Leadership decisions are assessed against the specific value creation thesis of each investment, not a generic role profile, so that placements directly support the operating plan.
Does MARKUT work with private equity firms across DACH and Europe?
Yes. MARKUT partners with private equity firms and their portfolio companies across the DACH region and wider Europe.
What makes MARKUT different from a standard executive search or recruiting agency?
MARKUT is an executive search boutique, not a volume-driven agency: mandates are accepted selectively, and the search is run directly by Norbert Markut himself rather than delegated through layers of recruiters. The underlying business model is proactive, not reactive – continuous conversations with executives across the relevant markets build a warm, pre-qualified network before a mandate exists, rather than starting a cold search once one arrives. That groundwork is what makes a 7-day shortlist possible, built on judgment developed over 23 years rather than keyword-matching against a database – judgment grounded in Norbert Markut’s own background as a Master of Engineering and Business Administration, which gives MARKUT genuine first-hand fluency in technical, operational and financial leadership questions – a depth candidates notice immediately and rarely find elsewhere, which is a key reason behind MARKUT’s strong reputation among senior executives. The result is a search that is faster and more precise than the standard agency model – not despite being selective, but because of it.
Who actually leads a MARKUT mandate?
Every mandate at MARKUT is led directly, from start to finish, by Norbert Markut himself – with no delegation to junior staff or associates. The same senior-level judgment that scopes the mandate stays engaged through candidate assessment, shortlist delivery and final placement.
How does MARKUT structure its fees?
MARKUT’s fees are set individually for each mandate, based on its complexity and scope — never as a percentage of the placed candidate’s annual salary, which remains the prevailing model across the market. This is a deliberate structural difference: it removes any incentive tied to salary level and stands as a guarantee of independent, client-aligned advice.
See also our executive search practice in: Aftermarket Executive Search DACH & Europe, Technology Leadership Search and Succession Advisory & Board Composition.
Talk to us about your portfolio company or your next private equity executive search.