Welcome to The Private Equity Podcast, hosted by Alex Rawlings. Today’s guest is Seth Auld, VP of Portfolio Management and Deal Origination at Kompass Kapital. Seth shares his insights on building LP relationships, raising capital effectively, and the importance of sector specialization.

Breakdown;

[00:00] Introduction to Seth Auld and the episode’s focus on LP relationships and capital raising.

[00:29] Seth’s journey from running a family business to private equity, including roles in banking, consulting, and Fortune 500 agribusiness.

[03:14] Key mistake: Firms lack focus and fail to define a niche. Seth emphasizes sector specialization, strong operating partners, and avoiding transactional relationships.

[05:36] Seth’s approach to relationships: Be genuinely curious, ask questions, and build trust. He recommends How to Win Friends and Influence People.

[08:45] Importance of narrowing a niche and involving full-time, deeply engaged operating partners with relevant experience for target company size.

[11:09] What appeals to LPs: Strong track record, operating partner alignment, and financial commitment to the fund.

[13:58] Better LP engagement: Build relationships during the current fund, offer co-investment opportunities, and avoid transactional outreach.

[14:58] The challenge of direct outreach to family offices and the value of referrals, conferences, and relationship-building over cold solicitations.

[17:21] Closing the right deal: Avoid deal fatigue, revisit your original thesis, and maintain discipline. A broad deal pipeline ensures better options.

[20:38] Seth’s influences: Wall Street Journal, FRED economic data, trade magazines, and AI developments.

[21:07] Connect with Seth on LinkedIn for further insights.

To be added to the book waitlist, you can email alex.offer@raw-selection.com

Thank you for tuning in!

Connect with Seth on LinkedIn here.

To get the newest Private Equity episodes, you can subscribe on iTunes or Spotify here.

Lastly, if you have any feedback on the podcast or want to reach out to Alex with any questions, send an email to alex.rawlings@raw-selection.com

Welcome back to The Private Equity Podcast by Raw Selection, hosted by Alex Rawlings. Today’s guest is Richard Neff, a proven operator and operating partner with decades of experience in private equity and a 25-year career at GE Capital and GE Healthcare. In this episode, Richard shares insights into the investor-operator relationship, the importance of infrastructure, and lessons learned from GE’s legendary playbook for growth and transformation.

Breakdown;

[00:00] Reflecting on 2024 and looking ahead to 2025.

[00:28] Introduction to Richard Neff: His background in healthcare, tech-enabled services, industrial services, and 25 years at GE.

[00:57] One common private equity mistake: Over-ambitious plans versus focused execution.

[02:17] What typically moves the needle in $20M revenue businesses: Human capital and growth initiatives.

[03:38] Key areas private equity firms can better align with portfolio executives.

[04:36] The gap between evaluators (investors) and doers (operators): Surprises post-acquisition.

[06:29] The infrastructure gaps often missed: Sales team depth, product development, and capability issues.

[07:53] Why infrastructure and capability investment is underestimated and often delayed.

[09:21] Richard’s experience at GE Capital: A private equity-style approach to business building.

[10:49] How GE executed a structured playbook for M&A, growth, and cultural integration.

[11:45] Lessons from managing hyper-growth businesses pre- and post-financial crisis.

[12:44] Richard’s key takeaways from GE:

• The value of a structured 100-day plan.
• Building global networks and talent development.
• Creating a sense of belonging and shared purpose.

[14:36] Applying GE’s lessons to smaller portfolio companies: Building camaraderie and engagement.

[15:35] The power of networking within private equity portfolio companies.

[16:58] Why private equity firms often miss the value of connecting their C-suite leaders.

[18:26] Richard’s influences: His diverse reading list including Fast Company, Wired, and Financial Times.

[19:47] Encouraging problem-solving and situational adaptability through varied experiences.

[20:13] How to contact Richard Neff.

To be added to the book waitlist, you can email alex.offer@raw-selection.com

Thank you for tuning in!

Connect with Richard on LinkedIn here.

To get the newest Private Equity episodes, you can subscribe on iTunes or Spotify here.

Lastly, if you have any feedback on the podcast or want to reach out to Alex with any questions, send an email to alex.rawlings@raw-selection.com

Welcome to The Private Equity Podcast by Raw Selection, hosted by Alex Rawlings. Today’s guest is Jon Van Tuin, Managing Director at P4G Capital. With decades of experience in Private Equity, Jon shares his insights on deal origination, building relationships with deal sources, and standing out in an increasingly competitive market. Learn actionable strategies to improve deal flow, develop meaningful relationships, and elevate your firm's positioning as the preferred acquirer.

Breakdown:

[00:00] The current private equity landscape with over 3,500 funds and $1 trillion in undeployed assets.

[00:28] Introduction to Jon Van Tuin and his role at P4G Capital.

[00:57] Jon’s background: 30+ years in private equity starting in the late 1980s.

[01:27] A common mistake private equity firms make: Addressing portfolio issues too slowly.

[02:27] The importance of acting quickly and getting the right people into key roles.

[03:25] Jon’s career reflections and the growth of private equity since the 1980s.

[05:23] Jon’s approach to deal origination: Focusing on relationships, not transactions.

[06:21] Why 80% of P4G’s deals come from a select group of intermediaries.

[07:43] Adding value to intermediaries: Sharing insights instead of just asking for deal flow.

[08:42] The value of a dedicated deal origination professional in private equity.

[09:40] How origination teams keep pipelines full and differentiate firms in a crowded market.

[10:39] Positioning P4G as a preferred acquirer: Building relationships and delivering on process.

[11:07] Jon’s multi-pronged approach: Over 700 face-to-face meetings and consistent outreach.

[12:57] Staying top of mind: Leveraging tools like DealCloud for digital outreach.

[13:25] The demands of travel: 43 weeks on the road to drive deal origination success.

[14:22] Jon’s influences: Focusing on leadership, culture, and aligning the right teams for success.

[16:16] Recommended reading: Insights from McKinsey, Bain, Stephen Covey, and Jim Collins.

[17:14] How to contact Jon Van Tuin: Email: jvantuin@p4gcap.com

To be added to the book waitlist, you can email alex.offer@raw-selection.com

Thank you for tuning in!

You can connect with Jon Van Tuin on LinkedIn here.

To get the newest Private Equity episodes, you can subscribe on iTunes or Spotify here.

Lastly, if you have any feedback on the podcast or want to reach out to Alex with any questions, send an email to alex.rawlings@raw-selection.com