Chief People Officers in private equity face unique challenges as they balance commercial growth with long-term culture and capability. At a recent Moir Group Discussion Group, senior HR leaders explored these dynamics and shared key insights.
Stephen Moir, together with Ben Bars, CEO at We Are Unity and Tim Henry, Partner at Peoplecorp HR Recruitment Specialists, hosted a Discussion Group for Chief People Officers working in private equity–backed organisations.
The discussion focused on the dynamics of leading the people agenda, balancing commercial outcomes with long-term investment in culture and capability.
Key takeaways included:
Balancing Short-Term Returns and Long-Term Cultural Value
- CPOs discussed the challenge of aligning short-term financial outcomes with long-term cultural health and social licence.
- Some are rethinking traditional HR metrics to reflect early-stage growth and sustainability.
- Involving employees from across the organisation (not just executives) in values work drives ownership and cultural alignment.
- Transparent communication from leaders, through forums and informal conversations, helps reduce pressure and build trust.
- Prioritising recruitment for revenue- or margin-critical roles keeps cost growth aligned with business expansion.
- Educating employees on how culture links directly to productivity and EBITDA can strengthen engagement and performance.
Transformation and Change Post-Acquisition
- Transformation strategies vary by business stage and private equity model, but leadership visibility and alignment are key in all.
- Empowering middle managers and people leaders remains one of the biggest levers for successful change.
- AI tools are emerging as useful aids for identifying cultural alignment and leadership effectiveness.
- Values must be actionable leaders spending time on the front line (“Gemba”) builds trust and connection to purpose.
- Team-led workshops post-acquisition help rebuild identity and boost engagement.
Talent and Retention Under Pressure
- PE-backed organisations need leaders who combine long-term strategic thinking with short-term execution capability.
- Fast-paced decision-making cycles (months instead of years) heighten both risk and agility.
- Finding commercially minded, proactive individuals who thrive in lean structures remains a major challenge.
- The shift toward data-driven, commercially focused HR continues to accelerate across the PE landscape.
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Moir Group is a specialist finance, accounting and ESG recruitment company. We cover temporary and permanent roles from Financial Accountant to CFO level. We also recruit Sustainability and ESG positions across all industry sectors.