Do I need Private Equity experience to work in a Private Equity-backed business?
Do I need Private Equity experience to work in a Private Equity-backed business?
This is one of the most common questions I hear from strong CFO and FD candidates who’ve been overlooked purely because they don’t have “PE experience” on their CV.
It feels like a red line. But is it really?
There are three things worth considering:
1. What actually is Private Equity experience?
People often use this as shorthand for the funding structure behind the business — not the skills needed.
Whether a fund owns 10% or 100%, the role of the finance leader doesn’t change dramatically:
• Tight control over cash
• Clear, consistent reporting cadence
• Defending numbers with confidence
• Explaining deviation from plan commercially
• Course-correcting with urgency
If you’ve run a business with a demanding board, delivered growth under pressure, or navigated change — you likely have the toolkit already.
2. Why is the business hiring?
Context matters:
• Replacing a leaver? They may want a like-for-like profile
• New strategy? PE experience might not be the key — fundraising, M&A or transformation experience could be
• First finance leader? They may need someone who can build structure and credibility from scratch
PE isn’t a skill — it’s a backdrop. The challenge in front of the business should drive the requirement.
Who are you really competing with?
In many cases, the competition isn’t other candidates — it’s familiarity.
If the Chair, CEO or investor already knows “their person,” then personality and persuasion become the differentiator.
If you don’t have PE experience, you counter with better preparation:
• Research the Board and find allies
• Understand investor priorities and pressure points
• Speak confidently about delivering growth under scrutiny
• Show that you know what an exit journey looks like — and how you’d contribute
You don’t need to tick every box. You just need to convince the right people that you can deliver.
So… do you need Private Equity experience to succeed in a PE-backed business?
Not always.
Sometimes, the best leaders are the ones who haven’t done it yet — but are fully committed to making it happen.
So here’s my challenge to the market:
If we only ever hire people who have already done the journey…
who is building the next generation of PE-ready finance leaders?
Let’s judge talent on capability, character and drive —
not just whether they’ve sat in a PE-backed chair before.
#CFO #FinanceLeadership #PrivateEquity #PEBacked #BusinessGrowth #Recruitment #Leadership #PitchHillPartners
