Operating Partner / Portfolio Transformation Executive in City of London

A highly active lower mid-market private equity investor is seeking an experienced Operating Partner or Portfolio Transformation Executive to support a portfolio of industrial and business-to-business companies across the UK and Europe. The role is focused on working with management teams and investors in complex operational situations where businesses require hands-on intervention, strategic repositioning and operational improvement. Typical scenarios may include revenue decline, customer concentration challenges, working capital pressures, margin compression, organisational restructuring, acquisition integration and broader transformation initiatives. This is not a traditional board-level advisory position. The successful individual will be expected to work closely with management teams, often in challenging environments, helping businesses navigate periods of change while building sustainable long-term value. The firm is open to both permanent and interim solutions depending on the profile and experience of the candidate.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with portfolio company CEOs and leadership teams to diagnose operational and commercial challenges.
• Lead and support turnaround, restructuring and performance improvement initiatives.
• Develop and execute value creation plans across portfolio businesses.
• Support companies experiencing revenue decline, customer losses, operational inefficiencies or cash flow challenges.
• Drive operational excellence programmes focused on profitability, scalability and sustainable growth.
• Assist management teams through acquisition integration and buy-and-build strategies.
• Improve reporting, governance and performance measurement frameworks.
• Act as a trusted advisor to investors, boards and executive teams.
• Provide hands-on support during periods of transformation, organisational change and strategic repositioning.
• Identify and implement practical solutions to complex business challenges.

Candidate Profile

The successful candidate will typically come from one of two backgrounds:

• Route One – Former Private Equity-Backed CEO
  • Minimum six years' experience as a CEO within a private equity-backed environment.
  • Proven track record leading businesses through growth and transformation.
  • Experience managing distressed, underperforming or special situation environments.
  • Demonstrated success improving operational performance, profitability and organisational effectiveness.
  • Experience working directly with private equity investors and boards.
• Route Two – Portfolio CEO / Transformation Specialist
  • Experience serving as CEO, Interim CEO, Executive Chair or Operating Executive across multiple private equity-backed portfolio companies.
  • Track record working across at least three to five businesses requiring turnaround, restructuring or transformation support.
  • Experience addressing complex situations including cash flow and liquidity challenges, customer attrition and declining revenues, margin erosion, operational underperformance, integration and post-acquisition challenges, leadership and organisational restructuring.

Required Experience

• Strong background in management consulting, operational consulting or performance improvement environments, or significant exposure to those methodologies throughout a corporate career.
• Deep understanding of how to diagnose and solve complex business problems.
• Extensive experience within lower mid-market businesses.
• Strong exposure to founder-led and family-owned companies.
• Significant M&A and acquisition integration experience.
• Strong business-to-business sector experience.
• Industrials or industrial-adjacent sector expertise strongly preferred.
• Experience operating in businesses undergoing rapid change, transformation or restructuring.
• Ability to work effectively with management teams while maintaining credibility with investors.

Preferred Attributes

• English or Dutch language capabilities strongly preferred.
• Highly commercial and pragmatic approach.
• Comfortable operating in hands-on environments rather than purely strategic roles.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Ability to build trust quickly with founders, CEOs and leadership teams.
• Comfortable travelling across portfolio locations as required.

Why This Opportunity?

This is an opportunity to join an ambitious private equity platform and have a direct impact on value creation across a portfolio of businesses. The successful individual will be a key partner to investors and management teams, helping businesses navigate complex challenges while driving long-term growth and operational improvement. The role offers significant exposure to portfolio company leadership, investment professionals and board-level stakeholders, with the flexibility to be structured as either a permanent Operating Partner appointment or an interim transformation mandate.