The deal is done, the ink is dry, and your exit from a private-equity backed portfolio company is complete. As part of the ownership transfer, you may have gotten a nice equity payout. But now, you have to make a choice that will profoundly shape your future.
If you aren’t ready to retire to a tropical island just yet, you have many options available. Not all of them need to be in the PE sphere. You could work for venture capital, another type of private company, or for a public company.
1. Take A New Executive Role
You’ve just brought success to one company. Why not do it again? But getting that next executive role is more complicated than setting your LinkedIn profile to “searching.”
When picking your next role, take time to do plenty of due diligence on both the potential new sponsor and company. This can include anything from searching online for information, to talking to current and former stakeholders, to calling customers for reviews of the product.
Advantages
- You get to focus on one company with direct control over results.
- Because of your proven track record, your next C-suite role can often be with an upmarket company offering a larger equity share than your previous role.
- You’ll leverage the skillsets you gained in your first role to rapidly grow another asset.
Disadvantages
- Your equity is concentrated in one company, and your scope may be similar.
- If you take a role with a similar end-market or...