Private equity sponsors are often well aligned with their CEOs. But the rest of the C-suite tells a different story.
Our latest Top 50 Private Equity Firms for Executives of 2025 Report revealed a striking gap in satisfaction levels across executive roles. While CEOs report the highest satisfaction with their sponsors, commercial, financial, and operational leaders lag significantly behind.
The Satisfaction Divide
On a 5-point scale (with 5 being the highest), CEOs reported the highest sponsor ratings across all roles. By contrast, CROs and CMOs reported the lowest ratings. CFOs and COOs fell in the middle, but still well below their CEO peers.
This data reveals a clear discrepancy between executive-sponsor collaboration and engagement based on role, indicating an opportunity for sponsors to strengthen engagement across the broader leadership team. In particular, lower satisfaction among commercial leaders could create headwinds for organic growth, making it a critical area for sponsors to address. Ensuring greater satisfaction across executive roles can also reduce the likelihood of costly mid-hold turnover.
See also: Why Do Executives Leave Mid-Hold Period?
How Executive Role Impacts Retention
When asked whether they would work with the same sponsor again on another deal, 83% of CEOs said yes. That number dropped sharply for other executive roles: just 54% of CROs and CMOs, 64% of CFOs, and 57% of COOs/Presidents said they woul...