What do private equity firms look for in a CEO or CFO? Kip Knippel, President & CEO at KIP Search, explains why PE-backed companies need C-suite leaders who come in, make an immediate impact, grow the business, exit, and do it again — whether that's a new CEO replacing an exiting founder or a CFO with deep M&A experience to roll up other companies in the industry.

About Kip Knippel: Kip is President and CEO of KIP Search, a Minneapolis-based retained executive search firm that places C-level leaders, with a practice focused on private equity, venture capital, family offices, EOS companies and emerging technology. He began his career as an M&A and commercial real estate lawyer and hosts the Capitalist Culture podcast.

Connect with Kip Knippel:
Website: https://www.kipsearch.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kipknippel/

Connect with host Joshua Wilson:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/

Follow The PE Podcast:
Website: https://www.thepepodcast.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-pe-podcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thepepodcast

More private equity questions answered: https://www.thepepodcast.com/questions/

A One Iron Network production: Executive Producer Joshua Wilson

The PE Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing discussed is investment, legal, tax, or financial advice, or an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security or fund interest.

Disclaimer: Joshua Wilson is a licensed Florida real estate broker (BK3038350) and holds FINRA Series 79 and Series 63 licensure. The PE Podcast is produced by One Iron Network LLC for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing discussed constitutes investment advice, legal or tax advice, a solicitation, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security or to pursue or avoid any transaction. All views and opinions expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the positions of One Iron Network LLC, Smooth Stone Capital, any regulatory agency, or any employer. Any performance figures, valuations, or transaction terms discussed are historical, specific to the circumstances described, and are not indicative of future results. Listeners should consult their own legal, financial, and tax professionals before making any business, financial, or transaction decision.

Let's Connect on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/

Follow The PE Podcast:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-pe-podcast/

Powered by One Iron Network:
https://www.oneironnetwork.com/

What should you look for in an M&A lawyer for a lower middle market deal? Joe Prencipe, Managing Partner at Prencipe International, explains why big-firm transaction experience and an operator's perspective change what your deal counsel actually does for you.

About Joe Prencipe: Joe is an M&A attorney who began his career at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and clerked at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He advises private equity groups, family offices, and strategic acquirers on lower middle market transactions.

Connect with Joe Prencipe:
Website: https://www.prencipe.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeprencipe/

Connect with host Joshua Wilson:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/

Follow The PE Podcast:
Website: https://www.thepepodcast.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-pe-podcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thepepodcast

More private equity questions answered: https://www.thepepodcast.com/questions/

A One Iron Network production: Executive Producer Joshua Wilson

The PE Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing discussed is investment, legal, tax, or financial advice, or an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security or fund interest.

Disclaimer: Joshua Wilson is a licensed Florida real estate broker (BK3038350) and holds FINRA Series 79 and Series 63 licensure. The PE Podcast is produced by One Iron Network LLC for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing discussed constitutes investment advice, legal or tax advice, a solicitation, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security or to pursue or avoid any transaction. All views and opinions expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the positions of One Iron Network LLC, Smooth Stone Capital, any regulatory agency, or any employer. Any performance figures, valuations, or transaction terms discussed are historical, specific to the circumstances described, and are not indicative of future results. Listeners should consult their own legal, financial, and tax professionals before making any business, financial, or transaction decision.

Let's Connect on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/

Follow The PE Podcast:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-pe-podcast/

Powered by One Iron Network:
https://www.oneironnetwork.com/

There are two sides to every deal. On one side, the sponsor underwriting what a business could be worth in five years. On the other, the owner who built it and gets one shot at getting the transaction right.

Most private equity shows talk to one of those sides. This one talks to both.

EPISODE SUMMARY

The PE Podcast is a show for both sides of the deal table. Host Joshua Wilson, founder of One Iron Network, introduces a program covering deals, ownership, investing, and operating — with sponsors, independent sponsors, search fund entrepreneurs, family offices investing directly, operating partners, and acquisition lenders on one side, and founder-CEOs, second-generation owners, and lower-middle-market sellers on the other. Expect practical conversations about how deals actually get done: how buyers underwrite a business, what an owner needs to understand before signing a letter of intent, and what the people who have sat at that table learned from the wins and the failures. No pitches. No predictions.

🎯 What We Cover

• Why most private equity shows speak to one side of the table, and what gets missed
• Who the show is for on the sponsor side: funds, independent sponsors, searchers, family offices investing directly, operating partners, and lenders
• Who it is for on the owner side: founder-CEOs weighing an exit, second-generation owners in succession, and operators approached by a buyer
• What "one transaction that matters" means for an owner who spent a career building it
• How sponsors think about a business across a five-year hold
• Why the lender, the operator, the advisor, and the owner each read the same deal differently
• What a few thousand interviews taught Joshua about useful conversations
• The format: no pitches, no predictions, no market calls
• Where the show lives, and how to get on it

🎙️ Follow The PE Podcast
🌐 thePEpodcast.com
💼 linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/
▶️ youtube.com/@thePEpodcast
🏢 A One Iron Network production — oneironnetwork.com

Disclaimer: Joshua Wilson is a licensed Florida real estate broker (BK3038350) and holds FINRA Series 79 and Series 63 licensure. The PE Podcast is produced by One Iron Network LLC for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing discussed constitutes investment advice, legal or tax advice, a solicitation, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security or to pursue or avoid any transaction. All views and opinions expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the positions of One Iron Network LLC, Smooth Stone Capital, any regulatory agency, or any employer. Any performance figures, valuations, or transaction terms discussed are historical, specific to the circumstances described, and are not indicative of future results. Listeners should consult their own legal, financial, and tax professionals before making any business, financial, or transaction decision.

Let's Connect on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/

Follow The PE Podcast:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-pe-podcast/

Powered by One Iron Network:
https://www.oneironnetwork.com/