About
Rob exclusively advises top-quartile private equity firms on their most critical hires…
Articles by Rob
Activity
12K followers
-
Rob Huxtable shared thisExcited to moderate this session this Wednesday at the PEI Human Capital Forum. Commercial leadership searches are among the most persistent recruiting challenges for PE-backed companies, and the pressure is only mounting. Bain's annual PE report makes the math plain: due to multiple compression and leverage constraints, what used to require 5% annual EBITDA growth to deliver a 2.5X now requires 12%. Knowing M&A will absorb some of that burden, our sponsor clients tell us they need to figure out how to drive portfolio company growth of 7 to 9% organically going forward. A slow year in tech, a much bigger lift for the broader market. To help diagnose the underlying issues, FALCON and PrivateEquityCXO ran a sentiment analysis of 245 sitting portfolio company executives across the C-suite. Among several findings, the data confirmed what most sponsors already feel: the mean effectiveness rating for commercial functions across active PE-backed companies is 3.1 out of 5. Only 8% rated their commercial function best-in-class. And the data shows the burden is shared. The issues do not sit solely at the commercial leader's feet. It is a management team and sponsor challenge. That calls for a management team and sponsor solution, paired with a fantastic commercial hire. Looking forward to a candid conversation with Kate Griffin, Katie Kitchen (Mackin) and Pete Winningham on what top-quartile talent teams are doing differently to profile, find, assess, and land the right leaders for these high stakes roles. For anyone interested in our proprietary sentiment analysis, pls DM, text or email me.
-
Rob Huxtable shared this“They’re going to miss the quarter.” -PE deal lead Too many Q1 slides will look like this one - a revenue shortfall against a challenging budget. We all know that growth (or lack there of) impacts everything in PE: the VCP, equity payout potential, sponsor heat, management bonuses, etc. But if growth is such a shared priority, then why do so many portfolio companies fall short of their potential? Let’s find the answer together. If you are a portco CXO, please take five minutes right now to join the hundreds of PrivateEquityCXO members who have already completed this survey. This sentiment analysis unpacks the various dimensions that collectively impact topline health. The data will be instructive for all of us, and the insights will be shared here for you within the next three weeks. Thank you for your participation! Survey link here: https://lnkd.in/ezYCisS3
-
Rob Huxtable shared this"We're searching for the next Sean McVay..." — several NFL front offices today. Here we are on Black Monday in the NFL, proving once again that hiring a head coach is no easier than a sponsor hiring the right portfolio company CEO. So for just for fun, I took a stab at modifying one of our 4-box models to see if any patterns emerged when applied to HC success. Caveats - ownership quality (like PE Sponsor quality), GM skill (exec chair) and QB (CRO) are major variables here...but that's another post. Horizontal axis - How they get leverage: Relationship-focused (accountability, culture, buy-in, staff leadership) vs. Technician/scheme-focused (tactics, game planning, preparation) Vertical axis - How they interrelate: Outward Passion (Consistently high visible emotion, tone setting) vs. Inward Intensity (controlled, standards, detail, disciplined edge) A few patterns that stood out: The most reliable, highest-ceiling success sits in Passionate + Technician: Reid, Shanahan, McVay, Payton, O’Connell. This archetype visibly owns the emotional tone and obsess over the details of the football operation. Passionate + Relationship can absolutely deliver (Tomlin, Harbaugh, Campbell, Ryans), but outcomes swing more when culture or staff cohesion dips. Inward + Technician produces the widest variance (Stefanski, Staley, McDaniel) can look brilliant when things are steady, exposed when chaos hits Inward + Relationship has the lowest success rate in the modern game. (Bowles, Eberflus, Flores) Across recent HC cycles, the data shows that hiring from the top two boxes correlates with roughly 2.9x better odds of sustained success. Any NFL owners out there, hit me up and I can help you avoid yet another mistake. I'm looking at you Browns! 😂 Takeaway for PE. These results synced with our work supporting sponsors where many of the best CEOs are both outwardly passionate and obsessed with hands-on execution. This is dichotomy can be tricky to find. But impossible if you don't run the exercise to know what you are looking for - so consider using a 4-box behavioral model when scoping out your next PortCo C-suite hire. If you'd like me to send you one of our 4-box tools for CXO hiring, comment "model" or DM me. And if your NFL team is in the market like mine is, I hope they get it right! 🤞
-
Rob Huxtable shared thisPrivate Equity friends - join me and my colleagues Lindsay Guzowski and Joe Gravino next week for a transparent webinar that will help you determine your fit with a given private equity firm's governance model. This often overlooked fit dynamic is essential to optimizing you likelihood of making it to the exit you deserve. 🚀 Right deal + right firm: Career-defining win. 😨 Right deal + wrong firm: You will enter a painful chapter as long as you can tolerate it. ⌛ Wrong deal + right firm: Burn years trying to pull off a long shot win. 📉 Wrong deal + wrong firm: Expect a short run culminating in a termination and career setback. Join us for a frank discussion that will equip to better understand if a prospective sponsor is right for you. And, bring your questions as there will be generous time for Q&A. 📆 Wednesday, December 17th, 1pm ET / 10am PT 👉 Register Now: https://lnkd.in/e_EMRQDE
-
Rob Huxtable shared thisNext in my Search Partner Recruitment series... (original post in the comments) After several recent interviews with partner-level search professionals, a few patterns: One: There are some seriously sharp people and boutiques out there. Battle-tested. Deep instincts. We’ve had a few conversations that could lead to exciting fits. Two: The title “Partner” means completely different things depending on the firm. Some tie it to minimal origination standards, some hand it out for delivery optics, and still others reserve it for people embedded with sponsors, building trust across funds and functions. Three: Many firms are confederacies, not companies. Partners run their own book under a common brand. Minimal shared lift. Little real infrastructure. It’s a flag you fly — but you're still carrying your business book alone. Four: At many firms, status is tied to the ability to bring in and pass off work, and navigate client update calls (especially when they’re tricky). Sounds terrible. Falcon’s take on “Partner” is simple: Aligned. Integrated. Hands-on. Neck-deep in the work. Building client trust while helping build a company — together. Sacrificing for one another to deliver real value to sponsors and executives. As usual, always open to quiet conversations for those who’d like to learn more. 📧 rob.huxtable@falcon-pe.com 📞 216.337.5650
-
Rob Huxtable shared thisTo: My fellow PE-focused retained search colleagues Question: Are you a superior search Partner in a suboptimal platform? Would you prefer a home where the culture, execution, deliverables and value-adds are so strong that repeat (no bake-offs) assignments are the vast majority of your mandates? If yes, I'd welcome a confidential conversation with you (rob.huxtable@falcon-pe.com or 216.337.5650) For 10+ years we've been quietly building a platform that would provide PE-focused search practitioners with an unrivaled ability to create value for sponsors. During that time, we've grown our own and never recruited a partner from the outside because we weren't ready. But our machine is now fully built, forged within a world class track record of more than 500 c-suite PortCo placements. In most firms, the search partner carries all the weight, with only modest assistance from the platform. The partner wins the work. Delivers the product. Hopes for repeat work. But often: + Every new search is another pitch or bakeoff. + Sponsors typecast them into one function or sector. + The relationship resets with each mandate/pitch Falcon was built to break that cycle. We don’t just win one search. Based on execution quality, we convert initial sponsor engagements into durable institutional partnerships — across funds, across functions, across portfolios and across individual management teams. That’s what allows production to compound. And why this platform supports real scale while continuously improving industry-leading standards. If you're a Ferrari, you don't belong in an ordinary garage, you deserve a spot at Robin Masters' estate Quietly building. Always open to real conversations with serious PE search professionals.
-
Rob Huxtable shared thisPE GOVERNANCE LESSON LEARNED In my 14 years with FALCON... + more than 600 C-suite searches for PE-backed, middle market companies. + more than 75 different private equity firms served (every type imaginable, good and otherwise) + 3 years of our Top 50 survey data ...my most important takeaway about private equity governance is the following: 🧠 There is no single best PE governance approach. 💡 Instead, the best sponsor governance models have three defining characteristics: 1. These funds are intellectually honest about their governance model 2. Their governance is consistent across all deal teams (vs. a confederacy of deal teams model) 3. They are intentional about hiring C-suite leaders who can thrive in their specific model (easier said than done) 🏆 The 50 funds recognized in the 2025 Top 50 Private Equity Firms for Executives do a consistently solid job here, as reported by execs themselves. I'm proud to say this report is the most comprehensive research on governance sentiment, as experienced by PortCo execs. And we're already looking forward to year 4 in 2026. 🔧 Powerful Tool: The report's Nine Dimensions of Governance Fit is a powerful framework for all sponsors and executives to vet one another for fit. Please reach out to me directly with questions about this year's report, or about the work being done by Falcon or PrivateEquityCXO https://lnkd.in/ejFiNgrgRob Huxtable shared thisRevealed: 2025’s Top 50 Private Equity Firms for Executives Report! It’s here! PrivateEquityCXO and FALCON are thrilled to announce 2025’s winning firms who best enable their portfolio company executives to succeed — and to share our latest report, packed with data-driven insights to help executives and sponsors achieve alignment that drives better outcomes. Inside the report, you’ll discover: 🔹 The Nine Dimensions of Governance Fit®, a framework for identifying sponsor-executive fit and improving existing partnerships 🔹 Exclusive, executive-driven insights into what executives value in a sponsor — and what truly drives satisfaction and retention 🔹 Actionable steps both sponsors and executives can take to bolster alignment 🔹 And of course, 2025’s Top 50 Firms! Download the report to see who made the list and unlock key insights for improving sponsor-executive partnerships: https://lnkd.in/gw25e342 Congratulations to this year’s winners for their recognition as leading firms who enable executive success! #PrivateEquity #Top50 #ExecutiveLeadership #Talent #Management #ValueCreation #NineDimensions
-
Rob Huxtable shared this🔈 PortCo Execs – Build Your Pull Muscle 💪 Two Private Equity Models – Push vs. Pull While most private equity firms do a bit of both, most will index toward one or the other. Your fit with this governance dynamic is a critical component of determining a successful hold period together. PUSH Model: Sponsor Proactively Engages: Imposes (pushes) rigor, methods, resources, playbooks, and priorities into the business. Sponsor Role: Acts as a GPS to largely direct management on where to pilot. Caveat: Be prepared for intense pace and direct oversight. This is an effective model, but demands an agile executive team that welcomes direction and can keep pace with deal teams. PULL Model: Sponsor Engages on Demand: Management invites sponsor input when necessary. Sponsor Role: Acts as a co-pilot, partnering with the executive team. Caveat: Vulnerability is key. Missing opportunities to seek help can lead to derailment. Also, be honest with yourself about the quality of your toolkit and playbooks before joining such a fund. Yes, you'll have more autonomy but it will come with the expectation that you are independently capable. Push models can support certain executive gaps but pull models will expose them. Advice for All PortCo Execs -- Build Your Pull Muscle: Whether in a push or pull environment, proactive engagement with your sponsor can: 💪 Strengthen partnerships in pull models. 🏛️ Build trust in push models by highlighting critical issues. 🚚 Potentially ease your operational load by better aligning on priorities. Pro Tip: Balance executing on push directives while advocating for pull assistance. Work with your sponsor to swap out less critical push tasks if they can be displaced by higher priority pull initiatives.
-
Rob Huxtable shared thisPE Firms Partner with Management—But the "How" Varies Greatly Private equity firms often say, “We partner with management.” While that’s generally true, these partnerships play out differently. In my search practice, I’ve found one segmentation framework to be effective for ensuring alignment between sponsors and executives. Broadly, PE firms fall into two categories -- and yes, I'm generalizing here. 1 - Those that invest in assets and prioritize rapid portfolio company transformation. 2 - Those that invest in management and work to address gaps. Both approaches can drive significant value, and neither is superior. However, understanding these differences is critical for execs and sponsors to get right. Asset-Driven Investing These funds aim to transform portfolio companies quickly and decisively. They bring substantial resources, deploy rigorous playbooks, and drive a relentless pace of change. These sponsors expect management to embrace new structures, adjust to key team changes, and deliver results on an accelerated timeline. Executives who excel in this environment are highly execution-focused, urgent, and thrive under prescriptive governance models. These sponsors value speed and precision and tend to move quickly on decision-making, including talent upgrades. Step up candidates can often excel in this environment given the level of sponsor support. Management-Driven Investing These funds generally empower leadership teams while addressing specific gaps. Sponsors in this category provide targeted resources to address needs—whether operational, financial, strategic, or talent-related. Leaders in these organizations enjoy more autonomy but must identify ask for assistance from sponsors when the need support. Vulnerability is among essential traits for execs in this model. These funds tend to act as co-pilots rather than drivers. Patience with management is greater, but this often extends to the broader team, meaning leaders may need to manage through gaps or challenges within their direct reports. Hybrid Approaches Of course, the flaw in my model is that the segmentation isn't really binary. Rather, funds exist on a continuum. And some adopt more of a hybrid model, heavily involved yet deferential to management when collaboration and adaptability are evident. Why It Matters Both approaches can create significant equity value, but only when there’s alignment between sponsor and executive. Misalignment, however, can lead to frustration, missed opportunities and costly derailment. For executives, understanding the type of sponsor they’re joining can be the difference between success and struggle. For sponsors, selecting leaders who align with their philosophy is essential for achieving their goals. In my experience, recognizing these dynamics is invaluable for building effective partnerships that deliver results for all stakeholders.
Rob Huxtable commented on a post
1w
PE. 🙏🏽
Rob Huxtable commented on a post
1mo
There are few things more certain in life than this: every search led by Morgan yields a killer client experience, extremely supported candidates, a top decile hire, and colleagues who are better for having worked with her.
But more importantly, she is simply an exceptional person who we are proud to call part of our tight-knit Falcon family. ❤️
Stoked for a bright future for Morgan and for our entire squad!
LFG!!
😤💪🏽↗️
Rob Huxtable commented on a post
2mo
Brandon never stops grinding, caring, learning, growing, and serving.
His track record of serving our private equity clients is truly exceptional, particularly on portfolio company CFO assignment where he is as strong an anyone in search - no doubt. But most of all he is the embodiment of the powerful culture we keep building here at FALCON. our clients, candidates, and colleagues are lucky to have him.
Well deserved my friend! We dial it up from here!!
-
Rob Huxtable liked thisRob Huxtable liked this"12 is the new 5" - Bain's 2026 PE Report. What does this mean? 10 years ago, it took 5% EBITDA growth to generate a 20% IRR. Today, it now takes 12% EBITDA growth to generate a 20% IRR. Why? Multiples are higher (companies cost more). Interest rates are higher (debt costs more). The PE space is maturing with the growth in number of funds and dollars at work outpacing the number of companies to buy. What are PE firms doing about it? Doubling down on a few areas: 1. Ensuring they have repeatable revenue engines built at every portfolio company...companies absolutely have to grow organically now 2. Implementing margin expansion strategies from day one of the hold period 3. Using buy-and-build strategies given the high price of larger platform deals (this is the #1 deal thesis in 2026) Is this normal? Yes, these are all normal indicators you find in mature industries. However, this will force a major divide between the firms that are building repeatable alpha models and the ones who are not. The firms who can demonstrate that will also be able to recruit the best talent. Execs - make sure you're paying attention to this when you're out on the market looking for new roles in PE. #privateequity
-
Rob Huxtable liked thisRob Huxtable liked thisSOMEONE WAS BOUND TO GO THERE.... It's late on Friday night, but I had a conversation this week that I haven't been able to stop thinking about. A firm many of you are aware of - early-stage, focused on essential services, growing quickly - has organized its portfolio operations capability around a single thesis: AI is not a tool layered onto value creation. It IS the value creation model. Full stop. They're moving fast. And it's creating friction - specifically with operators who didn't grow up thinking in systems and code. That friction is real. But it's pointing at something important about where this industry is heading. Here's the idea that keeps pulling me back. Every role in a company should eventually be expressible as a markdown file — a plain-text document, readable by both humans and machines, that captures five things: the purpose of the role, the instructions that govern how the work gets done, the context required to operate, the tools the function draws on, and the judgment criteria that define what good looks like. If you can write that file clearly and completely for any particular role, you've made the function fully legible. You understand it. You can evaluate it. You can improve it. And you can hand significant portions of it to an agent to execute. If you can't write that file? One of two things is true. Either the function is genuinely irreplaceable human judgment - a valuable answer. Or nobody actually knows what that function is doing - also a valuable answer, just a more uncomfortable one. What this firm is doing - whether they've articulated it this way or not - is conducting a markdown audit of their entire portfolio. Function by function. What can be codified and handed to an agent? What requires a human in the loop, and why? The alienation some team members are feeling isn't really about AI. It's about the fact that this question is exposing gaps in functional understanding that have always been there. AI is just the first thing that's ever forced the issue at this level of granularity. So where does the Operating Partner sit in all of this? Right in the center of it. Someone has to decide what goes in the file. Someone has to determine what requires human judgment. Someone has to hold accountability when an agent executes flawlessly on the wrong objective. Someone has to sit across from a seasoned functional VP and explain why their twenty years of process expertise is now the input to the system — not the system itself. That is Operating Partner work. It always has been. The vocabulary is just different now. The question for everyone else isn't whether this is coming. It's whether the Operating Partner in the room can write the file.
-
Rob Huxtable liked thisRob Huxtable liked thisReflecting on the incredible moments from this year’s HOAG Classic last week. For those who know me, my passion for golf is relentless, and I eagerly anticipate this week each year. Spent Friday with my busy wife! I also had the opportunity to meet Zach Johnson and, wow, Tony Lattimore from the original P90X fitness program. Remember KenpoX? It was also great to reconnect with some old friends, business partners, and make some outstanding new connections. #NBCC #hoagclassic #titleist #RSM #NBPD #JPMorgan
-
Rob Huxtable liked thisRob Huxtable liked thisThere's a stat circulating that there's no difference in PE returns with an experienced CFO vs a first-time CFO hired. Lets assume this was true, does this mean you can insert a first-time CFO into any situation and they'll perform the same? Sure doesn't. To hire a successful first-time CFO, two things need to exist: 1. Strong CEO who is already financially literate themselves 2. PE firm's governance must be hands-on and involved I think if the above points are true, you can actually build an entire high-performing management team of first-timers. We have PE firm clients who will only hire first-timers if that situation exists. They have a playbook that works and want hungry execs to go execute it at light speed. With an increasingly tight CFO talent pool, PE firms are becoming more intentional about how to widen that pool. This allows them to keep the bar high and hire the best person. #privateequity #CFO
-
Rob Huxtable liked thisRob Huxtable liked thisThis is the bit private markets were hoping nobody would test. What happens when a lot of investors ask for liquidity from assets that are not liquid. Private credit was sold as the sensible adult in the room. Now Ares and Apollo have capped redemptions after withdrawal requests overshot their limits, Blackstone’s BCRED saw $3.7 billion of Q1 outflows, and the wider private credit market is being forced to confront the awkward gap between liquidity promises and illiquid assets.  This matters because private credit is not some side hustle to private equity anymore. It is one of the engines. When that engine comes under pressure, deal financing tightens, refinancings get uglier, and portfolio marks start looking a lot more theoretical than everyone preferred to admit a quarter ago. Reuters also reports lenders leaning harder on payment in kind structures and covenant amendments to avoid a cleaner reckoning, which is usually not the sort of thing people do when everything is fine.  A lot of private markets still run on one fragile assumption: not too many people asking for their cash back at the same time. That assumption is getting a proper workout. Anyone still confused can consult George Bailey. He explained this perfectly in 1946. #ClaymorePartners #notveryprivateequity #privatecredit #privateequity #liquidity
-
Rob Huxtable liked thisRob Huxtable liked thisFinal post on the 5 dimensions of equity: Dimension 5: Equity tax treatment There's two forms of equity tax treatment: 1. Capital gains (20%) 2. Ordinary income (37%) For a standard $1mm equity payout that's the difference between taking home $800k vs $630k. Frequently asked questions by executives: 1. Why aren't all equity grants taxed at cap gains? Because it depends on how the PE firm structures the fund from a tax perspective. A fund usually has to jump through more hoops to structure it for capital gains treatment, but still many PE firms do so. 2. What percentage of equity packages are taxed at capital gains vs OI? Anecdotally, it's roughly a 60/40 split in favor of capital gains. 3. Should I still accept an offer that's taxed at ordinary income? Very much so...as long as the other dimensions are attractive. To wrap things up on this series, equity packages are a lot like fielding offers when selling your home. The strength of offer depends on a variety of factors related to price point, cash vs debt, waived inspections, contingencies, etc. When evaluating your equity package, do so across all five dimensions to understand the true strength of the package. It's difficult enough to build a business and position it for a successful exit. So use this framework to ensure you're set up for success from the start. If anyone has any questions or wants to run equity scenarios by me...shoot me a message! #privateequity #equity
-
Rob Huxtable liked thisRob Huxtable liked thisFor this week’s version of the Operating Partner Files, we’re taking on the topic of career mobility. “Sometimes it’s tough to be an adult in the place that you grew up as a kid.” There are many legitimate reasons why operating partners decide to seek out a new home. Weirdly, sometimes your longevity may actually be working against you. Take a listen and I’d love to get your thoughts. #OperatingPartner #PrivateEquity #PortfolioOperations #ValueCreation
-
Rob Huxtable liked thisRob Huxtable liked this"I speak in sentences & numbers...not paragraphs" Heard a PE Operating Partner say this last week when describing how he speaks to his colleagues on the Investing side. He even writes his emails that way. Short sentence format rather than long paragraphs. Everything is tied to a number. Why? He speaks in their language for max comprehension and impact. PE investors want concise data communicated to them. I did X, which led to Y% increase, and here's how. I've written about this topic before, but that phrase drove the concept home. So, PE Execs...do a self-assessment on how you communicate to your deal teams. And definitely keep this in mind if you're interviewing for a PE-backed role. #privateequity #communication
Experience & Education
-
FALCON
View Rob’s full experience
See their title, tenure and more.
or
Honors & Awards
-
Inc. 5000
Inc. 5000
Each year, Inc. Magazine ranks the fastest-growing private companies in America. Integis appeared in the 2016 edition at #2,742 out of the top 5,000.
-
Inc. 5000
Inc. 5000
Each year, Inc.Magazine ranks the fastest-growing private companies in America. Integis appeared in the 2015 edition at #1,501 out of the top 5,000.
Other similar profiles
Explore more posts
Explore top content on LinkedIn
Find curated posts and insights for relevant topics all in one place.
View top content