Human Capital Due Diligence for Investors

When investing in the future of a company, understanding the motivations and behaviors of its leaders can provide invaluable guidance. I provide private equity firms, venture capital firms, hedge funds and other investors with critical insights into the leadership and corporate culture of potential investees. By applying a psychoanalytic management consulting perspective, I assist investors in acquiring data not available through ordinary due diligence. These confidential assessments of human capital produce a rigorous psychological portrait of a company’s management team, including its leadership depth and vulnerabilities, retention risks and tensions at the top. In particular, I focus on the CEO and his ability to shape and galvanize the senior team, and to respond to oversight from private equity operating partners.

In addition, I advise private equity firms on management teams within their existing portfolio companies. These consultations focus on optimizing senior team performance, diagnosing and addressing internal tensions, identifying and resolving leadership problems and other aspects of organizational dynamics. Through confidential interviews with senior managers and immersion in corporate culture, I create a composite picture of the senior team while being careful to never disrupt business. All senior team assessments are followed up with practical, actionable suggestions.