Hiring sales and marketing leaders to drive PE-backed growth

Private equity (PE) investment brings a unique set of pressures and opportunities for high growth businesses. With ambitious value creation plans and tight timelines, the need for commercially astute leadership becomes crucial – particularly in sales and marketing. 

While finance and operations often receive early attention post-investment, it’s the marketing leaders and sales strategists who are tasked with delivering the top-line revenue growth that underpins the investment thesis. But hiring the right talent in these functions is far from straightforward. 

The commercial growth engine 

In PE-backed companies, sales and marketing leaders must do more than just build brand awareness or hit quarterly KPIs. They’re expected to: 

• Develop and execute go-to-market strategies that align with the investment horizon 

• Build scalable demand generation engines 

• Drive customer acquisition and retention 

• Optimise pricing, channel strategy and sales performance 

• Lead digital transformation and data-driven decision making 

This requires a rare blend of strategic thinking, hands-on execution and the ability to build high-performing teams. These leaders must be able to pivot quickly, make decisions with imperfect data and scale initiatives across the UK, Europe and beyond. 

What makes a great PE-ready commercial leader? 

The most successful candidates share certain traits: 

• Commercial acumen: They understand how their function drives enterprise value and can speak the language of Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) and PE investors 

• Scalability mindset: They’ve built or transformed marketing teams, CRM systems and martech stacks to support rapid growth 

• Data-driven decision making: They use metrics to inform strategy, measure return on investment (ROI) and optimise performance marketing 

• Resilience and pace: They’re comfortable with ambiguity, fast decision-making and high expectations 

Experience in a PE-backed business or venture capital environment is a plus but not essential. What matters more is mindset, adaptability and a track record of delivering impact in senior level leadership roles. 

The evolving role of sales and marketing in value creation 

Top-line growth is now a central lever in PE value creation. 78% of PE executives consider leadership effectiveness to be the most important driver of success – including commercial leadership, where the pressure to drive growth is immediate and intense. 

Private equity investment in digital marketing and SaaS businesses continues to rise. PE investment in marketing-led businesses grew 21% year-on-year, with healthcare and tech portfolio companies leading the way. These businesses are prioritising automation, CRM integration and scalable marketing strategy. 

We’re seeing demand for: 

• Chief Marketing Officers (CMO) and marketing leads who can lead digital-first marketing strategy and scale brand presence 

• Growth marketing leaders with deep experience in SaaS, martech and automation 

• Sales directors and VPs who can build repeatable scalable sales processes 

• Interim commercial leaders who can stabilise and accelerate growth during transitions or post-deal integration 

Hiring challenges and how to overcome them 

PE-backed companies often face three common hiring challenges when it comes to marketing leadership. 

1. Speed vs rigour: The need to move quickly can lead to rushed hires. But making the wrong senior hire can be costly both financially and culturally. A structured insight-led executive search process helps balance pace with precision
2. Cultural fit: Not every high-performing leader thrives in a PE environment. The pace, pressure and ambiguity can be a shock to those used to more structured or slower-moving businesses. It’s important to assess for adaptability, resilience and stakeholder management, not just years of experience
3. Candidate perception: Some candidates may be wary of the intensity of PE-backed roles. Clear communication about the opportunity, expectations and support available can help attract the right talent. It’s also important to sell the vision; many candidates are energised by the chance to build something, make a real impact and potentially benefit from equity upside

How we help 

The pressure to deliver growth is intensifying. PE firms are replacing commercial leaders faster than ever, with many CMOs and CFOs being replaced within the first 12 to 18 months of acquisition. Businesses need to make the hire right the first time. 

At Carter Murray, we specialise in executive recruitment for senior level sales and marketing leadership roles across the UK and Europe. We understand the nuances of PE-backed companies and partner closely with founders, CEOs and investors to find leaders who can deliver commercial transformation. 

Our executive search approach is tailored, data-informed and relationship-led. We take the time to understand your investment thesis, growth strategy and team culture then we find candidates who align with your goals and can hit the ground running. 

Whether you’re hiring your first CMO, building out a marketing team or looking for a hands-on strategist to lead a turnaround, we can help you find the right talent to grow.