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Leadership for Private Equity

We help PE funds and their portfolio companies make the right technology and product leadership calls across the deal cycle, from diligence to exit.

Measured like you measure everything else

We are judged on outcomes that survive ownership: leaders who deliver the plan and are still in post at exit.

Leadership needs we solve for Private Equity

  • Pre-deal and diligence

    We assess the technology, the product and the team behind the investment case, so you know what you're buying before you sign.

  • The first 100 days

    The value creation plan needs an owner. We put one in place at deal pace, interim or a permanent leader found through retained search.

  • Exit readiness

    A leadership team that stands up to buyer scrutiny, with succession, key-person risk and capability gaps dealt with.

Built around how funds actually work

One relationship covering the whole portfolio. We triage each situation and recommend the right route, not the service we would rather sell.

  • Executive search

    Permanent technology and product leaders who can deliver the plan and stand up at exit. Retained, exclusive, 11 weeks on average.

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  • Interim & fractional

    Two or three named operators within 48 hours, for carve-outs, gaps at completion and everything in between.

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  • Advisory

    Technology due diligence and leadership assessment, run by operators who have owned the plan themselves.

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  • Team scaling

    Product and engineering teams built beneath the leader, so delivery keeps pace with the investment case.

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A partner on every search

We’re a small team with a big network. No handoffs. No account managers. The senior partner you meet is the one who runs your search, from first conversation to whatever comes next.

An Albany partner smiling at the meeting table

We engaged Albany to lead our search for a Head of IT - a role that required a very specific blend of technical capability, cultural fit, and a forward-leaning mindset on AI and automation. Albany team took the time to understand our brief. We're delighted with the outcome and would have no hesitation recommending Albany.”

Chief People Officer

Our search was always going to be demanding. We needed a leader with proven SaaS product expertise, deep understanding of private markets, and the ability to establish Lantern in the US. In a limited candidate pool, where professional reputations carry significant weight, Albany distinguished themselves as a highly capable, dependable partner and we appointed an exceptional CPO.”

CTO

We had the pleasure to work with Henry and the Albany team for our CTO search. We are not only very happy about the great executive we were able to hire but we are especially grateful for the professional guidance Henry provided throughout the process.”

Founder

During our search for a new VP of Engineering, Albany demonstrated great market insight. Their guidance led to an excellent result. Throughout the process, their communication was transparent and pleasant, making it all very efficient.”

CEO

We have worked with Albany on two searches and are very happy with the results. Albany delivered, even in a tough market for executive talent. They were happy to challenge us as a client, as well as support us throughout and partnering with Juro.”

CEO

James' experience and expertise was invaluable in helping us to land a supersonic CTO. We had very clear expectations and a high bar from the outset, which James immediately understood and delivered with the perfect balance of intuition and process. I would 100% recommend James and Albany to any company looking to make their next pivotal technology hire.”

CEO and Founder

We had a great experience working with Kieran and team at Albany Partners. Their understanding of product leadership, quality of candidates, and thoughtful guidance throughout the process made a real difference in helping us find a VP of Product.”

EVP/Head of Product

We had an urgent requirement for a key strategic role in our business. Having had strong endorsements for Albany from my network, they were my first point of call. The whole process was highly collaborative with rapid cycles of feedback and improvement. This resulted in us finding, and hiring, an ideal candidate within a fraction of the time normally expected for this level.”

CEO

Together we achieved a great outcome... The Albany team were positive, collaborative, and a pleasure to work with. I highly recommend them.”

Group CEO

The Albany team did a great job of getting right out beyond conventional candidates and managed to keep us moving and focused the whole time.”

CEO

The best Search experience I've had in the last ten years of hiring.”

CTO

Albany has been key in re-building our executive team. They placed multiple executives in key roles efficiently and effectively. The key is that they are true partners. Many firms engage as vendors, but Albany engage as an extension of our team and because of that, we hire the right person in the right role every time. I recommend them fully and with no qualification.”

CEO

The Albany team went above and beyond to deeply understand our business and needs. The experience was seamless, professional and a pleasure.”

CEO

What we really valued was their market knowledge, attention to detail and professional service. Thank you!”

Head of Talent

Working with the team at Albany has been a pleasure of professionalism, speed, agility, transparency and care. We hired an amazing CTO.”

Chief People Officer

I have partnered with Albany across a number of tech leadership searches in our portfolio, and they’ve consistently delivered exceptional results. They understand the pace and nuance of private equity, and more importantly, what good looks like and who can drive real value acceleration. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Albany to any PE firm looking for a search partner who truly gets it.”

Digital Future Architect

We rely on Albany to connect us and our portfolio companies with transformative, independent Tech and Product leaders. Their flexible platform makes them our first call and a key value creation partner.”

Head of Innovation Acceleration

Albany was recommended to us for an incredibly sensitive Product Leadership position. Taking on a retained search was a new thing for us. Their transparent approach was exactly what we needed. They were always available and even through some unexpected hurdles towards the end, their focus and management of the process from every side, resulted in a great hire!”

Co-CEO

Albany’s approach was the most thorough and informed I have ever come across from a search firm. The result was a perfect fit. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them, and we will certainly be using Albany again for other roles.”

Founder

Frequently asked questions

The questions funds ask us most. For anything else, ask us directly.

How is Albany different from a traditional search firm?

We are specialists in technology and product leadership for investor-backed businesses, and search is one answer among several. We challenge the brief before we act: sometimes the right call is an interim, a fractional leader or a diagnostic, not a permanent hire. And because we work with funds across their portfolios, we are usually in the conversation before the brief exists.

Do you only work with investor-backed companies?

Almost entirely. Our clients are PE and VC funds and their portfolio companies. That focus is deliberate: the pace, governance and compensation structures of private equity are a world of their own, and we know it.

What roles do you cover?

Technology and product leadership only. CTO, CPO, CPTO, CIO, CISO, CDO and the VP layer beneath them, across the UK, Europe and the US.

How does The Bench work?

We build a bench of vetted, independent technology and product leaders around one fund, mapped to its portfolio and investment thesis. When a need lands, you already know who to call, what they are good at and what they cost. No cold start, no briefing from scratch.

What does a typical engagement cost?

It depends on the shape of the engagement. Retained search is a fixed fee agreed up front and staged across the search. Interim and fractional work is a day rate agreed before the engagement starts. Tell us the situation and we will give you a straight answer on cost in the first conversation.

Contact us

Tell us your leadership challenge

We’ll help you work out your next move.