Operating Partner - Market Research - USA
March 18, 2025
At A Glance
How many Private Equity firms have Operating Partners in the small & mid cap space
OPERATING PARTNERS MARKET REPORT
Welcome to Raw Selection’s latest market report — this time spotlighting Operating Partners in Private Equity.
We’ve mapped out this often under-analyzed segment to give you direct insight into the people behind portfolio performance.
KEY STATISTICS
-
1,765 Operating Partners currently active in Private Equity
-
538 PE firms employ Operating Partners
-
Only 10.3% of Operating Partners are women
This data reflects only middle-market and lower-middle-market firms and does not include large-cap firms.
WHO'S LEADING THE CHARGE
These firms boast the highest number of Operating Partners across our data:
-
One Rock Capital Partners
-
Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners
-
Arbor Investments
-
MidOcean Partners
-
Ten Oaks Group
-
Thoma Bravo
-
Corsair Capital
-
Arsenal Capital Partners
-
Akoya Capital Partners
-
Havencrest Capital
-
Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe
Each of these firms has embedded Operating Partners as a core part of their value creation strategy — a sign of deep operational focus within their portfolio execution models.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR PE-FIRMS
Whether you're seeking to expand your operating bench, evaluate diversity within leadership, or benchmark against peers, this data reveals key trends worth noting:
-
Operational talent is dispersed across a broad base of firms — this is no longer limited to the big names.
-
Diversity remains low, but the spotlight is increasing. The 10.3% figure highlights both a challenge and an opportunity.
-
Middle-market firms are aggressively building operating infrastructures, creating a competitive market for top talent.
If you're looking to add an Operating Partner or assess how your firm compares, Raw Selection provides tailored search strategies focused on Private Equity-backed environments.
GET IN TOUCH
Want to explore your next career step or looking for a strategic hire?
Contact Alex.Rawlings@Raw-Selection.com
Managing Partner & Founder
All the insights in this market report are provided from our proprietary data
Raw Selection | De-Risking Executive Search for Private Equity firms across Europe and North America.
Get in Touch
Raw Selection favors a meticulous approach to talent research. Our process for selecting the right talent means we can boast a 100% success rate for all our retained and engaged C-Suite clients, with 96% of placed candidates still in their roles after 12 months.
If you are looking for new talent, contact us now.
