Can the team deliver the plan? Know before you bet on it.
Every investment thesis assumes the management team can execute it. We assess the leaders the plan depends on and tell you where each is strong, where each is likely to struggle under pressure, and what support they need.
- Timing
- Report within 5 business days of the interview; 2 to 3 weeks from contract to debrief
- Sources
- Validated psychometrics and a structured interview
- Output
- Written report per leader for the investment committee
- Independence
- No search, no placement fees
The problem
Diligence prices the market and the model. It rarely prices the people.
The assumption that the team can execute usually rests on a few interviews, a management presentation and reference calls with people the CEO chose.
The pattern is familiar: a leader who reads well on paper but has never run the kind of plan the thesis needs, and who struggles when the plan slips. None of it shows up in a quality of earnings report.
What you get
A clear read on each leader, tied to the plan.
- A written report per leader for the investment committee: an overall rating, fit against the value creation plan, strengths, risks and the support the leader needs
- Psychometric profiles interpreted inside the report, with a structured interview that tests them against the leader's track record
- A team synthesis when several executives are assessed
- A live debrief with the sponsor or CEO
- A feedback session with each assessed leader, included in every engagement
We assess. We do not run search or take placement fees, so we have no interest in the answer beyond getting it right.
Team
Maxwell Salazar
Business Psychologist, Operating Partner
Max leads every engagement personally. He holds a master's degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, is Hogan certified and is an ICF certified executive coach. He was Head of Executive Assessment at AlixPartners and has written for Harvard Business Review on finding leadership talent in the middle market. He runs the kickoff, interprets the psychometrics, conducts every interview, writes every report and leads both debriefs. Nothing is delegated.
FAQs
How long does it take?
The report lands within five business days of the interview. From signed contract to final debrief is typically two to three weeks, faster on deal timelines.
What does it cover?
Validated psychometrics, completed by each leader first, then a structured interview of two to three hours that tests the findings against their actual track record. The report weighs each finding against what the value creation plan requires. Executive time is roughly four to five hours.
Is this executive search?
No. We assess. We don't place, and we take no placement fees. If a seat needs a new leader, we can assess the finalists before you make an offer.
When in the deal cycle does this work?
Before a deal, to assess the target's management team. Before a hire, on a finalist. After close, to align the team with the value creation plan. And when a CEO succession is coming. Also after a missed plan or ahead of exit.
Who does the work?
Maxwell Salazar, personally.
Who sees the results?
The sponsor or CEO who commissioned the work receives the full report and a live debrief, but not the leader's raw psychometric data. Each leader gets their own feedback session. The board sees the results only if the buyer shares them.
Is the team in the deal the team for the plan?
We invest to find your revenue leak. Then we stay to fix it.