Chief HR Officer: The Hidden Growth Engine in Private Equity Value Creation

Private equity-backed companies with a Chief People Officer in place are significantly more likely to deliver strong outcomes at exit - and every year the data becomes more compelling. For PE-backed businesses aiming for accelerated growth, a CPO is no longer a “nice-to-have”. It’s a strategic force multiplier.

‍

Successful PE cycles tend to have a few things in common:

‍

• They prioritise HR leadership early, often within the first two years.
  
• They evolve their leadership teams quickly and deliberately.
  
• They build strong CPO–CTO partnerships that unlock faster digital innovation.
  
• Their executive teams are more diverse and built with clear succession in mind.
  

‍

Greco recently interviewed Gillian Mahon, Chief People and Places Officer at Totalmobile, who played an active role in a management team that delivered a successful exit. Gillian saw firsthand that when HR is treated as a growth engine, everything accelerates.

‍

Her experience reinforces a simple message: HR teams must step up commercially, and PE firms must invest in people functions that think and operate like the business.

‍

Why HR Matters in Value Creation

‍

In high-growth companies, your people strategy is closely tied to your go-to-market strategy. Scaling isn’t just about systems and processes; it’s about talent, mindset, pace and alignment.

‍

When HR is proactive, commercially aware and embedded in the business model, it enables companies to:

‍

• Scale faster with clarity and structure
  
• Reduce churn and avoid costly replacement cycles
  
• Minimise legal friction through trust and transparency
  
• Increase the pace and alignment of decision-making
  
• Drive stronger engagement and productivity across the business

‍

Think Like a Sales Leader - Even in HR‍

‍

Gillian began her career in sales, and for her the parallels are obvious:

‍

Sales: Know your product, target the right market, deliver a great experience, drive loyalty.

HR: Know your talent, target the right roles, deliver a great employee experience, drive retention.

‍

Swap “customer” for “employee,” and the playbook is remarkably similar.

‍

Commercial HR leaders think in terms of funnels, cycles, opportunities and conversion - not just policies and processes.

‍

The HR Levers That Drive Enterprise Value

‍

Gillian is clear on what separates a commercially minded HR function from a traditional one. For her, these are the non-negotiables:

‍

Know your metrics - Data shows where the business should invest, where growth may be slowing and where talent decisions will have the biggest impact.

Commercial curiosity - Understanding the business model and commercial drivers, not just the organisational structure.

Proactive performance management - Addressing issues early and course-correcting quickly rather than allowing slow drift.

A commercially minded HR team - Emotional intelligence paired with real business awareness.

Coaching-led leadership partnerships - Helping leaders become more effective decision-makers, not simply enforcing compliance.

Listening and acting on feedback - Building trust, engagement and ultimately stronger retention.

‍

As Gillian explains: “In our recent exit, we put these principles into practice. We scaled with intent, focused on keeping retention high and aligned our talent strategy tightly to the business strategy.”

‍

By operating this way, Gillian and her team positioned HR as a growth engine contributing to both the top and bottom line, rather than functioning as a support function in the background.

‍

The Bottom Line for PE-Backed Businesses

‍

Private equity thrives on speed and certainty.

‍

When HR is treated with the same strategic focus as other core functions, businesses scale faster, retain stronger teams and ultimately deliver better outcomes at exit.

‍

Treat talent strategy with the same discipline as sales strategy - targeted, intentional and commercially driven - and you build a business that grows faster and exits stronger.

‍

How early are you bringing HR leadership into your value creation strategy?

‍

Insights by  Selena Farooqi

‍Vice President, People and Talent

Greco Advisors

‍