Commercial value creation for private equity

Our passion is successfully changing the trajectory of businesses. We live for those aha moments; the spark that ignites a course of action, builds alignment and facilitates change.

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Our singular focus is making a deal successful through profitable growth

Our team has experience at all stages of the deal lifecycle, and we often support sponsors and portfolio companies across multiple engagements. This means we can provide continuity and coordination between diligence and the critical first 100 days and beyond.

Commercial Diligence
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100-Day Planning
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Sustained growth
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Get an in-depth view of your acquisition target's market opportunity and commercial performance

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Market size, share, and attractiveness
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Sales effectiveness
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Customer sentiment and brand positioning
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Marketing effectiveness
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Product portfolio and pipeline
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Hit the ground running when a transaction closes to boost cash flow and chart a course for the holding period

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Rapidly confirm diligence assumptions and re-assess risk
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Fill gaps in key metrics and establish critical reporting
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Evaluate commercial talent, strategy, processes, and technology
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Support 100-day+ execution where needed
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Lock in short- and long-term strategic plans in collaboration with management
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Build a scalable, efficient revenue engine, and find the next sources of profitable growth

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Diagnose underperforming revenue engines
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Develop profitable growth strategies
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Fill critical leadership gaps through interim management
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Improve long-term sales effectiveness through org, processes, and technology
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Build effective segmentation and targeting strategies, and maximize return on marketing spend
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Evaluate new markets and M&A opportunities
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"A trusted resource for TPG"

Candela Partners is a trusted resource for TPG, and we have used them multiple times across our portfolio.  To a person, their team are highly experienced sales and marketing practitioners, with real world experience at delivering revenue enhancement engagements that have impact.

You won’t get the junior team.  As such, they are adept at immediately zeroing in on the most tangible paths to value, and then developing a fact-based, practical approach to unlocking that value.  Solutions presented are tested and proven, not theoretical.  All team members are polished professionals that are also not afraid to get their hands dirty.  
They can lead an Exec team meeting one day and be riding in the field with reps on the next.  This allows them to craft solutions in collaboration with management that are not only strategically sound but are also endorsed and embraced by the rank and file.”

Senior Operating Partner
Sales Effectiveness, TPG Capital

"They delivered in spades!"

We engaged a Candela team in 2019 to conduct a comprehensive revenue assessment and they delivered in spades!  Their ability to make sense out of our internal data, combined with market data and qualitative insights from in-depth interviews with our reps and dealers, brought new clarity to what we needed to do and how to capitalize on various market opportunities.

Since the initial engagement, we have contracted with them three additional times on a variety of projects and we have been delighted every time!  I can recommend Candela without hesitation – they are smart, scrappy, creative and a pleasure to work with.

Andrew schultz
Independent Director at PE-owned manufacturer

"Instrumental to the successful launch of our strategy"

Hiring Cory and his team at Candela has been instrumental to the successful launch of the strategy for our business unit at Elementis. In a short period of time they uncovered opportunities to transform the business and created a very tangible path to implementation that we have successfully executed over the past three years. We have now realized nearly all of the benefits Candela identified at the beginning of the transformation, resulting in significant increases in cash flow and profitability.

The Candela team acted as a fully integrated part of our organization and as such built credibility from front-line to board level, bringing very tangible results early on – which I think is down to their ability to very quickly understand key issues and propose real solutions. Moreover, Cory and team are a great pleasure to work with; I would highly recommend their services.    

Luc van ravenstein
SVP Coatings & Energy, Elementis Global

"They're a joy to work with"

Amy and her team partnered with our sales leaders and worked across our entire organization to dive deep into our sales processes, identify key pain points, and generate broad support for recommended changes to our sales system and approach.

The results were significantly improved processes, reduced sales costs, higher sales productivity, and a bought-in organization that supported these changes. Although I was impressed by their skills in many areas – sales analytics, talent evaluation and role design, strategic sales prioritization – I was most impressed by how they worked cross-functionally to build full organizational support for some tough, but needed changes.

The secret to their success is the way they bring great personalities and a supportive approach to their work in addition to their technical capabilities. They're a joy to work with, and I'd gladly work with Candela on any such project in the future.  

Mark Henderson
Head of Sales, North America, EVBox

"An incredible addition to this team"

You were an incredible addition to this team, and I dread to think what we would have done without you.  You made it easy to let go of the sales work that needed to be done.  Your ability to gather/internalize/analyze/act upon information was incredible. Thanks so much for the time you spent with us.

Kari Branjord
Senior Vice President Strategy & Product Management
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What makes us different?

Senior Team

Four team members with 15-40 years of get-your-hands-dirty experience as advisors and front line executives.

Revenue Focus

Consulting and operating experience across all facets of sales, marketing & strategy.

Industry Breadth

Clients span manufacturers, industrial services, technology, software, retail, restaurants, & consumer goods.

Restructuring Heritage

Former Alvarez & Marsal team that brings the urgency and results-focused mentality of restructuring to every engagement.
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Rapid Change

Quick, measurable wins that build momentum and create organizational commitment.
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Real Results

Data-backed strategies that translate to sustained, real-world revenue and profitability.
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Exceptional ROI

Lean, high-output teams with lower total engagement cost.
our principles

We view ourselves as an extension of our PE sponsor, taking an owner's perspective and prioritizing results over polished presentations

We earn the respect of portfolio companies

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We’ve spent time as operators and interim managers and aren’t afraid to get our hands dirty. We engage with our clients, get close to their customers, and work directly with front-line staff to make sure we understand a business before attempting to change it.

We adopt an owner's mentality

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We shine light on challenges and create smart, holistic paths to success rather than thinking of pieces of a business in a vacuum. Our recommendations are designed to improve our clients’ P&Ls without pushing problems up or down stream.

We prioritize execution

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We assess capacity for change and make realistic recommendations that factor in the culture and capabilities of the organizations we serve. We believe a good solution that becomes reality is more valuable than a perfect one that sits on a shelf.

We relentlessly pursue value

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While our primary focus is always to deliver the scope for which we are engaged, we learn a lot about our clients’ businesses during our work, and we don’t hesitate to surface important opportunities or risks when we find them.

We do more with less

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Through serving dozens of private equity firms and their portfolio companies, we have learned what matters. And that’s where we focus. We don't waste time answering interesting questions that can't move the needle. We know the devil is often in the details and don’t offload critical work to inexperienced resources.

Meet the team

Jordan Davis

Partner
Jordan is a data-driven consultant who previously worked as a Director with Alvarez & Marsal and as a consultant in FTI's Creditor Rights Practice. He is passionate about live music, the outdoors, and sits on the board of the Cora Hartshorn Arboretum.
Full Bio

Cory Oliver

Partner
Cory focuses on strategy, marketing, and sales for B2B clients and was previously a Director with Alvarez & Marsal in New York. He now lives in Austin, Texas with his wife Sarah and three dogs: Meatball, Hamilton, and Ralphie.
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Amy O'Brien-Bird

Partner
Amy drives sustainable improvements for clients across go-to-market strategy, sales, and marketing and was previously a Managing Director with Alvarez & Marsal in New York where she founded and led the Growth and Customer Experience practice. She lives in Pittsburgh with her family.
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Jared Rejsek

Senior Analyst
Jared brings experience in reporting, analytics, and technology from his time as a senior analyst at Accenture and master's degree in MIS. When not working on creating value for Candela's clients, you can find him heads-down in a Sci-Fi book, exploring a new pocket of the Earth, or dirtying his kitchen with a new recipe. Originally from Texas, Jared now resides in Chicago.
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John Deakins

Partner
John is a senior business executive with over 40 years of experience in industries such as manufacturing, apparel, retail, and consumer products and services. He served as a Practice Leader at Alvarez & Marsal for 12 years. John lives with his wife Karen in Fairfield, CT, near their children and grandchildren.
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