Best But Never Final: Private Equity's Pursuit of Excellence

Hosted by Doug McCormick, Lloyd Metz, Sean Mooney

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Jun 2026

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About the show

Join Doug McCormick from Oridian Capital Partners, Lloyd Metz from ICV Partners, and Sean Mooney from BluWave as they explore timely private equity topics and offer their seasoned perspectives on crucial areas of focus within the industry. Gain valuable insights from these industry experts in this engaging podcast tailored for PE professionals.

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50 recent

June 10, 20261 hr 1 min

Private Equity Value Creation with Mary Rachide and Bob Hund

Episode DescriptionMary Rachide, Managing Director at ICV Partners, and Bob Hund, Operating Partner at Oridian, join Sean Mooney, Lloyd Metz, and Doug McCormick to explain how operating executives help turn private equity value creation plans into results. They discuss how operating partners engage in diligence, align with founders and deal teams, and support portfolio companies through execution without losing trust. The conversation also covers process discipline, management assessment, stakeholder alignment, and the art of knowing when to coach versus when to push. This is a practical look at how modern private equity firms build better businesses—hit play.Episode Highlights1:52 - Mary Rachide’s path from McKinsey and executive roles into PE operations3:33 - Bob Hund’s engineering, manufacturing, and process background before Iridium6:45 - How operating partners support diligence, strategy, and execution9:59 - Aligning founders and investors around realistic value creation plans18:52 - Using process assessments to identify risk and unlock improvement opportunities26:50 - Mary’s “glue, grease, grit, and glitter” framework for operating partner impact41:06 - Why the best operating executives take joy in helping others succeedFor more information on the podcast, visit bestbutneverfinal.buzzsprout.com and embark on your journey to private equity excellence today.Visit us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-but-never-final-podcast/Visit us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/bestbutneverfinal/For information on Oridian Capital Partners, go to https://oridiancapital.com/For information on ICV Partners, go to https://www.icvpartners.comFor information on BluWave, go to https://www.bluwave.net

May 12, 202656 min

Private Equity and AI: From Hype to Portfolio Execution

Lloyd Metz (Partner, ICV Partners), Doug McCormick (Managing Partner, Oridian Capital Partners), and Sean Mooney (Founder & CEO, BluWave) are joined by James Aylward (Chief Product & Technology Officer, BluWave) and Nathan Plummer (Co-Executive Director, Venture Café Global Institute) to translate AI from concept into execution. The conversation moves beyond buzzwords to where firms are actually applying AI today—from coding and data strategy to real-time decision-making inside portfolio companies. They also address the practical barriers: data readiness, organizational adoption, and the risk of standing still. This is a clear look at what it takes to put AI to work in private equity—hit play.Episode Highlights1:30 - Why AI is shifting from buzzword to practical tool for operators9:45 - ChatGPT as the inflection point that changed AI adoption overnight13:00 - AI moves from “thinking partner” to executing tasks autonomously18:30 - Applied AI in industries like biotech and robotics reshaping outcomes23:10 - Data becomes the primary competitive moat across portfolio companies30:15 - Why most companies struggle: fragmented, unstructured data systems44:00 - Real-world example: automating hiring workflows with AI toolsFor more information on the podcast, visit bestbutneverfinal.buzzsprout.com and embark on your journey to private equity excellence today.Visit us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-but-never-final-podcast/Visit us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/bestbutneverfinal/For information on Oridian Capital Partners, go to https://oridiancapital.com/For information on ICV Partners, go to https://www.icvpartners.comFor information on BluWave, go to https://www.bluwave.net

April 14, 202650 min

Private Equity in 2026: Liquidity, Growth, and AI Execution

Lloyd Metz (Partner, ICV Partners), Doug McCormick (Managing Partner, Oridian Capital Partners), and Sean Mooney (Founder & CEO, BluWave) assess the private equity landscape heading into 2026. They unpack the pressure to return capital, the realities of longer hold periods, and why growth—not multiple expansion—is now the primary driver of returns. The conversation also explores the accelerating impact of AI on dealmaking, operations, and portfolio company performance. This is a clear-eyed view of where private equity is headed next—hit play.Episode Highlights2:00 - Liquidity pressure builds as distributions lag across the industry6:01 - Why market volatility stalled deal activity despite early momentum10:29 - Surge in diligence activity signals a delayed but real deal rebound12:02 - “12 is the new 5”: growth expectations reset for private equity returns17:46 - Shift toward add-ons and operational upgrades across portfolios23:09 - Manufacturing resurgence and reshoring create new investment themes38:18 - AI moves from concept to execution across firms and portfolio companiesFor more information on the podcast, visit bestbutneverfinal.buzzsprout.com and embark on your journey to private equity excellence today.Visit us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-but-never-final-podcast/Visit us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/bestbutneverfinal/For information on Oridian Capital Partners, go to https://oridiancapital.com/For information on ICV Partners, go to https://www.icvpartners.comFor information on BluWave, go to https://www.bluwave.net

March 17, 2026Episode 4544 min

Rollover Equity and the Power of True Alignment

Doug McCormick, Managing Partner at HCI Equity Partners, and Lloyd Metz, Partner at ICV Partners, join BluWave’s Sean Mooney to explain why rollover equity sits at the center of private equity dealmaking. They break down the mechanics, tax advantages, and alignment dynamics that allow founders to take liquidity while remaining invested in future growth. The discussion also explores signaling, governance rights, and why investors pay close attention to how much an owner chooses to reinvest. If you want to understand why rollover equity drives many of the best outcomes in private equity, hit play.Episode Highlights1:41 - What rollover equity means and why founders keep ownership after a sale4:19 - Why private equity firms want management teams to reinvest6:43 - The mechanics of tax-efficient rollover structures10:27 - The compounding power of tax deferral in rollover investments17:19 - Why founders often start playing defense before a transaction21:28 - The signaling effect of how much equity an owner reinvests32:02 - Creating wealth for management teams through equity participationFor more information on the podcast, visit bestbutneverfinal.buzzsprout.com and embark on your journey to private equity excellence today.Visit us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-but-never-final-podcast/Visit us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/bestbutneverfinal/For information on Oridian Capital Partners, go to https://oridiancapital.com/For information on ICV Partners, go to https://www.icvpartners.comFor information on BluWave, go to https://www.bluwave.net

February 17, 2026Episode 4451 min

Private Equity Deal Teams and the Discipline to Win

Lloyd Metz and Doug McCormick join Sean Mooney to break down what truly makes a private equity deal team effective—from associate to partner. They unpack how roles evolve across the deal lifecycle, how firms assign and staff opportunities, and why intellectual honesty, judgment, and trust determine whether capital gets deployed wisely. The conversation moves beyond modeling and process into risk appetite, negotiation discipline, and staying commercial under pressure. If you want a candid look at how winning private equity teams actually operate, hit play.2:27 - The core roles inside a lower middle market private equity deal team 8:40 - Assigning deals: capacity, passion, and declaring your intentions 15:12 - What separates an exceptional associate from a competent one 22:10 - Balancing gas and brake: risk appetite inside the deal team 29:25 - Identifying deal breakers early and protecting against bias 34:20 - The shift from analyst to manager: what defines a strong VP 44:21 - From closing the deal to owning the outcome: integrating ops and value creationFor more information on the podcast, visit bestbutneverfinal.buzzsprout.com and embark on your journey to private equity excellence today.Visit us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-but-never-final-podcast/Visit us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/bestbutneverfinal/For information on HCI Equity Partners, go to https://www.hciequity.comFor information on ICV Partners, go to https://www.icvpartners.comFor information on BluWave, go to https://www.bluwave.netFor more information on the podcast, visit bestbutneverfinal.buzzsprout.com and embark on your journey to private equity excellence today.Visit us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-but-never-final-podcast/Visit us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/bestbutneverfinal/For information on Oridian Capital Partners, go to https://oridiancapital.com/For information on ICV Partners, go to https://www.icvpartners.comFor information on BluWave, go to https://www.bluwave.net

January 20, 2026Episode 431 hr 6 min

Private Equity Career Paths From Associate to Partner

Lloyd Metz, Doug McCormick, and Sean Mooney pull back the curtain on the real career path inside private equity, from first-year associate to partner. They break down the skills, judgment calls, and personal evolution required at each level, including when talent is assessed, how responsibility compounds, and why synthesis and EQ matter as much as modeling. The conversation also tackles business school, asking for help, and the realities of partnership economics and firm leadership. This is a candid, operator-level guide to navigating a private equity career with eyes wide open—hit play.For more information on the podcast, visit bestbutneverfinal.buzzsprout.com and embark on your journey to private equity excellence today.Visit us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-but-never-final-podcast/Visit us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/bestbutneverfinal/For information on Oridian Capital Partners, go to https://oridiancapital.com/For information on ICV Partners, go to https://www.icvpartners.comFor information on BluWave, go to https://www.bluwave.net

December 23, 202542 min

Private Equity Operating Partners as Value Creation Translators with Mike Magliochetti

Mike Magliochetti, Operating Partner at Riverside Partners and former multi-time PE-backed CEO, explains how operating partners create real value by bridging deal teams and portfolio company leadership. Drawing from three decades as an operator and his book Dancing Between the Toes of Elephants, Mike shares how trust, pattern recognition, and execution discipline shape better outcomes across diligence, governance, and growth. He also addresses deal fever, founder dynamics, and why serving outcomes—not egos—matters most. This conversation offers a clear-eyed view of modern private equity value creation—worth every minute.Get Mike's Book at https://www.amazon.com/Dancing-Between-Toes-Elephants-Experience/dp/1964421136For more information on Riverside Partners, go to https://riversidepartners.com/For more information on Mike Magliochetti, https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-magliochetti-9905371For more information on the podcast, visit bestbutneverfinal.buzzsprout.com and embark on your journey to private equity excellence today.Visit us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-but-never-final-podcast/Visit us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/bestbutneverfinal/For information on Oridian Capital Partners, go to https://oridiancapital.com/For information on ICV Partners, go to https://www.icvpartners.comFor information on BluWave, go to https://www.bluwave.net

November 25, 2025Episode 4159 min

Private Equity Career Lessons from 25 Years with Meranee Phing Naaman

Meranee Phing Naaman, a trailblazer with over 25 years in private equity and two decades as a senior investment partner at Riverside Company, shares hard-won lessons from building and scaling businesses in consumer markets. She explains why IQ alone isn't enough in PE—you need EQ to sell your vision and LQ (learning quotient) to keep pattern recognition sharp. From buying the same home services business twice to pioneering franchising as a PE strategy, Meranee breaks down what separates good investors from great ones.For more information on the podcast, visit bestbutneverfinal.buzzsprout.com and embark on your journey to private equity excellence today.Visit us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-but-never-final-podcast/Visit us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/bestbutneverfinal/For information on Oridian Capital Partners, go to https://oridiancapital.com/For information on ICV Partners, go to https://www.icvpartners.comFor information on BluWave, go to https://www.bluwave.net

November 11, 2025Episode 4048 min

Private Equity Valuation: Academia vs. Reality

Sean Mooney, Doug McCormick, and Lloyd Metz dissect the gap between textbook valuation methods and what actually happens when private equity firms decide what to pay for a business. They compare DCF models to LBO models, debate the usefulness of terminal value assumptions, and explain why market-based approaches trump theoretical frameworks. The conversation reveals how deal psychology, credit availability, and real-world capital structures shape valuation decisions far more than any spreadsheet ever could.For more information on the podcast, visit bestbutneverfinal.buzzsprout.com and embark on your journey to private equity excellence today.Visit us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-but-never-final-podcast/Visit us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/bestbutneverfinal/For information on Oridian Capital Partners, go to https://oridiancapital.com/For information on ICV Partners, go to https://www.icvpartners.comFor information on BluWave, go to https://www.bluwave.net

October 14, 2025Episode 3945 min

When Things Go Wrong, Part II: Taking Action When Performance Slips

In this continuation of their conversation on portfolio performance, co-hosts Lloyd Metz (ICV Partners), Doug McCormick (HCI Equity Partners), and Sean Mooney (BluWave) move from diagnosis to action: what to actually do once you know a business isn’t performing to plan.They cover how to tell a temporary headwind from a structural problem, where to start on revenue and cost fixes, and how to balance quick liquidity levers with long-term value creation. From pricing strategy and marketing ROI to Lean Six Sigma process improvements, working capital discipline, and when to inject new capital, this episode is a playbook for business builders navigating tough quarters with clear eyes and steady hands.Episode Highlights2:21 – Distinguishing market challenges from internal structural problems7:01 – Boosting top-line growth through pricing, marketing, and sales leadership16:48 – Cutting costs intelligently: process efficiency, spend takeout, and Lean systems28:45 – Managing liquidity: working capital, cash creation, and balance-sheet discipline36:18 – Knowing when more capital helps and when it’s time to stop funding the problemFor more information on the podcast, visit bestbutneverfinal.buzzsprout.com and embark on your journey to private equity excellence today.Visit us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-but-never-final-podcast/Visit us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/bestbutneverfinal/For information on Oridian Capital Partners, go to https://oridiancapital.com/For information on ICV Partners, go to https://www.icvpartners.comFor information on BluWave, go to https://www.bluwave.net