Assessing Leadership — Lessons Earned Over Decades on the Inside

Assessing Leadership — Lessons Earned Over Decades on the Inside

You can’t separate a company’s future from its leadership.

I’ve studied leadership.
I’ve invested based on leadership.
I’ve built leadership.

I’ve seen it from every angle:

From advising on M&A and restructurings, to serving as CFO of a public company, to founding a fintech business, to equity research, to working at and founding hedge funds —
one thing is clear:

Leadership isn’t just the ultimate driver of performance — it’s the ultimate risk when it’s wrong.

The best CEOs don’t just deliver returns —
they align with the business, the moment, and the mission.
They build cultures that endure.
And they don’t just adapt to change — they lead it.

The wrong CEOs?
Even with a strong strategy, they quietly destroy value — often before the market notices.

At Eagle Talon, we don’t just underwrite businesses — we underwrite the people leading them.

Because often, the person matters even more than the plan.
And CEO leadership isn’t just a factor — it’s the foundation.

Every investment is a bet on leadership.
That’s why we always start with the person — not the plan.