Chief Executive Officer

East 57th Street Partners; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 700,000 - 770,000; Full time

Job summary

East 57th Street Partners seeks a Chief Executive Officer to lead a newly formed platform company in the Chicago metro area. The CEO will own P&L, build the leadership team, and drive growth through disciplined M&A and operational scaling in a PE-backed environment.

The role offers meaningful equity participation and a long-term value creation mandate, with a focus on creating a scalable platform from inception and delivering EBITDA improvements and strategic exits.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a CEO/President or senior operator in a private equity-backed or high-growth environment.
• Demonstrated success leading M&A-driven growth strategies, including integration.
• Experience building or scaling a platform business from an early stage.

Responsibilities

• Establish the vision, operating model, and strategic roadmap for the platform.
• Build and lead the executive team, including partnering with an identified CFO, hiring a Head of IT / Systems, and hiring a Head of HR / People.
• Lead the full lifecycle of acquisitions: sourcing, diligence, execution, and integration; partner with sponsor on pipeline development.

Skills

CEO experience

M&A leadership

Private equity experience

Platform-building

Leadership team building

Financial acumen

Job description

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Location: Chicago Metro Area (On-Site Required)

Compensation: $350,000 — $385,000 Base Salary + 75%–100% Bonus + Equity Stake

Overview

E57 Partners is partnering with a private equity sponsor to identify a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead a newly established platform company headquartered in the Chicago metro area.

This is a true build opportunity — not a turnaround and not a short-term flip. The platform has been recently formed with a defined ~5-year investment horizon and a clear mandate: build a scalable, acquisition-driven market leader from the ground up.

The sponsor is committed and aligned around long-term value creation. Success in this role will be driven by leadership, execution, and the ability to scale through M&A and operational discipline.

This is an opportunity for a CEO who wants to own the playbook, build the team, and drive the outcome.

Role Summary

The CEO will have full P&L ownership and will be responsible for building, scaling, and leading the platform through its next phase of growth.

This includes:

• Standing up the leadership team
• Driving a disciplined M&A strategy
• Building operational infrastructure from the ground up
• Executing against a clearly defined value creation plan

The ideal candidate is a builder, operator, and integrator — someone who has either sat in the CEO seat or is ready to step into it after operating at a senior level in a private equity-backed environment.

What Makes This Opportunity Different

• Day 1 platform leadership — not inheriting a legacy structure
• Clear acquisition runway with active deal flow
• Highly engaged sponsor focused on building, not flipping
• Ability to build your own executive team
• Meaningful equity participation aligned with exit

Key Responsibilities

Platform Build & Executive Leadership

• Establish the vision, operating model, and strategic roadmap for the platform
• Build and lead the executive team, including partnering with an identified CFO, hiring a Head of IT / Systems to support infrastructure and scalability, and hiring a Head of HR / People to build culture, talent strategy, and organizational design
• Create alignment across leadership around performance, accountability, and growth

M&A Strategy & Integration

• Lead the full lifecycle of acquisitions: sourcing, diligence, execution, and integration
• Partner directly with the private equity sponsor on pipeline development
• Build a repeatable integration playbook to support a multi-acquisition strategy
• Ensure acquisitions translate into measurable EBITDA growth and operational synergies

Growth & Value Creation

• Drive both organic and acquisition-driven growth initiatives
• Expand market presence, capabilities, and operational footprint
• Execute against a defined value creation plan aligned with a ~5-year exit

Operational Infrastructure & Scalability

• Build systems, processes, and KPIs from the ground up
• Drive operational discipline and consistency across the organization
• Establish reporting visibility and accountability at all levels
• Ensure the business is built to scale efficiently

Financial Performance

• Own full P&L responsibility and capital allocation strategy
• Partner closely with the CFO on forecasting, reporting, and performance tracking
• Drive EBITDA growth, margin expansion, and cash flow optimization

Board & Investor Partnership

• Serve as the primary interface with the Board and private equity sponsor
• Deliver clear, data-driven updates on performance, acquisitions, and strategy
• Align execution with investment objectives and exit strategy

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a CEO, President, or senior operator in a private equity-backed or high-growth environment
• Demonstrated success leading M&A-driven growth strategies, including integration
• Experience building or scaling a platform business from an early stage
• Strong track record of recruiting and developing high-performing leadership teams
• Deep operational expertise with a hands-on leadership style
• Strong financial acumen with experience driving EBITDA growth
• Experience working closely with private equity sponsors and Boards

The Ideal Profile

This role is best suited for someone who:

• Wants to build, not inherit
• Is energized by M&A and integration complexity
• Has the ability to hire and lead a leadership team from day one
• Is motivated by equity and long-term value creation
• Understands how to scale a business within a defined investment horizon

Why This Role

This is a rare opportunity to step into a true platform CEO role at inception, with:

• A clear mandate
• Capital backing the strategy
• A defined path to value creation and exit
• And the ability to build a business and leadership team from the ground up