Free CEO practitioner guide ยท 29 pages
Exit Ready.
The OpCo CEO's Playbook
A PE-backed company is always for sale; only the date is unknown. This guide shows the CEO how to build a business a buyer will pay for, from the first hundred days to the day the deal closes.
7-pillar readiness scorecard24-month countdown35-question self-assessment
Everyone teaches the deal. We teach the work after the close.
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VCI Institute, 1 University Ave, Toronto, ON, vciinstitute.com. Contact: [email protected]
The market you will sell into
Buyers have choice. They pay for proof.
~7 yrs
average buyout holding period at exit, up from five to six (Bain, 2026)
32,000
unsold buyout-backed companies, worth about $3.8 trillion (Bain, 2026)
65%
of PE firms report CEO turnover during the hold (AlixPartners, 2026)
$52.5m
between the same company exit-ready and not ready, in the guide's worked case
The $52.5m is an illustrative VCII case, Kestrel Industrial Controls. Market figures are sourced in the guide.
What is inside
Thirteen chapters. One company. One exit.
01
The Exit Clock
Five phases from Day 0 to close, and why readiness is built in the middle of the hold, not at the end.
02
The buyer's equation
One worked company, two prices. What a turn of multiple is worth against a unit of EBITDA.
03
Seven pillars
Equity story, earnings quality, growth proof, bench, operating system, risk and process. The buyer's test, red flags and CEO actions for each.
04
The 24-month countdown
Ten workstreams on one timeline, and how to run the sale while you run the company.
05
Where value leaks
Ten ways price falls between the offer and the close, and how the CEO prevents each one.
06
Your own exit, and a self-test
Equity, retention and the next owner's view of you. Then 35 questions to score your company this quarter.
Written for
The person who will stand in front of the buyer
Portfolio company CEOs, from the first hundred days to the management presentation.
Operating partners and boards, who want one structure for readiness across the portfolio.
CFOs and leadership teams, who will defend the numbers and the plan.
Every chapter ends with a Monday morning action. No cost.
Build the company a buyer will pay for
Start on Day 0. The playbook is free.
VCI Institute, 1 University Ave, Toronto, ON, vciinstitute.com. Contact: [email protected]