Catalyst Partners
Head of People & Culture – Private Markets
12-Month Fixed-Term Contract
Start: April
Role Overview
A leading global Investment Management business is seeking a Head of People to drive organisational performance through commercially grounded, outcomes-focused people leadership.
Aligned to a Private Markets platform spanning Private Equity, Private Credit, Real Assets and Infrastructure, this role blends senior HR business partnering with deep expertise in Private Markets talent, reward structures, operating models and transaction dynamics.
The role acts as a trusted adviser to the Private Markets CEO and Executive Committee (ExCo) and is an active member of the business leadership team, as well as a senior contributor within the broader People & Culture leadership forum.
Key Responsibilities
1) Commercial HR Business Partnering & Advice
Develop a deep understanding of Private Markets strategic priorities, including investment and fundraising cycles, regulatory considerations and operating model implications
Use people data and commercial insight (e.g. AUM, fundraising pipeline, fee base, carried interest profile, deal flow capacity, cost dynamics) to inform decision-making and accelerate business outcomes
Monitor people-related costs, forecasts and productivity; proactively recommend adjustments to maximise return on people investment
Hold senior leaders accountable for people outcomes including leadership effectiveness, talent depth, succession readiness, diversity and retention
Lead and develop a team of business-aligned People & Culture professionals to deliver measurable commercial impact
In practice this means:
Acting as a visible and credible partner to senior investment, distribution and functional leaders
Providing constructive, evidence-based challenge aligned to the pace and risk profile of Private Markets
Regularly reviewing people insights (attrition, hiring velocity, performance distribution, bench strength, capacity) and translating into action
Advising on organisational design, span/layering and talent investment, including tracking ROI of people initiatives
Translating firmwide People & Culture initiatives into relevant Private Markets outcomes
2) Organisational Culture & Employee Experience
Maintain a data-led understanding of culture and employee experience across investment and non-investment populations
Facilitate leadership discussions on culture alignment to strategy and risk appetite
Recommend and implement policy/process enhancements to strengthen performance, progression, mobility and employee experience
Partner with leadership and internal communications to ensure consistent engagement approaches
In practice this means:
Presenting clear insights on culture health, risks and themes, linking to business performance
Identifying and addressing friction points (e.g. deal intensity, cross-border working, capacity, reward transparency)
Equipping leaders with frameworks to embed consistent behaviours and decision-making
Implementing targeted interventions where data indicates risk or underperformance
3) Trusted Adviser & Leadership Coach
Act as a trusted adviser to the Private Markets CEO and Executive Committee
Provide coaching to enhance leadership effectiveness, decision-making and team dynamics
Oversee senior succession planning and leadership development
Navigate complex stakeholder dynamics with strong judgement and emotional intelligence
In practice this means:
Maintaining close alignment with leadership through regular formal and informal engagement
Supporting leadership offsites and strategic planning (including operating model and capability planning)
Driving succession depth and readiness for critical investment and commercial roles
4) Business Area Leadership (Beyond People & Culture)
Contribute actively to the Private Markets Executive Committee beyond people-related topics
Demonstrate strong commercial fluency across Private Markets performance drivers
Support broader strategic priorities including scaling, distribution effectiveness, integration and operational resilience
In practice this means:
Bringing insight on capability build, operating leverage, leadership bandwidth and talent supply
Applying knowledge of market trends (e.g. competition for deal talent, remuneration dynamics, regulatory expectations)
Supporting or leading strategic initiatives beyond core HR remit
5) People & Culture Enterprise Leadership
Contribute to enterprise-wide People & Culture strategy and leadership forums
Represent Private Markets requirements in firmwide initiatives
Ensure delivery of high-quality People & Culture services to the business
Lead cross-functional change initiatives and continuous improvement efforts
Lead, inspire and develop a high-performing People & Culture team
Private Markets Experience Requirements (Essential)
A) Private Equity Reward & Performance
Demonstrable experience within a Private Equity / Private Markets environment, either:
Directly within a Private Equity / Investment Management platform, or
Partnering closely with a Private Equity client group
Hands-on experience with investment reward structures, including:
Carried interest (carry) frameworks
Co-investment programmes
Deferred compensation and long-term incentive structures
Bonus design aligned to investment and commercial outcomes
Malus/clawback and governance considerations
Ability to advise senior stakeholders on reward trade-offs, cost impact and retention risk
B) Transactions, M&A & Integration
Proven experience supporting people aspects of Private Markets transactions, including:
M&A and post-deal integration
Team lift-outs and platform builds
Acquisition of boutique capabilities
Workforce planning for new funds, strategies and geographies
Ability to operate at pace with high levels of confidentiality and stakeholder complexity
C) Governance, Risk & Regulation
Experience operating in a regulated environment
Comfortable partnering with Risk, Legal and Compliance on conduct and remuneration governance
Strong judgement balancing commercial outcomes with risk and control
Person Specification
Skills & Experience
Significant senior HR / People & Culture leadership experience within Private Equity, Asset Management/Investment Management and/or previous experience having supported private markets/private equity client group
Deep understanding of Private Markets talent dynamics and operating models
Leadership Profile
Proven experience operating at Executive Committee level
Highly credible with strong influencing and coaching capability
Pragmatic, data-led and outcomes-focused
