Featured: Thoma Bravo’s Behind the Deal with Coupa CEO Leagh Turner
Best But Never Final: Private Equity's Pursuit of ExcellenceShow Notes
In this featured episode, we’re excited to share a conversation from Thoma Bravo’s Behind the Deal podcast. Join managing partner Holden Spaht as he sits down with Leagh Turner, CEO of Coupa, to explore how Thoma Bravo and Coupa are revolutionizing business spend management, leveraging AI, and driving innovation post-acquisition. Hear how Coupa is transforming inefficiencies in the $33 trillion global trade ecosystem using its $7 trillion transaction dataset and AI-driven insights. Leagh also...
More from Best But Never Final: Private Equity's Pursuit of Excellence
Episode Description Jeff Berry, CFO at BluWave, joins Sean Mooney, Lloyd Metz, and Doug McCormick to explain how AI is creating practical ROI inside the office of the CFO. He breaks down the foundations that matter most—clean data, mapped processes, clear policies, prompting discipline, and AI-enabled tools that can reduce manual work without sacrificing control. The conversation covers real use cases across AP, AR, FP&A, reporting, forecasting, process documentation, and executive decis...
Episode Description Mary 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, st...
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 portfo...
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-eye...
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...