Analytics and AI talent built for the speed and accountability private equity demands.
From post-acquisition integration to pre-exit capability buildout — Burtch Works deploys specialized data science, analytics, data engineering, machine learning, technology, and product talent across the full investment lifecycle.
The analytics and AI talent gap is the most controllable variable in Private Equity value creation.
McKinsey's analysis of 471 PE-backed companies across 31 industries found that portfolio companies at the highest AI maturity level traded at a median revenue multiple of 31×, compared with 13× for those at the lowest level. The difference between those two outcomes isn't capital allocation or market timing. It's the quality, speed, and strategic alignment of the data and technology talent deployed across the portfolio. That means data scientists who can build the models portfolio companies need to create measurable value, data engineers who can construct the infrastructure those models run on, ML engineers who can operationalize AI capabilities that don't just impress in a demo but perform in production, and the analytics and product leadership that ensures data investments connect to business outcomes rather than disappearing into technical complexity.
Burtch Works partners with PE operating teams to close that gap across every discipline — deploying specialized talent, building repeatable frameworks across portfolio companies, and taking execution accountability for transformation initiatives that must land on investment timelines. We don't offer a staffing transaction. We offer a measurable path from capability gap to value creation.
Whether you're modernizing workforce capabilities across a portfolio, scaling analytics leadership during a critical growth phase, or building AI readiness ahead of an exit event —Burtch Works provides flexible engagement models designed around measurable outcomes, not generic staffing or one-size-fits-all consulting.
RECOMMENDED SOLUTIONS - Private equity
Tailored for the Private Equity operating environment.
Whether you need a senior analytics leader deployed within the week, a full managed delivery team, or a strategic advisory engagement — we have the right path for your timeline and structure.
Expert Fractional Leadership
Deploy a senior CAO, CDO, or CAIO into a portfolio company within days — not months. Bridge leadership gaps while the permanent search runs.
Retained Executive Search
Permanent placement of analytics leaders who can own the value creation roadmap from day one. Dedicated search with 15+ years of specialized PE relationships.
Due Diligence Analytics Assessment
Pre- and post-close capability audits. Know what you're acquiring before the ink is dry — and what it will take to build on it.
Managed Analytics Outcomes
Embed a Burtch Works team to own a specific initiative — from data infrastructure to reporting modernization — with fixed-bid, milestone-based accountability.
Recruiter & Talent Intelligence - Private equity
What the market is telling us about data science, engineering, and AI talent in private equity right now.
31×
Median revenue multiple among PE-backed companies using AI to build new businesses, versus 13× for opportunistic adopters.
McKinsey, “Beyond productivity: How AI creates value in private equity,” 2026
52%
Of the global buyout-backed companies, have been held for four years or longer—extending the runway and pressure for operational, data and AI transformation.
McKinsey Global Private Markets Report, 2026
62%
Average wage premium for AI-skilled workers—raising the cost of building transformation capabilities across PE portfolios.
PwC 2026 Global AI Jobs Barometer
53%
Of global LPs rank value-creation strategy among their top five criteria for selecting a GP.
McKinsey Global Private Markets Report, 2026
MARKET SIGNALS - Private equity
PE analytics searches that move in under 30 days close 3× more A-tier candidates than those that run past 60.
In our placement work across PE portfolios — across data science, data engineering, ML engineering, and analytics leadership — the pattern is consistent: the strongest candidates typically have multiple active conversations within two weeks of signaling openness. Operating partners who build fast-move hiring processes for these roles consistently outperform those that treat data and analytics leadership searches like traditional executive searches.
Carry and equity participation are now expected — not exceptional — for analytics executives in PE-backed environments.
PE-backed analytics, data engineering, and ML leaders are increasingly benchmarking their total compensation against portfolio company equity structures, not market salary surveys. Candidates who join portfolio companies for a base salary alone are leaving at a higher rate within 18 months. The operating teams building durable capability are structuring compensation to include equity participation tied to investment milestones - aligning the talent model with the value-creation thesis.
Operating teams that build repeatable talent frameworks across portfolio companies reduce analytics hiring ramp time by an estimated 40%.
The PE firms seeing the fastest capability buildout across portfolios are those that have standardized their analytics and AI talent architecture — role definitions, compensation bands, onboarding frameworks, and capability assessment tools — so each new portfolio company doesn't start from scratch. This is one of the highest-leverage activities an operating partner can invest in, and it's where our delivery model is specifically designed to add value.
The revenue multiple gap between high and low AI maturity portfolio companies is widening — and the talent gap is the primary driver.
Of 471 PE-backed companies a 31× vs 13× revenue multiple differential between the highest and lowest AI maturity tiers. Our placement experience confirms the mechanism: companies with the right analytics and AI leadership in place move through maturity stages faster, create more defensible data assets, and demonstrate stronger AI-readiness metrics to prospective acquirers. The talent gap is the maturity gap.