CEO’s Unscripted
Podcast Description
Real Talk. Real Growth. Real Results in the Mid-Market
Jane Gentry consulted in enterprise for 20 years. And, after being a CEO in a mid-sized company, she realized why they say it is loneliest at the top. Mid-market CEOs learn their craft through trial and error or by reaching outside their organization for help.
She launched CEOs Unscripted as a bi-weekly podcast by mid-market CEOs for mid-market CEOs. Our purpose is to provide insight into the unscripted, unfiltered journeys of CEOs and Founders as they talk about their wins, losses, lessons and playbooks for growing and scaling their organizations. There is no better forum than learning from your peers.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast explores themes relevant to mid-market leadership, including crisis management, company culture, and vulnerability in leadership. Specific episodes delve into topics such as resilience during financial turmoil, disciplined execution in scaling businesses, and the importance of asking for help. Notable examples include episodes like From Crisis to Comeback, which highlights leadership lessons from the fast-food industry.
Real Talk. Real Growth. Real Results in the Mid-Market
Jane Gentry consulted in enterprise for 20 years. And, after being a CEO in a mid-sized company, she realized why they say it is loneliest at the top. Mid-market CEOs learn their craft through trial and error or by reaching outside their organization for help.
She launched CEOs Unscripted as a bi-weekly podcast by mid-market CEOs for mid-market CEOs. Our purpose is to provide insight into the unscripted, unfiltered journeys of CEOs and Founders as they talk about their wins, losses, lessons and playbooks for growing and scaling their organizations. There is no better forum than learning from your peers.
Former IAA CEO John Kett shares his remarkable 22-year journey building a damaged vehicle marketplace from $200 million to $7.5 billion through multiple PE transactions, public offerings, and a major merger. This unfiltered conversation covers private equity strategies, M&A lessons, and what it really takes to scale mid-market companies.
In this episode, John reveals:
✅ The truth about working with private equity firms
✅ How to prepare your company for a PE sale
✅ Why technology should enable process, not the other way around
✅ Navigating the complexity of public vs. private company leadership
✅ Board meeting preparation strategies that actually work
✅ The cost of short-term thinking in PE-backed companies
KEY TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 – Introduction
02:45 – John’s Blue Collar Background & Path to CEO
05:30 – What is a Damaged Vehicle Marketplace?
09:15 – The IAA Business Model Explained
12:40 – First Exposure to Private Equity
16:20 – Preparing Your Company for PE Sale
19:45 – Working with Multiple PE Firms (The Four-Headed Monster)
24:10 – PE Time Horizons & Their Impact on Decisions
28:35 – Board Meeting Preparation Best Practices
32:15 – The Importance of Cross-Collaboration Among Leaders
35:40 – From Private to Public: The Spinoff Story
38:50 – The $7.5B Merger with Ritchie Brothers
42:20 – Rapid Fire: Career Lessons & Leadership Wisdom
45:10 – Why In-Person Leadership Development Matters
ABOUT JOHN KETT: Former CEO of IAA (Insurance Auto Auctions), John Kett led the company through multiple transformations including PE acquisitions, public listings, and ultimately a $7.5 billion merger with Ritchie Brothers. With over 22 years of experience scaling mid-market companies, John now advises CEOs and serves on boards.
ABOUT CEOS UNSCRIPTED: Real talk for mid-market leaders. Host Jane Gentry brings you unfiltered conversations with CEOs, founders, and executives navigating the challenges of scaling $10M-$500M businesses. No fluff, no jargon—just honest insights from leaders who’ve been where you are.
SUBSCRIBE for bi-weekly episodes featuring:
→ Private equity strategies
→ M&A insights
→ Scaling best practices
→ Leadership development
→ Board governance
→ Exit planning
TAGS: #PrivateEquity #CEO #MergersAndAcquisitions #BusinessGrowth #Leadership #ScalingBusiness #PEInvesting #BoardMeetings #ExitStrategy #MidMarketCEO #BusinessPodcast #Entrepreneurship #CorporateDevelopment #BusinessStrategy
What’s your biggest question about working with private equity? Drop it in the comments below!
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