Chief Executive Operator-Investor (CEOI)

About Secha Capital

Secha Capital is a private equity firm operating across Southern Africa that specializes in identifying and supporting entrepreneurs who want to acquire and operate established businesses rather than starting from scratch or climbing traditional corporate ladders.

The firm operates a distinctive model called the Chief Executive Operator-Investor (CEOI) program , which combines capital deployment with operational support and mentorship to help experienced professionals transition into business ownership and leadership roles. The firm focuses on essential businesses in underserved markets within Southern Africa, with a particular emphasis on founder-led companies that have reached a point where their growth is constrained by execution capacity rather than market demand. Secha Capital backs CEOIs through the entire journey—from sourcing deals through acquisition and ongoing operations—providing not just capital but also strategic guidance, operational expertise, and access to networks of peers and investors. Secha Capital’s investment approach centers on businesses with repeat customer bases, positive gross margins, and EBITDA between R15–80 million. The firm maintains a set of investment theses based on established relationships and market conviction, while remaining open to new opportunities that align with their criteria. The company prioritizes integrity, local job creation, and sustainable business building alongside financial returns.

About this Role

The Chief Executive Operator-Investor role at Secha Capital represents a unique alternative career path for experienced professionals who want to lead an established business without starting from scratch or navigating years of corporate advancement. Rather than joining a startup or climbing a traditional corporate ladder, CEOIs acquire an established, profitable business and own a meaningful equity stake while leading it immediately as the CEO with full operational control. Secha Capital supports CEOIs through four key dimensions: immediate leadership without middle management or waiting periods, building real ownership quickly through equity stakes that typically represent around 30% of common equity vesting on performance plus a market salary from deal close, comprehensive support through an embedded Operator-Investor and one‑on‑one coaching from a Managing Director, and access to a regional network of peer CEOIs running similar businesses. The mandate encompasses the full business lifecycle, from identifying and acquiring a target company through to scaling operations and ultimately orchestrating an exit. The role is structured around three distinct phases: a search phase lasting three to nine months where you identify and screen potential acquisition targets, an acquisition phase spanning three to nine months where you win the founder’s trust, run comprehensive diligence, and close the transaction, and an ongoing leadership phase where you operate the business, drive growth, expand margins, establish proper systems, and prepare the business for exit. Throughout all phases, you maintain full responsibility for the P&L, strategy, hiring, and capital allocation decisions.

Responsibilities

• Source and identify acquisition targets within your chosen sector, working directly with founders and leveraging broker, advisor, and Secha networks to locate businesses ready for leadership transition
• Screen potential targets thoroughly against Secha’s investment criteria to ensure alignment with the firm’s thesis and risk parameters
• Lead management meetings and negotiations with potential sellers to win their trust and confidence in handing over their business
• Co‑lead comprehensive commercial, financial, and tax diligence alongside the Secha team to build a robust investment case
• Negotiate deal terms and valuations with founders and co‑investors, and lead the transaction closing process
• Develop detailed nine‑month and three‑year value‑creation plans that articulate your strategy for operational improvement and growth
• Step in as CEO on day one with full operational responsibility for the company’s P&L, strategy, hiring decisions, and capital allocation
• Drive revenue growth and margin expansion while implementing proper operational systems and processes
• Work alongside an embedded Operator‑Investor to scale the business and strengthen operational capabilities
• Report to a board composed of yourself, Secha representatives, and co‑investors, providing investor‑grade reporting and updates
• Build a clear exit strategy and path toward a sale to a strategic buyer, larger sponsor, or management buyout

Requirements

• Six to sixteen years of experience in private equity, consulting, corporate strategy, or equivalent leadership roles
• Demonstrated ability to analyze financial statements, build investment cases that withstand scrutiny, and form clear assessments of companies within one week
• Deep knowledge of a Southern Africa sector or established networks of owners and advisors who will engage with you directly
• Proven ability to influence and win over people at multiple levels, from retiring business founders to existing staff and customers
• Track record of perseverance through long sales processes where most leads do not materialize
• Ability to execute operational improvements and move key metrics within the first one hundred days of ownership
• Experience in identifying founder‑led businesses with repeat customers, positive gross margins, and growth constrained by execution rather than demand
• Credibility and comfort negotiating with business owners while also connecting authentically with frontline employees
• Alignment with Secha’s values of integrity, local job creation, and building sustainable businesses

Benefits

• Own approximately 30% of common equity with vesting tied to performance milestones
• Receive a market‑rate salary from the date the deal closes
• Operate as CEO from day one with no middle management layers or waiting periods for leadership authority
• Access to Secha’s curated deal pipeline and anchor investor relationships to support your search
• Work with an embedded Operator‑Investor who partners with you after deal close to support scaling and operations
• Receive one‑on‑one coaching and mentorship from a Secha Managing Director throughout your tenure
• Join a regional network of peer CEOIs running similar businesses for ongoing learning and support
• Grow a profitable, established business with proven customer bases rather than building a product from scratch
• Participate in building real impact through creating local jobs and strengthening essential businesses in underserved markets
• Access to comprehensive support throughout the search, acquisition, and operational phases of the business lifecycle