Value Creation, Culture, and the Future of Middle-Market PE

What separates strong private equity firms from great ones? Justin Abelow, Managing Director at Houlihan Lokey, sits down with Eric Bommer, Co-Managing Partner at Sentinel Capital Partners, to discuss the business of better investing. Eric shares Sentinel’s perspective on investment committee discipline, revenue-driven value creation, strategic M&A, and the role that culture plays in building a durable firm. The conversation also touches on leadership, management-team partnerships, and the outlook for middle-market dealmaking.Key Insights:● Value creation matters more than financial engineering. In today’s market, returns are driven more by revenue growth and operational improvement than by leverage or expansion.● Better decisions come from open, collaborative debate. Sentinel’s process shows that stronger investment outcomes often come from cultures where ideas are challenged early and often.● A differentiated operating model can be a real competitive advantage. A firm’s approach to collaboration, talent development, and management-team support can directly strengthen execution and investment outcomes.