Private Equity Has Changed.
Stay Current.
Thrive’s Executive Masterclasses help you understand today’s private equity market, navigate sponsor-backed opportunities, and make smarter career decisions in a changed hiring environment.
Every enrollment includes the tools to keep learning after the session.
Join live when available, or watch the recording afterward. Each Core Journey masterclass includes practical materials you can use as you build your private equity career strategy.
Participate in the live masterclass and learn the material in real time.
If you miss the live session, you’ll receive access to the recording afterward.
Receive practical resources to help you apply the concepts to your own PE career decisions.
Complete Journey members receive all seven Core Journey masterclasses as they are released.
Browse the Core Journey masterclasses below.
Seven Masterclasses.
One Private Equity Career Roadmap.
Each class answers the next question executives face when pursuing private equity—from deciding whether PE is right for you to building credibility in your first 100 days.
Build your own learning path by selecting the individual masterclasses most relevant to your career—or purchase the Complete Career Journey Pass for the full experience.
Click Add to Cart beneath each class you'd like to attend. When you're finished making your selections, click the Cart icon in the upper-right corner of the page to review your order and complete your registration.
Is Private Equity Still Worth It?
How Today's Private Equity Market Has Changed — and What It Means for Your Career
Learn how the private equity market has evolved, why leadership expectations have changed, and how to determine whether today's PE market is still the right career path for you.
Live Session • August 13 • 6:30 PM ET
$47 · includes live session, recording, and Executive Field Guide - Chapter 1Â
Where Do I Start?
Building Your Private Equity Career Strategy
Before you begin applying, build a strategy around where you are most likely to succeed. Learn how to identify the roles, industries, sponsors, situations, and career paths that best align with your background so you can focus your search where you have the highest probability of success.
Live Session • August 27 • 6:30 PM ET
$47 · includes live session, recording, and Executive Field Guide - Chapter 2
Targeting the Right Sponsors
Finding the Private Equity Firms Most Likely to Fit You
Not all private equity firms are the same. Learn how to identify the sponsors, investment strategies, fund sizes, operating models, and portfolio situations that best match your background, leadership style, and career goals.
Live Session • September 10 • 6:30 PM ET
$47 · includes live session, recording, and Executive Field Guide - Chapter 3
Evaluating Private Equity Opportunities
Choosing the Right Opportunity Before You Say Yes
Learn how to evaluate portfolio companies, sponsors, investment theses, leadership teams, governance, and career opportunities so you can identify the roles most likely to accelerate your long-term success.
Live Session • September 24 • 6:30 PM ET
$47 · includes live session, recording, and Executive Field Guide - Chapter 4
Interviewing for Private Equity
Positioning Yourself to Win the Offer
Prepare for recruiter, CEO, sponsor, Operating Partner, and board interviews while learning how to communicate your experience through the lens of value creation, investor priorities, and executive fit.
Live Session • October 8 • 6:30 PM ET
$47 · includes live session, recording, and Executive Field Guide - Chapter 5
Negotiating Private Equity Compensation
Negotiating with Confidence
Understand executive compensation, equity, bonus structures, employment agreements, governance, and long-term incentives so you can evaluate offers, avoid costly mistakes, and negotiate with confidence.
Live Session • October 22 • 6:30 PM ET
$47 · includes live session, recording, and Executive Field Guide - Chapter 6
Your First 100 Days in Private Equity
Building Early Credibility and Momentum
Learn how to establish credibility with sponsors, boards, and leadership teams, align expectations early, avoid common mistakes, and build momentum during your first 100 days in a PE-backed company.
Live Session • November 5 • 6:30 PM ET
$47 · includes live session, recording, and Executive Field Guide - Chapter 7
Invest Once. Own the Complete Journey.
You can purchase individual masterclasses as you go—or save over 30% with the Complete Career Journey Pass. You'll receive every current and future masterclass in the series, all companion workbooks and templates, lifetime access to every replay, and the ability to attend future live sessions at no additional cost.
Everything you need to navigate your transition into private equity—from deciding whether PE is right for you through interviewing, negotiating, onboarding, and succeeding in your first sponsor-backed role.
âś“ Future live sessions included
âś“ Lifetime access to every recording
âś“ Full Executive Field Guide (7 chapters) & templates
âś“ Future updates automatically included
âś“ Save over 30% versus purchasing individually
Get Lifetime Access to the Complete Journey
One purchase. Lifetime access. Future masterclasses included.
Not ready for the full series? You can still purchase any masterclass individually above.
Meet Your Instructor
Susanna Madden is the Founder and CEO of Thrive Resources. For more than 15 years, she has partnered with private equity firms and their portfolio companies, interviewed thousands of executives, and helped leaders successfully transition into PE-backed companies. These masterclasses are built on the same practical frameworks and insights used every day in Thrive's executive search practice.
About Thrive Resources
Since 2009, Thrive Resources has helped private equity firms and portfolio companies recruit leadership talent that drives value creation. Today, Thrive also provides executive education, coaching, and leadership development programs designed to help executives pursue, secure, and succeed in private equity-backed leadership roles.
Built From Two Decades Inside Private Equity Executive Search.
We've spent our careers helping private equity sponsors and portfolio companies make leadership decisions. That experience gives us a different perspective than traditional career coaches. Every Thrive masterclass is built around the patterns we've seen repeatedly create successful hiring and leadership outcomes—not generic career advice.
Search Perspective
We understand how sponsors, CEOs, boards, and recruiters evaluate executive talent.
Operator Lens
We focus on the value executives create — not generic resumes, buzzwords, or career theory.
Pattern Recognition
We help executives recognize the difference between good opportunities and the right opportunities.
Common Questions
Is this included in the Thrive Leadership Platform membership?
The Thrive Leadership Platform continues to include our growing library of masterclass recordings, live resume workshops, Deal Daily, PE Industry Events, toolkits, and many other member resources. The PE Career Journey is a separate premium executive training program designed to provide a structured, end-to-end roadmap for executives pursuing private equity careers. Because of its depth and live instructional format, it is offered separately from the Leadership Platform.
Are the masterclasses live or on demand?
The masterclasses are delivered live first and then added as on-demand recordings. If you cannot attend live, you will receive access to the recording afterward.
What is included with each masterclass?
Each Core Journey masterclass includes access to the session or recording, plus practical materials such as the presentation deck, Executive Field Guide (each class has one chapter), templates, or related tools when applicable.
What happens after I enroll?
You will receive access to every available Core Journey masterclass included in your purchase. If you enroll in the Complete Career Journey Pass, future Core Journey masterclasses will be added as they are released. You will be able to access the Executive Field Guide chapters for each class in advance.
What if all seven Core Journey masterclasses are not available yet?
The Career Journey Pass gives founding members access to each Core Journey masterclass as it is released, at no additional cost.
What if I'm not actively looking for a PE role today?
Many executives enroll before beginning an active search. The program helps you evaluate whether private equity is the right fit, understand sponsor expectations, strengthen your positioning, and prepare before the right opportunity appears.
Who is this for?
This is designed for executives exploring, pursuing, interviewing for, or preparing to succeed in private equity-backed leadership roles.
Start with one masterclass. Build the full private equity roadmap.
Choose the masterclass that answers the question you are facing today — or enroll in the Complete Career Journey Pass and receive all seven Core Journey masterclasses as they are released.
Complete Career Journey Pass: $227
