Becker Business Podcast Summary

Episode: Building Value in Executive Search with Travis Guerra of ONWARD Headhunting
Host: Scott Becker
Guest: Travis Guerra, Founder of Onward Headhunting
Date: October 3, 2025

Overview

This special episode features Scott Becker in conversation with Travis Guerra, the founder of Onward Headhunting. The discussion centers on building value in executive search, particularly within the private equity-backed healthcare sector and related industries. Becker and Guerra explore trends in the hiring market, the impact of economic shifts on talent demand, best practices in executive placement, and Guerra’s philosophy on client service and value delivery for founders and hiring managers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Growth and Focus of Onward Headhunting

• Target Market:
  • Onward specializes in C-level to director-level placements, with a focus on sponsor-backed healthcare organizations and expanding involvement in investment banking and transaction advisory.
  • "We’re looking at C level to director level placements and sponsor backed healthcare businesses." – Travis Guerra [00:39]
• Current Demand Indicators:
  • Despite market challenges, Guerra notes a spike in requests from investment banks and advisory firms, reflecting optimism about deal flow.
  • “Just over the past 48 hours, I’ve got four different conversations going with investment banks… looking to grow their teams for… increased deal flow.” – Travis Guerra [00:56]

2. Private Equity Market Sentiment & Interest Rates

• Market Conditions:
  • Becker observes a prolonged period of slow PE exits due to elevated interest rates, but growing enthusiasm as the Federal Reserve signals possible rate reductions.
  • “There is tremendous excitement in the private equity industry about starting to see rates go down a little bit.” – Scott Becker [01:27]
• Anticipation of Rate Cuts:
  • Conversations within the PE and banking sector point to hope about forthcoming rate cuts unlocking more transactions and hiring.
  • “The hope that, you know, we see 50 bip reduction in the next couple weeks the next time the Fed meets, that’s definitely a hope.” – Travis Guerra [01:57]

3. Personal Note – Life Outside Business

• Guerra shares his family excitement about the upcoming birth of his second child, adding a personal touch to the conversation.
  • “Birth of our second child and we are waiting on gender. So I will either have a boy or a girl and we are very excited about that.” – Travis Guerra [02:36]

4. Advice for Founders on Building Value

• Communicate Value:
  • Guerra stresses the importance of visibility and delivering stacked value to clients—going beyond placement to offer added services and insights.
  • “Stack the value… get in front of as many people where you can show them a roadmap and then still have a dangle, a little carrot at the end.” – Travis Guerra [03:28]
• Relationship Development:
  • Emphasizes the importance of free demonstrations, being genuinely helpful, and nurturing relationships.
  • “Be kind, be thoughtful, think of others more than yourself.” – Travis Guerra [03:50]

5. Best Practices in Hiring Executives

• Retained Search & Process:
  • Guerra describes his shift into retained search and the adoption of the GH Smart “Topgrading” methodology for thorough, structured interviews.
  • “It is a hour and a half, line by line. What did you do in this role? What was a challenge?... How would they rate you? 1 to 10 when we call them to do a reference check?” – Travis Guerra [04:36]
• Candidate Evaluation:
  • Focus on detailed reference checks, patterns in career movements, and differentiating between being “pushed out or pulled up” to assess candidate fit and quality.
  • “That helps define the quality of a candidate… you go line by line on roles and you get a really good sense for their career path.” – Travis Guerra [05:04]

Highlighted Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Market Optimism:
  • “This has got to happen at some point… we’re really ready to grow or transaction. And so it looks, looks pretty good…” – Travis Guerra [01:55]
• On Value:
  • “Make sure people know what you do and how you can help them and stacking the value.” – Travis Guerra [03:07]
• On Hiring Executives:
  • “When you’re starting to think about executives, it is a hour and a half, line by line. What did you do in this role? … And that is role by role.” – Travis Guerra [04:39]
• On Relationship Building:
  • “Be kind, be thoughtful, think of others more than yourself.” – Travis Guerra [03:50]
• Personal Milestone:
  • “Birth of our second child… my wife is about 39 weeks pregnant right now.” – Travis Guerra [02:36]

Key Segment Timestamps

• Introduction & Business Overview: [00:00 – 01:23]
• Market Trends & Interest Rates: [01:23 – 02:20]
• Personal Excitement: [02:20 – 02:47]
• Advice to Founders: [02:51 – 03:55]
• Hiring Best Practices: [03:55 – 05:17]
• Closing Remarks: [05:17 – 05:37]

Conclusion

This episode offers candid and actionable insights for founders, hiring managers, and anyone interested in executive search, with real-world advice on stacking value, nurturing relationships, and rigorous hiring processes. Travis Guerra’s expertise and authenticity shine through, making this a valuable listen for those navigating the evolving landscape of hiring in private equity-backed and healthcare sectors.