Strategic initiatives
Own the priority projects that move the thesis — pricing, commercial expansion, footprint, and operating cadence.
Emko FORGE · Field Operators for Growth
Operators, forged in the field.
A select cohort of early-career operators embedded inside Emko Capital portfolio companies — driving strategy, finance, and M&A, with a direct line to the sponsor.
01 — The program
Operators, not observers.
FORGE — Field Operators for Growth at Emko — places exceptional early-career talent directly inside our portfolio companies.
5–10 yrsIdeal experience
1–5 yrsPortfolio placements
1:1Emko partner access
P&LLevel of ownership
02 — The mandate
Where operators create value.
Every placement is built around a real mandate tied to the value-creation plan.
CFO & finance
Stand up reporting, KPI systems, and cash discipline; partner with finance leaders on the numbers that matter.
M&A & integration
Source, diligence, and integrate add-ons — from target screening to day-one execution and synergy capture.
Value creation
Run point on operational improvement — throughput, quality, and the systems that make growth repeatable.
Operators in the field
John Mann
FORGE Operator · Solestra GroupEmbedded at Solestra Group, leading M&A, FP&A, and priority growth initiatives
Joey Kermes
FORGE Operator · Artistry in MotionCPA leading strategic finance, reporting, and add-on M&A at Artistry in Motion / Pangolin Group.
03 — For operators
A fast path to leadership.
FORGE is built for people who want to build. You get the reps, the ownership, and the connectivity that normally take a decade to earn.
- Real ownership, from day oneLead initiatives with P&L consequence, not slideware. You own outcomes.
- A direct line to the sponsorWork shoulder-to-shoulder with Emko Capital partners — deal flow, diligence, and board-level exposure.
- Operator + investor mentorshipCoached by people who have built and bought businesses, not just modeled them.
- A launchpad, not a laneFORGE is a fast track to GM, CFO, and investing roles across the platform.
04 — For portfolio companies
Execution capacity, on the ground.
A FORGE operator is dedicated bandwidth against your highest-priority work — aligned with the sponsor, accountable to results.
- Execution capacity on demandA high-caliber operator embedded to run the initiatives leadership can't get to.
- Sponsor-aligned and objectiveFORGE operators carry the Emko playbook and report with a clear, unconflicted lens.
- Firepower for M&ABandwidth to source, diligence, and integrate add-ons without pulling the team off the day job.
- A bench that scalesAs the thesis grows, so does the talent behind it — analytical horsepower where it's needed most.
05 — How it works
Selected, embedded, and connected.
01
Selection
A small, high-bar cohort chosen for judgment, drive, and ownership.
02
Onboarding
Grounding in the Emko operating playbook and the portfolio thesis.
03
Placement
Embedded inside a portfolio company against a defined mandate.
04
Execute
Own initiatives end to end, with sponsor support and clear KPIs.
05
Next chapter
Step up into leadership, a new mandate, or the investment team.
06 — Who we look for
High bar. Broad backgrounds.
- 2–6 years in consulting, banking, private equity, engineering, or operating roles
- A bias to action and comfort getting onto the plant floor
- Ownership mentality — you run toward the hard problem
- Analytical rigor paired with the people skills to drive change
Engage
Forge your next chapter.
We recruit a small cohort each year. If you want to operate — and build toward leadership inside a growing industrial platform — we'd like to hear from you.