In part two of our interview series, Pete Stavros shares how KKR has scaled employee ownership to 85 companies and 200,000 frontline workers — and why it can be a powerful performance lever when done right.

Employee Ownership at Scale w/ KKR's Pete Stavros

Dry Powder: The Private Equity Podcast

[SPEAKER_00] Previously on Dry Powder, Pete Stavros, Global Co-Head of Private Equity at KKR, explained how they have built one of the most operationally intense investment models in the industry.

[SPEAKER_01] The reality is operational improvement and driving operational change is really hard.

[SPEAKER_00] Today on the show, we'll explore one of the more fascinating extensions of KKR's Value Creation Playbook, a broad-based employee ownership program that has now reached 85 companies and 200,000 frontline workers.

[SPEAKER_01] Just think of the benefit of not having workers stream out the door every year. You know, what that means for customer satisfaction, quality, productivity. Think of how unproductive people are in the six months before they quit.

[SPEAKER_00] I'll ask Pete how this program got off the ground, what lessons he learned the hard way, and why it can be such a powerful performance lover when done right.

[SPEAKER_01] This is a free benefit, and the company gets paid back on culture.

[SPEAKER_00] We'll also discuss where AI is actually delivering value across KKR's portfolio, the growing role of private wealth capital, the patience required to win in overseas markets, and what Pete believes will ultimately define the winning private equity platforms of the next decade. I'm Hugh MacArthur, Chairman of Bain's Global Private Equity Practice, and this is Dry Powder.

[SPEAKER_00] Now, Pete, one of the newer extensions or an extension of your model that I've heard about is broad-based employee ownership. What does that look like at KKR? How did that emerge from your broader approach to value creation? And then tell us what changes inside of a company that you own when the entire workforce becomes owners.

Employee Ownership at Scale w/ KKR's Pete Stavros

Read the full transcript

The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.

Employee Ownership at Scale w/ KKR's Pete Stavros

Read the full transcript

The candid version is on a podcast, not the earnings call.

The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.