Chuck Esserman
CEO and Founder
cesserman@tsgconsumer.com
(415) 217-2340
Chuck has over 30 years of private equity investment experience and, together with the partners of TSG, built the first and most experienced consumer focused equity fund in the United States. Chuck oversees current and prospective portfolio investments for the firm and is Chair of the Investment Committee.
Prior to TSG, Chuck was with Bain & Company, a leading management consulting company. Chuck received his BS, with top honors, in Computer Science Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and an MBA from Stanford, where he was an Arjay Miller Scholar. He has served on the Board of Advisors of the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Board of Trust of Vanderbilt University.
Q&A
What inspired you to found TSG?
The idea of a consumer-focused private fund was novel in 1987 when I started TSG, yet it made perfect sense to me to build a firm that had the skills and experience to bring a lot more than capital to the table.
The idea of building a firm with a gender balance across all levels of the organization also made perfect sense to me based upon the varied perspectives of the team (and the fact that women make many of the buying decisions for our companies and products).
I enjoy working with exceptionally smart, exceptionally creative, and exceptionally driven teams. I have my family and my work and I love both as well as the many professional and personal relationships that have been created through TSG.
How has TSG’s culture helped drive the firm’s success?
Our culture is based upon applying the golden rule in every relationship. That needs to be the basis for any real partnership, internally and externally, and it is fundamental to building trust. We are very focused on working with entrepreneurs and teams that share these same values.
What are the keys to building a successful brand?
We invest in brands that have a clear purpose and values—which results in both meaning and authenticity for their consumers. Planet Fitness, for example, has an exceptional value position for its members because it provides a high-quality yet very affordable health club experience. The company is very focused on ensuring every member feels accepted and respected in a safe and energetic environment—and there are no hidden fees or long-term contracts. It’s everything that the health club industry was not.