Hadley is responsible for originating new investment opportunities, diligencing new business opportunities, structuring transactions and working with our partner companies, as well as helping to oversee the strategy and management of the firm. She is also a member of the Investment Committee.
Prior to joining TSG, Hadley was with Bain & Company where she worked in a variety of practice areas, including consumer products, retail and healthcare. Hadley also worked in Bain’s private equity practice, where she conducted strategic and operational due diligence for private equity clients. Hadley has served as a judge for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® award and is a regular guest lecturer at Stanford Business School. She is the former Chairperson of the Stanford Business School Trust and a member of both the Stanford Business School Advisory Board and the Stanford Management Company Investment Committee. Hadley chairs the nominating committee on the Dartmouth College Alumni Council and serves on the Dartmouth College Investment Committee. Hadley graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Dartmouth College and earned an MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, where she was an Arjay Miller Scholar.
In August 2023, Fortune Magazine named Hadley one of the 21 most powerful people in private equity.
Q&A
What was the first job you had?
My first official on-the-clock job was as a paper girl when I was ten, but I’d say my most memorable job came later when I was in high school. At the time, I needed money for my constantly broken-down car but couldn’t work after school because of sports. Searching the want ads, I found the solution: working for a bagel bakery from 3am to 7am. Perfect! I was a bit bleary-eyed for the rest of high school, but, to this day, can give anyone a run for their money when it comes to baking bagels.
How has TSG’s culture helped drive the firm’s success?
Teamwork is core to our culture at TSG. We take pride in the company we’ve built and the diverse set of talents represented in our investments and operating groups. We believe that teams working in concert achieve the best outcomes, and this principle is fundamental to our work. Whether one of our partner companies is defining its growth strategy, entering a new distribution channel, extending a product line, or recruiting more talent, the entrepreneurs and management teams with whom we partner get access to all our team members and their best thinking.
What have you learned from working with entrepreneurs?
Don’t give up on something until you’ve hit a wall at least ten times. Building breakthrough brands often requires running headlong into roadblocks and flying in the face of convention. That takes a healthy dose of optimism, passion, and just plain doggedness.
What are the keys to building a successful brand?
We always say that management teams and boards work for two entities: the consumer and the brand. Brands must be carefully nurtured if they are to become category-defining successes, meaning every touchpoint with the consumer needs to be “brand right.” Teams that put the consumer and brand before all else become the leaders in their space.
How do you build trust with entrepreneurs you’ve just started to work with?
Nothing builds trust better than showing – not telling – that we are a value added partner. While many investors say they contribute know-how and contacts, we often show up to our very first meeting with an entrepreneur with insights from a consumer survey, assessments of their competitors, or even a complete digital audit.Our job is to work for entrepreneurs and their teams, not the other way around.
What is your greatest accomplishment?
My family is far and away my greatest accomplishment. My husband, Dan, and I were college sweethearts and now we’re blessed to have three children who inspire and amaze us every day. They also happen to be great brand scouts!