INC'D - Executive Search for PE-backed Essential Services

The Firm

Built inside the gap between looking right on paper
and actually getting it done.

Most executive search firms work the same way. Polished decks. Broad databases. Templated shortlists. Impressive logos. A process built for generalists, applied to a sector that punishes generalist thinking.

Platforms wait on shortlists that miss the operational reality. Sponsors burn cycles in processes built for headcount, not value creation. Operators don't get found. Wrong template, wrong places to look. Most search failures in field services are not sourcing failures. They are fit failures.

Our thesis is simple. Platform leadership, sponsors, and operators in PE-backed essential services deserve a firm built specifically to serve them. North America only. So we built one.

The Upside.

When the fit works, everything compounds. The value creation plan hits its dates. The roll-up integrates. The next bolt-on closes faster because the team is settled. The exit multiple holds. For the operator, the seat pays. Equity that liquidates. The seat that compounds into the role after. Miss it, and none of this happens.

Fit is the gap. Most firms leave it open.

We closed it.

We place the senior leadership that runs PE-backed essential services platforms in North America. Every vertical. Every function.

The only thing we do.

1 Thesis

Private Equity Backed

4 Tiers

C-Suite · VP · Director · GM

18+ Verticals

In North America

Every Function

All Business Units

Built for PE-Backed
Essential Services.

Essential because the work has to happen. The AC fails. The pipe leaks. The network goes down. None of it waits for a better cycle. Required by code, by insurance, by basic function. That's why these categories hold their multiples while others compress.

Different services. Same operator profile. PE-backed platforms. Field-based execution. Recurring revenue. Regional roll-ups consolidating into national footprints. Talent constrained at the GM, Director, VP, and C-suite level.

In every PE-backed essential services platform, the thesis runs the same way. Right operator in the seat. Multiple holds. Value plan executes. Bolt-ons integrate. Exit prints at premium. Wrong operator: compression on every line.

The vertical changes. That math doesn't.

Cleaning Electrical Elevator Fire/Life Safety & Security Garage Doors HVAC Home Automation Home Improvement Fiber & Broadband Junk Removal Lawn Care & Outdoor Painting Pest Control Plumbing Pool Service Restoration Roofing Solar & Energy

+ More

The Difference

How

Is Different

Tell us who you are.

01 Priced Differently

02 Living Search Process

03 Sector Depth

04 Ahead of the Mandate

05 Partner-Led

Priced Differently

A commercial model the rest of the market cannot replicate. Transparent by design.

We built the firm around the model, not the other way around. Legacy firms price for thirty years of overhead. We don't carry it. You never pay for it.

Our fee attaches to the seat, not the size of the offer letter. No incentive to push compensation that hits your EBITDA. Built for how sponsors and operators protect multiples, not how search firms prefer to invoice.

Ask us about it →

Living Search Process

Not a black box. A living process that evolves through the search and beyond it.

Market intelligence, comp benchmarks, competency scoring, risk flags, reference signals. All visible to you as we build the picture.

Before the shortlist. Through the shortlist. After the hire. We do not go quiet when the offer is signed. Your hold period is years. Ours runs alongside it.

Sector Depth

Built inside PE-backed essential services, not applied to it.

The candidate pool we access, the assessment framework we run, and the references we take are all sector-specific. We know which operators scale a roll-up and which stall at integration. Which ones own a value creation plan and which just execute against it. Which ones hold up under sponsor cadence and which never adjust to it.

Generalist firms learn on your clock. We do not.

Ahead of the Mandate

We map the layer below every senior seat two to three years ahead of the mandate.

Branch managers moving toward GM. Controllers moving toward CFO. Regional ops leaders moving toward VP. The operators who will be ready when you need them.

When your search goes live, we already know who they are. Other firms start looking when the mandate opens. We have been looking since the start of your hold period.

Partner-Led

Every call that matters. Every reference. Every judgment. Executed by the partners, not passed to associates.

Legacy firms run their fee through layers. Managing partner opens the door, senior consultant runs the process, analysts do the sourcing, researchers draft the deck. Three degrees of separation from the operator who actually knows your market.

We keep judgment where it belongs. With the people you hired.

01 Visible Without Being Public

02 Intel Before The Interview

03 Your Market, Measured

04 Represented, Not Just Placed

05 The Long View

Visible Without Being Public

Senior operators rarely want to broadcast they are looking. We keep you visible to the people who matter. Sponsors running live searches. Operating partners planning the next hire. All without putting your name in a database or a job application.

You do not need to post, pitch, or put yourself in a search queue to stay in the conversation.

Discreet. Known. In the flow.

Intel Before The Interview

Every interview stage comes with a proprietary prep document. Not templated advice. Specific intelligence on the company, the interviewers, the pain points they are measuring you against, and the questions that will actually shape the decision.

Written by the partners who know the platform, not pulled from a database.

You walk into every round prepared. Not hopeful.

Your Market, Measured

Real compensation benchmarks for your seat, your sector, and the size of platform you are negotiating with. Equity structures. Severance terms. What sponsors actually pay versus what they open with.

We show you your market before you decide. So you move from knowledge, not guesswork.

The data most firms hoard, we share.

Represented, Not Just Placed

When we negotiate on your behalf, we negotiate on your behalf. Compensation. Equity. Change-of-control. Severance. Reporting lines. Title scope. The details most candidates never think to ask for.

We know what sponsors have paid for seats like yours, and what they will pay. That gap becomes yours.

You leave with what the role is actually worth.

The Long View

Your next three roles matter to us. Not just this one.

We track your trajectory after the placement. When the platform changes, when a bigger seat opens, when the next move starts to matter, we are already positioned. You do not explain your career from scratch every five years.

We stay in your corner. Even when there is nothing to sell you.

What we do

Five ways we go to work.
One thesis. One standard.

01 · The Core Mandate

Executive Search

Permanent placements at GM, Director, VP, and C-suite level. Inside PE-backed essential services platforms. For platforms, sponsors and operators across North America. This is what we were built to do.

Interim

Interim Solutions

Senior operators placed on interim terms. While a permanent search runs, during integration, or through a turnaround.

The gap gets filled by someone who has already done the job.

Intelligence

Talent Intelligence

Pre-deal bench diligence. Post-close succession planning. Scoped market pictures, not open-ended retainers.

The read before the commitment.

Representation

Discreet Representation

Your next move, surfaced quietly. We show operators platforms before the search goes public.

No applications. No posts. No recruiter queue. Just the seat, if it fits.

Partnership

Preferred Partnerships

Framework agreements for platforms and sponsors running multi-hire mandates across the portfolio.

Volume rates. Priority capacity. One relationship, many seats.

The industry had a template for this.
Neither of us fit it. Good.

Managing Partner

Cosmos Lemos

Cos built his craft without the industry's blessing. Wrong accent. Wrong background. Wrong skin. Kept out of the rooms where careers are made, he learned the work in the calls no one else wanted to take. He did it anyway. Now he's built a firm that opens those rooms to everyone.

Managing Partner

Nick Charlton

Before INC'D, Nick came to work with Cos at their old firm. His task: build an essential services market from zero. He did. The rest of the industry sold decks over operators. Databases over judgment. He wasn't built to work that way. So he built a firm that wasn't either.

Turns out they were already in the same room.One conversation later, so was .

Our thesis? That platform leadership, sponsors, and operators in essential services deserve a firm built specifically to serve them.

No one else gets our attention.

Incorporated. A business built to stand.

Inked. Every mark earned, every story carried.

Two words. One firm. No pretense.

In their own words

On working with Cosmos

"In the world of recruiting, Cosmos is a unicorn.

I was highly skeptical of using a recruiting agency to fill a critical role, and even after my experience I still am skeptical of other recruiting agencies. Cosmos is one of the top 5 professionals I have ever worked with.

He is relentless, focused and calculated. Every moment of my time spent working with Cosmos was worth it. He is the choice for any executive who is strapped for time and task saturated."

Patrick Zagarino

Operator | Monster Tree Service & Lawn Squad | PE Operator | USMC

On working with Nick

"I highly recommend Nick for his exceptional professionalism and insight throughout the hiring process.

He provided clear, transparent expectations from the start and demonstrated a deep understanding of the leadership team, both in terms of company culture and the specific qualities in a candidate.

His guidance was focused, thoughtful, and made the experience seamless and productive. Thank you Nick!"

David Gilmer

Executive Director, Tillman Fiber

On working with Cosmos

"I am writing this on behalf of Cosmos Lemos. During the past year, Cosmos and I have worked together to find my next job opportunity as a CFO for a world class private equity backed company.

I have been thoroughly impressed with his expertise and knowledge of which roles may utilize my skill set to increase enterprise value.

Cosmos constantly demonstrates high level skills of compassion, innovation and consistent communication with me and the rest of his network."

Michael Tang, MBA

Operational Finance Leader

On working with Nick

"Nick's one of those rare recruiters who just gets it. No pressure, no fluff. Just smart, well-targeted opportunities and straight talk.

We've worked together a few times and the experience was smooth from start to finish. He knows the space inside and out, and he's easy to work with. Responsive, honest, and focused on finding a real match, not just checking boxes.

If you're in the PE-backed world and need serious leadership talent, Nick's definitely someone worth following and connecting with."

Robert DeCastro, MA

Telecom Growth Leader | Fiber Optics & Community Tech

On working with Cosmos

"Cosmos was unlike any other recruiter that I worked with in the last 5 years.

He really wanted to get to know me as a person first, to determine a good fit with a future company. He presented 3 potential companies and was excellent at scheduling, constant updates on timing and the decision making process.

It came down to 2 opportunities and was a great coach on assisting in choosing the correct opportunity."

Robert Lambert

General Manager, Authority Brands

On working with Nick

"Nick was very professional and knowledgeable throughout the whole recruiting process.

He reached out before and after each interview, providing helpful tips and overall candidate support. He is a pleasure to work with, I highly recommend him for your job searches."

Cristina Mustata, CPA, MBA

Controller, Tillman Fiber

On working with Cosmos

"I had the pleasure of working with Cosmos Lemos as my executive recruiter, and I couldn't be more impressed with his professionalism and expertise.

He consistently demonstrated timely follow-up and provided valuable insights throughout the process. Cosmos is a positive thought leader who brings a wealth of knowledge and a can-do attitude to every interaction.

I highly recommend him to anyone seeking a top-notch recruiter who truly cares about his clients' success."

Gary Gersten

CX & Operations Executive | Home Services, HVAC & Security

On working with Nick

"Top Notch Experience. I would recommend Nick without hesitation.

Thank you for all your help connecting me with the right company and right position."

Matthew Kick

General Manager

On working with Cosmos

"In the world of recruiting, Cosmos is a unicorn.

He is relentless, focused and calculated. Every moment of my time spent working with Cosmos was worth it. He is the choice for any executive who is strapped for time and task saturated."

Patrick Zagarino

Operator | Monster Tree Service & Lawn Squad | PE Operator | USMC

On working with Nick

"I highly recommend Nick for his exceptional professionalism and insight throughout the hiring process.

He provided clear, transparent expectations from the start and demonstrated a deep understanding of the leadership team, both in terms of company culture and the specific qualities in a candidate.

His guidance was focused, thoughtful, and made the experience seamless and productive. Thank you Nick!"

David Gilmer

Executive Director, Tillman Fiber

On working with Cosmos

"I am writing this on behalf of Cosmos Lemos. During the past year, Cosmos and I have worked together to find my next job opportunity as a CFO for a world class private equity backed company.

I have been thoroughly impressed with his expertise and knowledge of which roles may utilize my skill set to increase enterprise value.

Cosmos constantly demonstrates high level skills of compassion, innovation and consistent communication with me and the rest of his network."

Michael Tang, MBA

Operational Finance Leader

On working with Nick

"Nick's one of those rare recruiters who just gets it. No pressure, no fluff. Just smart, well-targeted opportunities and straight talk.

If you're in the PE-backed world and need serious leadership talent, Nick's definitely someone worth following and connecting with."

Robert DeCastro, MA

Telecom Growth Leader | Fiber Optics & Community Tech

On working with Cosmos

"Cosmos was unlike any other recruiter that I worked with in the last 5 years.

It came down to 2 opportunities and was a great coach on assisting in choosing the correct opportunity."

Robert Lambert

General Manager, Authority Brands

On working with Cosmos

"I had the pleasure of working with Cosmos Lemos as my executive recruiter, and I couldn't be more impressed with his professionalism and expertise.

I highly recommend him to anyone seeking a top-notch recruiter who truly cares about his clients' success."

Gary Gersten

CX & Operations Executive | Home Services, HVAC & Security

For Partners

The best operators in PE-backed field services don't always look like the best operators on paper. They've managed 30 locations before the first P&L came in clean. They've sat in a sponsor board meeting and held the line. They've built field teams that actually stayed.

We know who they are. Placed them. Tracked them. Stayed in their corner long after the search closed.

See the full Partners experience

For Operators

Not every platform is worth your next five years. We vet the ones we work with before we bring them to you.

Capital structure. Sponsor track record. Integration philosophy. Equity mechanics.

When we put a mandate in front of you, it has already cleared our filter.

See the full Operators experience

Whichever side you're on, we'd rather know you before the moment arrives. Not when the search goes live. Not when the next move becomes urgent. So when it matters, the fit is already there.

Let's
Talk.

No automated responses. No junior consultants. You speak to someone who knows your world.

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