Key Takeaways
- • SPMB Executive Search has added two partners in 2026 to expand its Financial Officer and Private Equity practices: Rawlins Heaton (February 2026) and Christy Mihos (July 2026), signaling aggressive growth in PE-focused executive recruitment.
- • Rawlins Heaton brings over a decade of private equity experience, with prior roles at True Search and Bespoke Partners, where she placed senior leaders at portfolio companies backed by firms including PSG, JMI, Thoma Bravo, New Mountain Capital, and Advent.
- • Christy Mihos specializes in CFO placements for growth-stage and PE-backed technology companies, particularly those in AI-native and traditional tech sectors, strengthening SPMB's financial officer recruitment capability.
- • Both hires target the PE and growth equity ecosystem, positioning SPMB to capture demand from portfolio companies requiring C-suite talent across software, technology, and finance functions.
- • SPMB, operating for over 40 years, now leverages dual expertise in private equity operating partner recruitment and CFO search to serve the growing complexity of PE-backed company scaling and transformation.
Summary
SPMB Executive Search, a 40-year-old executive search firm specializing in venture capital and private equity recruitment, has strengthened its market position through strategic partnership additions in both its Private Equity and Financial Officer practices during 2026. The firm welcomed Rawlins Heaton as a partner in February 2026 and Christy Mihos as a partner in July 2026, expanding its capacity to serve the institutional PE sector.
Rawlins Heaton's appointment as partner marks a significant investment in SPMB's private equity practice. Based in West Palm Beach and operating nationwide, Heaton brings more than a decade of specialized experience working with PE firms and their B2B software portfolio companies to recruit CEOs, board members, and go-to-market executives. Her prior experience includes five years at True Search and Bespoke Partners, where she built a track record placing senior leaders at growth equity and PE-backed software companies funded by blue-chip investors including PSG, JMI, Thoma Bravo, New Mountain Capital, and Advent. Earlier in her career, Heaton worked in finance at Morgan Stanley, providing institutional investment banking perspective. According to Mike Doonan, SPMB's managing partner, Heaton's "rare combination of deep private equity expertise, exceptional judgment, and client-centric approach" earned trust among leading PE firms.
Complementing this expansion, Christy Mihos joined as a partner to lead CFO placements for growth-stage and PE-backed technology companies, with particular focus on AI-native and traditional technology sectors. This dual expansion reflects SPMB's strategic positioning to capture demand from the PE market, where portfolio companies increasingly require specialized C-suite talent across financial, operational, and go-to-market functions during periods of growth and transformation. The firm's 40-year operating history and focus on venture and private equity-backed companies position it to serve institutional investors seeking experienced executive search partners for complex placement mandates.
Rawlins Heaton's appointment as partner marks a significant investment in SPMB's private equity practice. Based in West Palm Beach and operating nationwide, Heaton brings more than a decade of specialized experience working with PE firms and their B2B software portfolio companies to recruit CEOs, board members, and go-to-market executives. Her prior experience includes five years at True Search and Bespoke Partners, where she built a track record placing senior leaders at growth equity and PE-backed software companies funded by blue-chip investors including PSG, JMI, Thoma Bravo, New Mountain Capital, and Advent. Earlier in her career, Heaton worked in finance at Morgan Stanley, providing institutional investment banking perspective. According to Mike Doonan, SPMB's managing partner, Heaton's "rare combination of deep private equity expertise, exceptional judgment, and client-centric approach" earned trust among leading PE firms.
Complementing this expansion, Christy Mihos joined as a partner to lead CFO placements for growth-stage and PE-backed technology companies, with particular focus on AI-native and traditional technology sectors. This dual expansion reflects SPMB's strategic positioning to capture demand from the PE market, where portfolio companies increasingly require specialized C-suite talent across financial, operational, and go-to-market functions during periods of growth and transformation. The firm's 40-year operating history and focus on venture and private equity-backed companies position it to serve institutional investors seeking experienced executive search partners for complex placement mandates.
Go deeper than the headline
Research every firm in this story, track the ones that matter and get the daily briefing — free for 7 days.