Expert-led sessions explored the forces shaping businesses this year and beyond.

LLR’s 2025 CEO Collaborate summit brought portfolio leaders together in Philadelphia for two days of peer networking of learning and connection. From embracing the AI revolution to mastering leadership fundamentals and navigating today’s macroeconomic environment, expert-led sessions explored the forces shaping businesses this year and beyond.

Below are what we believe to be some of the most valuable insights from LLR Collaborate 2025.

Embracing the AI Revolution: From Disruption to Opportunity

Ethan Mollick, Professor at The Wharton School and one of TIME Magazine’s Most Influential People in AI, kicked off the summit with advice for leaders on approaching the current AI era with a key mindset: agency.

AI is already undetectable, ubiquitous and transformative, available to everyone from global enterprises to students with a laptop. There is no blueprint for this moment. The message and opportunity from the session was clear: The task now for CEOs is to shape what happens next in their business. The advantage now lies not in access, but in the organizational and process changes being made to adapt to AI. Successful adoption requires three assigned groups inside every company:

1. Leadership: Goal is to set a clear vision and risk tolerance

2. The Crowd: Goal is to drive daily use and encourage idea sharing

3. The Lab: Goal is to test, iterate and scale what works

Summary: The competitive advantage belongs to those acting before certainty and adapt role structures and processes to AI. Embrace agency, encourage experimentation and make AI adoption a priority across every level of the organization.

The 5x CEO: Leadership for Scale

Samantha Allison, co-author of The 5x CEO and advisor to PE-backed leaders, led a keynote on what separates top-performing CEOs from the rest. Based on 75+ interviews with top CEOs and PE partners, Samantha shared The 5x Model identifying the five essential responsibilities for CEOs and leadership teams: strategic clarity, scalable talent, relentless focus, disciplined execution and energized culture.

Summary: Leading for scale requires focus and foresight. The CEOs who win are those who align their teams, build top talent early and lead with discipline to sustain growth, looking towards the next stage.

AI in Action: Practical Use Cases for Companies

Chris Steiner, Partner at Cuesta Partners, bridged theory and practice with advice on where he is seeing AI adoption deliver measurable value across businesses. He emphasized middle market companies are uniquely positioned to move quickly on AI for several reasons:

1. Easier Change Management: With fewer communication silos and cleaner technology environments, it’s often easier to get teams aligned and actually move an idea from discussion to action.

2. Smaller Teams: Leaner teams typically require less training cycles and approval processes, allowing AI adoption to feel more manageable for leaders.

3. Less System Complexity: Middle market companies typically aren’t weighed down by the same legacy systems and tangled integrations that tend to slow larger enterprises. That means AI tools have the opportunity to plug in and start adding value sooner.

Summary: The AI advantage belongs to those nimble companies acting with focus and providing the infrastructure to train, educate and track performance across teams.

Here’s the bottom line.

Beyond the inspiring sessions, the value of bringing leaders together to network, share what’s working, and pressure-test ideas was clear throughout the two-day Collaborate. We thank everyone who joined us in Philadelphia and look forward to meeting again soon.