The 2026 ETA CEO
An annual recognition of the search-fund and ETA CEO who has compounded value best over the last three years. Measured, not judged. Nominated by the community.
Nominate by email How it worksToo few people ever hear their names
Some of the most impressive operators in private markets run search-acquired companies. The 2026 ETA CEO award shines a light on one of them, chosen on three simple numbers and a published formula, from the names the community puts forward.
3-year revenue CAGR
Is the business compounding?
3-year EBITDA CAGR
Is the growth high-quality?
3-year average ROIC
Does growth create value per dollar deployed?
Four simple steps
You email us
Send the CEO's name and email and one line on why to info@cerralvo.com, or simply reply to our email. No numbers needed. Nominate as many as you like.
We reach out
We contact every nominee for three numbers and a few simple questions about the business.
Independent check
We ask for a light independent confirmation of the three numbers, so the figure we publish stands on its own.
Barcelona
The winner is announced on 16 October to open Cerralvo's tequila and tapas evening, the traditional close of conference week.
The details
| What it measures | The strongest three-year record among the companies nominated in 2026, on the three published numbers. A period, not a career. |
|---|---|
| Who can be nominated | Any CEO running a searcher-acquired operating company, anywhere in the world, with at least three complete years under current ownership. |
| The prize | A fine Swiss watch, engraved "2026 ETA CEO," and the recognition of the community that nominated you. |
| Nominations close | Friday, 9 October 2026 |
| Numbers due | Tuesday, 13 October 2026 |
| Announcement | 16 October 2026, Barcelona, at Cerralvo's tequila and tapas evening |
| Cost and obligation | Free. Entering creates no obligation of any kind. |
Nominate the 2026 ETA CEO
There is no form. Nominations are made by email, so a nomination takes one minute and stays between us.
The CEO's name
And the company they run.
Their email
So we can reach them directly for the three numbers.
One line on why
What they built, and why it stands out.
Or reply to the note you received from us. Nominations close on Friday 9 October 2026. Nominate as many CEOs as you like, including CEOs you back or whose boards you sit on. Participation is free and creates no obligation of any kind.
How the scoring works. Score = A + B + C, one point per percentage point. A is the 3-year revenue CAGR and B the 3-year EBITDA CAGR, floored at zero and never capped, because exceptional growth is the point of the award. C is the average return on invested capital over the same three years (operating profit after tax divided by working capital plus fixed assets), capped at 40 points, so a company at 300% ROIC scores the same 40 as a great industrial at 45% and no business model can carry the award on its own. ROIC, not ROE: leverage is never rewarded. Example: 30% revenue CAGR, 25% EBITDA CAGR and 60% ROIC (capped at 40) score 30 + 25 + 40 = 95. If base-year EBITDA was zero or negative, B is set equal to A. If invested capital is zero or negative, C scores the full 40. Highest score wins; an exact tie goes to the higher EBITDA CAGR. The winner and the winner's three numbers are published; nothing else is.
Data use and privacy. Nominations arrive by email and are used to administer the ETA CEO award and to understand the search-fund ecosystem. Cerralvo Capital may follow up with nominees and nominators. Entering creates no obligation of any kind, and no participant is ever asked to discuss a transaction. Nominee data is never shared, sold or published; only the winner and the winner's three numbers are announced. You may ask us to delete your data at any time by writing to info@cerralvo.com. Data controller: Cerralvo Capital.
The ETA CEO award is an independent initiative of Cerralvo Capital and is not affiliated with any conference, school or institution.
© 2026 Cerralvo Capital