Cullen Steele*

Managing Director, Portfolio Talent

Machu Picchu, Peru

As Managing Director of Portfolio Talent at Crossplane Capital, Cullen is responsible for driving value creation across the firm’s portfolio through strategic talent initiatives. He focuses on supporting investors and senior executives by providing insights on organizational structure, culture, and executive fit relative to the underlying investment thesis. Cullen leads talent assessment, search, organizational design, strategic alignment, and leadership development efforts across Crossplane’s portfolio companies.

Experience

Prior to joining Crossplane, Cullen was the COO and Managing Consultant at Green Peak, he was a top-performer with the Boston Consulting Group and served as a General Manager for Target Corporation where he established a strong track record leading large teams, attracting and developing best-in-class talent, and consistently exceeding performance targets in top-line growth, bottom-line profitability, and the cultivation of future leaders.

Cullen combines the analytical rigor and problem-solving skills developed as a strategy consultant with over a decade of cross-functional leadership and P&L ownership experience. His pragmatic, empathetic, high-energy approach helps him connect with leaders to drive sustainable improvements in performance and organizational effectiveness.

Education

  • University of Colorado, BA, Philosophy
  • University of Southern California Marshall Business School, MBA

Personal

In his free time, you can find Cullen trying to win a game of basketball against his sons, working on his swing at the driving range, or working on his other swing at a sand volleyball court. 90’s rap lyrics consume a disproportionate amount of his mental hard drive.