Mike Pavelko

Mike Pavelko appears in A pro-worker experiment in private equity as a GSI worker who joined the company in 2018, the same year KKR bought it. He describes GSI’s work as hands-on, intense, and sometimes dangerous.

Mike’s story is the episode’s strongest example of Private Equity Worker Ownership working as a visible incentive. Because GSI workers were told about their equity from the start, he says employees felt more involved and cared more about hitting company targets.

When KKR announced GSI’s sale in October 2024, Mike received an initial $195,000 and could receive another $25,000 for each of the next two years if he stayed, totaling about $250,000. He used the money to buy his first home in Tennessee.

Connections

• GSI, KKR, and Pete Stavros - company, owner, and ownership-program context.
• Private Equity Worker Ownership, Equity Compensation Upside, and Employee Retention Economics - concepts illustrated by Mike’s payout and continued-employment incentive.
• Employee Equity Communication - contrast with Cindy Cordes and the earlier Capital Safety rollout.