January 2026 delivered billions in transaction activity across energy, healthcare, fintech, industrial infrastructure, and enterprise software. But in today’s market, access to headlines isn’t the challenge. Context is.
Who’s actually behind these deals?
Which CEOs just experienced a liquidity event?
Who is now operating under a new owner, new board, or new strategic mandate?
For advisors, these transactions signal newly relevant prospects.
For executive search firms, private equity sponsors, and board recruiters, they signal leadership transitions, succession opportunities, and executives ready for their next chapter.
Most transaction databases rely on scraped announcements and surface-level details. Dakota Transactions is different. Every deal is curated, verified, and mapped to key executives to provide real visibility into the leadership teams shaping their industries.
Below are the Top 10 CEO Transactions for January 2026, and the executives behind them.
Book a demo of Dakota Marketplace to access the most curated and actionable transaction database in private markets — and connect directly with the executives driving these deals.
1. Andrew Novotny – Calpine Corporation
Recent Transaction: Strategic Acquisition | 1/7/2026 | $26.6B
Constellation completed its acquisition of Calpine from Energy Capital Partners, creating the largest electricity producer in the United States with approximately 55–60 gigawatts of zero- and low-emission capacity. The transaction combines Constellation’s nuclear fleet with Calpine’s natural gas and geothermal assets, strengthening the company’s retail platform and expanding its footprint in high-demand markets like Texas and California to meet rising U.S. energy needs.
Andrew Novotny is Chief Executive Officer of Calpine Corporation, where he leads one of the nation’s largest natural gas and geothermal power generation platforms. Based in Houston, he oversees Calpine’s strategic direction, operational performance, and growth initiatives across its national energy portfolio, continuing in his leadership role following the company’s acquisition by Constellation in January 2026.
View the full profile in Dakota Marketplace.
2. Adam Elsesser – Penumbra Inc.
Recent Transaction: Strategic Acquisition | 1/15/2026 | $14.5B
Boston Scientific agreed to acquire Penumbra, Inc. in a cash-and-stock transaction valuing the company at approximately $14.5 billion, or $374 per share, expanding Boston Scientific into high-growth vascular and neurovascular thrombectomy markets. The deal strengthens Boston Scientific’s cardiovascular portfolio with Penumbra’s innovative clot removal technologies, and Penumbra CEO Adam Elsesser is expected to join Boston Scientific’s board upon closing in 2026.
Adam Elsesser is Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President of Penumbra, Inc., a global healthcare company focused on innovative medical technologies. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, he leads the company’s strategic vision, product innovation, and operational execution, continuing in his longstanding leadership role as of October 2025.
View the full profile in Dakota Marketplace.
3. Vicki Hollub – OxyChem
Recent Transaction: Strategic Acquisition | 1/2/2026 | $9.7B
Berkshire Hathaway completed its $9.7 billion all-cash acquisition of OxyChem from Occidental, adding a leading North American producer of chlor-alkali, PVC, and other essential chemical products to its portfolio. OxyChem will continue to operate under President and CEO Wade Alleman, while Occidental plans to use a portion of the proceeds to reduce debt and strengthen its balance sheet.
Vicki Hollub, President and Chief Executive Officer of OxyChem, brings over 40 years of leadership and technical experience within Oxy and its affiliates, having held management roles across the United States, Russia, Venezuela, and Ecuador before ascending to the CEO role. She has served on Oxy’s Board of Directors since 2015 and previously oversaw oil and gas, chemical, and midstream operations as President and Chief Operating Officer.
View the full profile in Dakota Marketplace.
4. Pedro Franceschi – Brex
Recent Transaction: Strategic Acquisition | 1/22/2026 | $5.15B
Capital One agreed to acquire Brex in a cash-and-stock transaction valued at approximately $5.15 billion, expanding its presence in AI-native business payments and spend management software. Upon closing in mid-2026, Brex Co-Founder and CEO Pedro Franceschi will continue to lead the platform as part of Capital One, combining Brex’s integrated corporate card and expense technology with Capital One’s scale and underwriting capabilities.
Pedro Franceschi is Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Brex, where he leads the company’s strategic vision and operations from the firm’s Salt Lake City office. Based in the San Francisco metro area, he continues to serve in his executive leadership role as of October 2025, guiding Brex’s growth and innovation in financial technology solutions.
View the full profile in Dakota Marketplace.
5. Brad Selleck – Husky Technologies
Recent Transaction: Merger | 1/12/2026 | $5B
CompoSecure completed its previously announced business combination with Husky Technologies in a transaction valuing the combined company at approximately $7.4 billion, creating a diversified industrial platform. Husky will continue to operate as a standalone business under CEO Bradley Selleck, while CompoSecure rebrands its corporate entity to GPGI, Inc., reflecting its strategy of acquiring and scaling market-leading businesses.
Brad Selleck has served as Chief Executive Officer of Husky Technologies since October 2024, bringing more than 25 years of leadership experience in global industrial operations, supply chain, and quality management. Previously Husky’s Chief Operations Officer, he has played a key role in strengthening the company’s operational resilience and industrialization efforts, building on prior leadership experience at L3Harris Technologies.
View the full profile in Dakota Marketplace.
Most transaction databases rely on scraped headlines and surface-level details. Dakota Transactions is different.
Inside Dakota Marketplace, every deal is curated, verified, and tagged by our dedicated research team giving you full participant visibility across buyers, sellers, lenders, advisors, and executive leadership. That means access not only to transaction intelligence, but to the key decision-makers behind the deals… including CEOs and executive contact information.
Identify active buyers and sellers. Monitor competitor strategies. Surface new liquidity events. Engage at the right moment.
Book a demo of Dakota Marketplace to access the most curated and actionable transaction database in private markets — and connect directly with the executives driving these deals.
6. John Ragan – Cogentrix Energy
Recent Transaction: Strategic Acquisition | 1/5/2026 | $4.7B
Quantum Capital Group agreed to sell approximately 90% of Cogentrix Energy’s 5.5 GW natural gas generation portfolio to Vistra Corp. for approximately $4.7 billion, positioning Vistra to expand its footprint across PJM, ISO New England, and ERCOT. The transaction, expected to close in mid-to-late 2026 pending regulatory approvals, underscores CEO John Ragan’s leadership in scaling Cogentrix’s modern, dispatchable power platform amid rising U.S. electricity demand.
John Ragan has served as Chief Executive Officer of Cogentrix Energy Power Management LLC since 2017, bringing more than 30 years of experience in power generation, strategic planning, and operations management. Under his leadership, Cogentrix has advanced its energy transition strategy across development, acquisitions, finance, operations, and asset management, building on his prior executive roles at NRG Energy, FPL Energy (now NextEra Energy Resources), and Mirant Corporation.
View the full profile in Dakota Marketplace.
7. Martin Mao – Chronosphere
Recent Transaction: Strategic Acquisition | 1/29/2026 | $3.35B
Palo Alto Networks completed its $3.35 billion acquisition of Chronosphere, strengthening its position in AI-era observability by integrating Chronosphere’s scalable, cloud-native monitoring platform with its security offerings. The combination enhances Palo Alto Networks’ ability to deliver real-time, autonomous detection and remediation capabilities at petabyte scale, unifying observability and cybersecurity for modern AI-driven enterprises.
Martin Mao is Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Chronosphere, a cloud-native observability platform he launched in 2019 to help enterprises manage and monitor complex, large-scale systems. A seasoned technologist, Mao previously held engineering leadership roles at Uber, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, and Google, and has guided Chronosphere’s growth into a well-funded leader in the observability and monitoring space.
View the full profile in Dakota Marketplace.
8. Adam Biggam – ENTRUST Solutions Group
Recent Transaction: Strategic Acquisition | 1/26/2026 | $2.4B
Kohlberg agreed to sell ENTRUST Solutions Group to Leidos for approximately $2.4 billion, marking a successful exit following its 2019 acquisition and 2023 minority recapitalization. Under CEO Adam Biggam, ENTRUST has expanded its engineering and consulting platform across North America, positioning the company to capitalize on growing demand for critical power infrastructure and grid modernization.
Adam Biggam has served as Chief Executive Officer of ENTRUST Solutions Group since November 2021, capping a two-decade career with the company that began in 2005 when ENTRUST had fewer than 100 employees. Under his leadership, the firm has grown to more than 3,100 professionals nationwide, with a strong emphasis on operational excellence, collaboration, and a culture that prioritizes recognition and employee engagement.
View the full profile in Dakota Marketplace.
9. Carey Jaros – GOJO Industries
Recent Transaction: Strategic Acquisition | 1/22/2026 | $2.25B
The Clorox Company agreed to acquire GOJO Industries, maker of the PURELL® brand, for $2.25 billion in cash, expanding Clorox’s health and hygiene portfolio into the fast-growing skin hygiene category. Under CEO Carey Jaros, GOJO has built a nearly $800 million revenue platform with a strong recurring B2B base, and the transaction is expected to enhance Clorox’s growth and profitability as it integrates Purell into its broader consumer and professional portfolio.
Carey F. Jaros is President and Chief Executive Officer of GOJO Industries, the global manufacturer behind the PURELL® brand and other leading hand hygiene and skin care products. After joining GOJO as a board member in 2014, she held roles as Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Operating Officer before becoming CEO in January 2020, bringing prior leadership experience from Walnut Ridge Strategic Management, Dealer Tire, and Bain & Company.
View the full profile in Dakota Marketplace.
10. John Strosahl – JAMF
Recent Acquisition: Take-Private / Public-to-Private
Francisco Partners completed its $2.2 billion all-cash acquisition of Jamf at $13.05 per share, taking the Apple device management and security software company private. Under CEO John Strosahl, Jamf will continue operating independently as a privately held company, with the added flexibility and capital support to accelerate innovation, product expansion, and global growth.
John Strosahl is Chief Executive Officer of Jamf Holding Corp., a global leader in Apple device management and security software. After joining Jamf in 2015 as Chief Revenue Officer, he advanced through roles as COO and President before becoming CEO in May 2023, leading the company’s expansion into more than 120 countries and strengthening its recurring subscription revenue model.
View the full profile in Dakota Marketplace.
Where Transactions Become Opportunity
Finding prospects isn’t the challenge, knowing when to act is.
Transactions signal more than liquidity. They reveal leadership transitions, ownership changes, new board dynamics, and strategic inflection points. For advisors, these moments create timely outreach opportunities. For executive search firms, private equity sponsors, and board recruiters, they surface experienced operators entering their next chapter.
Dakota Marketplace delivers the most curated and actionable transaction database in private markets… every deal verified, tagged, and mapped to the key executives behind it, including CEOs and executive contact information.
See who’s buying.
See who’s selling.
See who’s stepping into new ownership structures.
See who may be ready for what’s next.
With real-time transaction data and “likely to transact” signals, your team can prioritize outreach, identify leadership opportunities, and engage decision-makers at the right moment.
Book a demo of Dakota Marketplace to access complete transaction visibility and connect directly with the executives driving these deals.
