Attracting a CEO to Fulfill The Expectations of The Board
Challenge
An Atlanta-based private equity firm invested in a long-standing and successful environmental consulting and services firm that provides planning, investigation, solutions, and responses to Federal, State, Municipal, Commercial, and Industrial clients nationwide. The client had requested the candidate be familiar with the Northern Midwest, however, as a considerable amount of business was being done there.
After acquiring the firm and leaving the existing leadership in place, the Private Equity firm realized that the company needed a fresh beginning—and stakeholders asked Chris Swan and the TRANSEARCH Environmental Team to tackle the challenge.
The search for a new CEO presented a few considerable challenges. The firm was small enough that it required a hands-on leader with executive experience, but it also simultaneously required an entrepreneurial savant who could strategically reposition the business—all while building a culture that could energize this sub-$50M business into a platform for macro-scale M&A activity.
To meet this need, TRANSEARCH engaged with the PE Firm in a comprehensive discussion of Culture, Leadership, performance, and team dynamics using its proprietary Orxestra Method™, which helped everyone clarify their thoughts and make their points actionable.
This proprietary evaluation process led to a list of must-have performance criteria and core competencies that guided the evaluation process and brought it to a successful completion.
The Search Partner
TRANSEARCH had established a strong working relationship with the PE firm by completing several critical hires for this specific company; as well as for other firms in the portfolio.
The first placement was for a Vice President of Commercial, State, and Municipal Markets. The PE and the CEO were impressed by the quality of candidates, the speed of delivery, and the professionalism demonstrated by the TRANSEARCH team during the engagement, and this led to the second assignment for a Vice President of Federal Markets, their largest business unit.
The selected federal business unit leader was a well-known industry professional who added greatly to the business’s stature and reputation, as well as the maturity of the executive leadership team.
Solution
Within eight weeks of initiating the assignment, TRANSEARCH found a full slate of four candidates; two proved to be exceptional finalists but were not located in the Northern Midwest.
In keeping with its commitment to excellence and dedication to its clients, TRANSEARCH continues the search for other executives. However, there were no other exceptional candidates that rose to the level of ability that matched the original two. The Board Chairman spent considerable time getting to know the finalist and was assisted in doing so by the TRANSEARCH team directly, as well as the Hogan Assessment that was administered by TRANSEARCH.
Both of the finalists agreed to make considerable commitments to the headquarters office, and the client made the final selection based on the fit of culture, performance, leadership, and team qualifications.
After much deliberation, the new CEO was placed in May 2021 and has continued to prove themselves as an ideal fit for the company.
Results
After the initial placement, the candidate was eventually able to relocate their family to the area. The business has continued to benefit from the candidate’s expert-level leadership and executive skills and has advanced its progress in business and profitability goals.
After the placement back in 2021, TRANSEARCH performed a Hogan Assessment on the entire leadership team at the organization’s request to help stakeholders better understand the team’s group dynamics. Overall, the assessment helped highlight the areas that needed improvement and identified where the new hire could help fill any gaps.
Years after the successful placement of the new CEO, it’s clear that TRANSEARCH found the right people who not only met the requirements but also fit in well with the team. Both organizations were satisfied with the process, people, and tools employed by TRANSEARCH. They continued to use their services for future searches—creating a legacy of success, security, and growth potential with each hire.
