Managing Director, Investor-Backed Growth Business
The Situation
An investor-backed specialist business had significant growth potential but required stronger senior leadership to move from an entrepreneurial structure towards a more scalable organisation. The brief called for a Managing Director capable of combining commercial leadership with operational understanding and the ability to build a stronger management team.
The Challenge
The relevant talent pool was relatively narrow. The strongest candidates were unlikely to be actively applying for roles, and confidentiality was important throughout the process. The search therefore needed to reach proven Managing Directors as well as high potential Operations Directors and General Managers who had the capability to step into broader leadership.
Novo’s Approach
Novo mapped comparable businesses and adjacent sectors, identifying executives who had successfully led growth, improved operational performance and developed management capability. Candidates were approached directly and assessed against the future requirements of the business rather than simply matched against a conventional job description.
The Value of Search
The process gave the client access to executives outside the active candidate market and created a credible choice of leaders with different backgrounds and growth experience. The assignment demonstrates the value of proactive search when investors need leadership capable of taking a business to its next stage.
