PE Firm/Engineering Services Portfolio Company

THE ROLE

Confidential Chief Executive Officer

THE CHALLENGE

When the Vision Outgrows the Leadership: Finding the Right CEO to Drive Change

Following a recent investment in a California-based commercial infrastructure engineering firm, a Private Equity sponsor faced a critical leadership challenge: the incumbent CEO was no longer fit to lead the company forward.

The firm needed a transformational CEO—someone capable of breaking through a culture of complacency to professionalize operations, drive disciplined execution, and win highly competitive contracts in a complex, technical market.

But the search was anything but simple. The ideal candidate required deep familiarity with the California market, a strong technical foundation, and a proven track record of culture change and revenue growth across multiple verticals. With so much riding on the next phase of growth, finding the right leader wasn’t optional—it was urgent.

Our Approach

Crafting a highly targeted outreach campaign, the team identified a niche pool of candidates qualified for the position. Given the highly-networked nature of the space, our outreach techniques were carefully crafted so as to withhold any identifying information of our client. With a CEO currently in place, the business impact of the search being known was significant. 

Result:

Our team identified a strong shortlist of talent, ultimately placing a strong first-time CEO with 15 years of experience specifically in the California market working with major target accounts in the verticals of interest to our client. Our placement remains in place today and now holds the title of President and CEO.

“You gave us exactly what we asked for—an energetic CEO with deep industry knowledge capable of being a change agent, growth driver, and culture builder all at once. Your level of discretion and communication was appreciated; we will be reaching out to you again.”

— Partner, Confidential PE Firm with $275M+ AUM