Accelerating Transformation: VP Hire for Private Equity MedTech

The Role

VP of Sales & Marketing

The Challenge

When Growth Demands Outpace Leadership Capacity

Our client—a leading MedTech company in a highly specialized market—had just entered a high-stakes phase: they’d been acquired by private equity and were under pressure to deliver aggressive growth. The clock was ticking, and the expectations were high.

But they faced a critical gap.

Despite a clear investor thesis focused on both organic and inorganic growth and a strategic shift from CapEx to OpEx solutions, the company lacked the right commercial leader to bring this vision to life. Without a seasoned VP of Sales & Marketing, their path to transformation was stalled.

The Pain Points Were Clear:

No internal candidate had the experience to scale a commercial function post-acquisition.

The shift to a new business model required sales leadership with a very specific skill set—and that talent was hard to find.

The pressure from private equity was mounting. Progress needed to happen fast, but mis-hiring could jeopardize momentum.

The company needed someone who could not only execute but also lead through complexity, build a world-class team, and align with investor expectations from day one.

Our Approach

Our team executed a national headhunting strategy to identify candidates with proven success in leading commercial teams, executing complex sales strategies, and navigating transitions from CapEx to OpEx solutions.

Deploying our rigorous multi-stage assessment process, we tested candidates for their leadership experience in executing transformational strategies in post-acquisition environments (particularly within private equity). Given the inflection point in our client’s growth journey, it was critical that this candidate had the experience necessary to align with the investor thesis of driving rapid, sustainable growth.

To ensure thorough market coverage, our team implemented a multi-pronged approach, drawing talent across the nation from three core segments. This approach identified talent from over 100 companies, consisting of best-in-class MedTech, investor-backed MedTech, and other MedTech organizations with a history of similar transitions from CapEx to OpEx solutions. In total, our team headhunted 265 candidates, and conducted 79 multi-stage interviews, resulting in a stellar shortlist of 6 executives and ultimately 3 finalists.

The Results

Our search efforts resulted in a competitive selection process, through which our client selected their hire from a pool of outstanding finalists. Our client was thrilled to extend an offer to a strong commercial leader with a background at multiple well-respected MedTech organizations with extensive experience developing and executing innovative sales and marketing GTM strategies for both CapEx and OpEx solutions. The search was completed in 67 business days from launch to final offer terms.

Through our focused recruitment process, we provided our client with a highly qualified leader who not only met their requirements but also aligned with their long-term vision, ensuring continued success in the post-acquisition phase. Summit Search Consultants is proud to partner with organizations committed to transformative leadership. Our tailored search strategies deliver exceptional talent to meet the unique challenges of dynamic industries.

“This was phenomenal. You guys served up candidates that were very responsive to our care abouts and we moved with a pretty good pace here. This is one of the more expedited and efficient searches I’ve been a part of for this senior of a role. Much appreciated for being highly responsive and very efficient from a time perspective.”

— Partner, Acquiring Private Equity Firm