CEO Leadership for Successful Integration and Exit

The Client

Our Germany-headquartered client is a leading, high-growth, and high-profitability B2B player in data and analytics services, established in 2020 through the merger of several international companies under a unified brand. Their strategy aimed to transform this independent group into one of Europe’s top providers in data engineering, data analytics (including business intelligence and machine learning), and cloud services, with a target exit by 2025.

The Challenge

The private equity firm faced a complex challenge. They wanted to keep the group lean, with minimal overhead, and maintain the independence of its various companies. They intended to achieve this by:

• Preserving the unique strengths and capabilities of each company
• Keeping shareholder-managers / company founders on board, supporting innovation and growth
• Realizing synergies, but only when they added clear value without compromising independence

The core challenge was to find a CEO who could navigate this intricate landscape, integrating the companies effectively while maintaining their independence, and driving the group towards a successful exit.

The Solution

Since none of the founders were suitable for the Group CEO role, the mandate was to recruit a seasoned leader with the following qualifications:

• Minimum 10 years of experience as a founder or managing director of an IT services company or as a lead manager of a relevant business unit within a large IT services company (e.g., CGI, Infosys, Accenture, Capgemini, Cognizant) with P&L responsibility and a focus on value creation
• Experience in post-merger integration and transformation
• Knowledge in data engineering, data analytics, and cloud services
• B2B sales experience, especially in account-based marketing
• Familiarity with private equity, compensation models, and exit strategies
• Cross-cultural experience, sales orientation, and the ability to act as a ‘chief evangelist’ for the company's technology and brand to customers and potential investors.
   

The Results

After seven rounds of interviews involving numerous stakeholders, the selected CEO demonstrated a significant general management track record as CFO/COO, extensive PMI experience, over 10 years of leadership in large volume cross-industry B2B sales, and an entrepreneurial mindset. He convinced the PE management of his trustworthiness and commitment. Even before officially starting, the designated CEO began working closely with the PE management and external M&A consultant to ensure a seamless transition and a strong start.

For more information on how we can help your organization achieve similar success, contact Dennis Grabherr, Partner, Boyden Germany.