Driving Success: Leadership Transition for a Fortune 500 Spin-Off

The Client

A global Fortune 500 company, undergoing a major transition, sought our expertise to support one of their key business units, which had recently been acquired by a private equity firm as part of a spin-off. This business unit, critical to the company’s success in the Chinese market, required a complete transformation from being a division within a large, matrixed organization to operating as a standalone entity backed by private equity.

As search partner with one of the companies’ business units, Boyden was engaged to support their recruitment efforts in this phase of transition.

The Challenge

The company needed to replace its General Manager for China, as the incumbent was not suited for the new private equity-backed structure. The search was confidential and complex, requiring a senior executive with strong commercial expertise, full P&L responsibility, and a proven track record of driving growth. This leader needed to navigate the shift from being part of a large organization to leading an independent business, while building a new culture focused on commercial excellence in a competitive and dynamic market.

The Solution

We leveraged our extensive network to conduct a thorough market search and identify the best candidates. Despite the confidentiality surrounding the search, we achieved a 40% response rate. Within three days, we identified a strong potential candidate but continued our full market evaluation to ensure a comprehensive search.

After screening all qualified candidates, we presented three top-tier executives to the client, two of whom advanced to the final interview stage. The selected finalist had previously led a similar spin-off in APAC for a competitor, making them an ideal fit for the role. Their expertise in the relevant product category and proven track record of driving growth further solidified their candidacy. To ensure alignment with the client’s needs, we conducted a tailored PROPHET Assessment with one of our leadership consultants (the selected candidate also shared that it was one of the best assessments they had ever received). The finalist then traveled from China to the U.S. for final interviews and was subsequently presented with an offer.

The Result

Through a focused and diligent approach, we successfully identified and presented three highly qualified candidates. Two completed the full interview process, and the final selection was made within 90 days. The success of this search and our strong collaboration with the client resulted in four additional search assignments as we continue to build out the leadership team for the newly independent company.