Private Equity & Venture Capital
Key Industry Challenges
Key Industry Challenges
Just as Private Equity (PE) and Venture Capital (VC) firms influence and validate the strategies of their portfolio assets or holdings, they apply the same rules and demands to guide their own organic growth. In recent years, we’ve seen a significant increase in the number of firms operating in the sector, with a diversity of models. The number of professionals in the sector has logically followed this progression.
Furthermore, these firms are raising increasingly larger funds, involving highly sophisticated financial engineering. These market developments logically demand more resources and, above all, very specific profiles.
Impacts On Organisations
Impacts On Organisations
In order to maintain their leadership, several major players have opened offices in new geographical locations to expand their network and mark their territory. Furthermore, the trend of sectoral specializations or market segments is being confirmed, and we are witnessing the emergence of companies with a dominant and global presence in their preferred fields. Major transitions and societal themes also impact the sector with the proliferation of ultra-specialized firms focusing on ecological or mission-driven themes with a more entrepreneurial philosophy.
Major Recruitment Challenge
Strategic roles within investment firms (Managing Partner, Senior Partner, Investment & Portfolio Manager) are highly sought after, and the stakes are considerable. These professionals inspire investor confidence through their unique expertise and “grinta” (a blend of grit, determination, and competitive spirit). Team movements within these firms can significantly impact the operators’ notoriety and reputation. Additionally, firms in this sector often surround themselves with numerous Senior Advisors.
Our Expertise & Approach
Our Expertise & Approach
Our mission in this sector has been to collaborate with partners who share our values, fostering effective and lasting partnerships through a common DNA. We are primarily a leading partner for mid-cap funds with a strong entrepreneurial spirit, sometimes operating alongside family offices, to either bolster their teams or find the leaders who will successfully scale up their assets.
We support numerous players in their strategies to grow startups or take over underperforming mid-sized companies. These companies face an urgent need for rapid impact through initiatives such as redefining their business model, organizational restructuring, reorienting leadership and managerial culture, and modernizing their tools, among others.
We leverage our multisectoral and multifunctional expertise to identify leaders with the capabilities, mindset, and character to embrace challenges that demand dexterity, speed of execution, a certain appetite for risk, and a culture of performance.
Business cases
General Manager (M/F)
Industry- SME – France
Following the acquisition of a French mid-sized company (ETI) specializing in machine tool manufacturing, an investment fund entrusted us with the responsibility of recruiting the company’s next General Manager (DG) to succeed its Founder. We had to reconcile the fund’s desire for an immediately operational profile to enhance its asset’s value, with the historical leader’s preference for a more evolutionary profile who could eventually aspire to the DG position, allowing for a smoother transition.
CFO (M/F)
Services – Group – France
An investment fund mandated us to recruit a CFO for one of its portfolio companies, with the objective of preparing a carve-out scenario within 18 months. It was essential to find a candidate with experience working with Private Equity firms, a successful track record in similar operations, and the ability to manage the operational aspects.
HR Director (M/F)
Services – Scale-up – France
Our client is a fast growing company phase expanding both organic and at international level. The PE convinced the company’s founders to recruit an experienced HR Director (DRH). This individual needed to have held a similar position in a large-scale tech company, possess international experience, and be capable of structuring an organization undergoing rapid growth.