A $450m industry leader with over a half century of experience was in the process of a large (international) acquisition, which would increase the size of company by 40% when completed.  Their private equity firm initially preferred to hire a national search firm for this important assignment but decided to back the CEO’s decision to hire a “local boutique” firm, who knew the market.  Within a month of receiving assignment, key executives were identified and hired.  After ninety days of the executives’ start date, CEO wrote a glowing report to the board and indicated the skill sets of both people were perfectly aligned with the needs of the company and integration is moving forward very smoothly.

 

A $2 billion national restaurant company hired a well-known retained search firm, with offices all over the world, to find its Director of Taxes.  After six months of not finding the right candidate, the CEO asked the HR department to call DBL Associates to assist in the search.  The issue was that not that the candidates could not do the job; the issue was finding a candidate who could understand and embrace the unique culture of the company.   Within a short amount of time, the Director of Taxes was identified and hired.  DBL worked with the CFO and HR department to sort through a total of fifty candidates.   Our initial recommendation was ultimately hired.

 

A private equity firm, specializing in the mid-market space, hired a retained search firm to find a CFO for its manufacturing plant, a leading manufacturer of proprietary asphalt emulsions and related products.  After evaluating many candidates, DBL Associates was approached to do the search, even though the position was located in Arizona.  We determined we could find the ideal candidate based on our extensive network of CFO’s.  The role required a traditional financial skillset and a history of interacting and providing great value to private equity partners and a “COO” mindset.  After an extensive nationwide search, we located the ideal “metrics driven” candidate.

 

A major entertainment company was in need of a Director-level finance professional for their strategic planning department.  DBL Associates identified a strong candidate with the perfect skillset and cultural attributes; during the interview process the candidate received an offer to attend Harvard Business School and had to decline the imminent offer.  Immediately after graduating from HBS, we approached the candidate with an opportunity to interview for a higher level finance position with the same entertainment company.   The candidate, recognizing he had “entertainment” his blood, accepted and eventually became their CFO.

 

A not-for-profit   organization, serving the most academically-gifted students in the most economically distressed communities in Los Angeles, approached us to find a Program Director.  We ultimately found two individuals who apparently had the right skillset and motivation to lead the organization.  The organization initially decided to hire the individual who, on paper, with a Wharton finance degree, blue chip company background, and great interview skills; however, after a few weeks they soon realized the less experienced candidate was ultimately the best fit.  The “second” candidate has been a terrific addition to this remarkable organization and is now the Executive Director.   Drive and motivation is more important than a “perfect” resume.