CEO
Case Studies
A successful plan
Our client is an international FTSE 100 consumer company with operations in the UK, Europe and Asia, and a leader in its sector. We have previously worked with the board to appoint a number of non-executive directors to bring international, brand, audit, strategy and all aspects of corporate governance to the board, as well as a number of executive committee members
We were asked to conduct a global benchmarking exercise to identify and informally reference the best international candidates who could provide external options for CEO succession. We agreed with the chair, which candidates could be approached with an NDA in order to assess their motivation for a move. We shortlisted five international candidates for discussion with the chair, and three were presented to the NomCo for final interview. Decision-making was supported by confidential referencing and external, independent psychometric assessment
The successful candidate was a European national working for a US business who was able to relocate to the UK.
Technology turnaround
Our client is a FTSE 250 technology-enabled technology and outsourcing company, operating mainly in the UK
After a number of years of acquisition-led expansion, the company faced issues with a number of its contracts leading to several profit warnings. The Chairman and the board appointed Lygon to identify an experienced CEO with a track record of successful turnaround of technology-led services businesses with complex, long-term contracts
Initially operating under NDA, we identified a long-list of potential candidates and over the course of four months we assessed 133 candidates, interviewed 18 and shortlisted eight. The successful candidate was a Brit who has spent the majority of their career overseas and who had successfully led growth and turnaround in complex contracting environments previously
Purpose-led evolution
Our client is an international retailer with stores in over 15 international markets across Europe and Asia and a strong online presence. The new private equity owner had ambitious growth plans and sought a new CEO to bring fresh perspective and drive transformational change without losing its sense of purpose, value proposition, and high level of employee engagement
We conducted a confidential, international mapping project to identify both proven and next generation retail leaders, as well as lateral ideas of those from tangential sectors who had the agility to move across. We took informal references on around twenty potential candidates and agreed with the board and investors those who could be approached with an NDA for interview
The successful candidate was a British national who had returned to the UK after an international assignment, had a track record of leading transformation and profitably growth and, crucially, was the right cultural fit to win immediate credibility with the board, investors and team