LAYING THE FOUNDATION

The client company had an ambitious plan to scale into new markets within the dental services space.

To support its vision for growth, the company needed a new Chief Development Officer (CDO) with a track record of acquiring companies with significant EBITDA on an accelerated timeline.

More importantly, the new CDO would need to espouse the values and versatility that have made the company a leader in its existing geography and sector.

THE TOWNSEND SEARCH JOURNEY

The client company initially focused on top-level corporate development leaders in the healthcare services vertical.

As Townsend Search Group evaluated the process, it quickly became clear that the company needed a candidate with significant experience in dental service organizations (DSO). The aggressive growth targets the client wanted to achieve would not allow “on-the-job training.”

This posed an additional challenge: most candidates within the DSO space have legal restrictions that limit their ability to move to a competitor as well as financial incentives that may complicate timing of joining a new organization.

Townsend leveraged targeted networking among nationwide spheres of influence and our extensive existing relationships within DSO to build a roster of qualified candidates that satisfied all criteria and restrictions.

DELIVERING TALENT. EMPOWERING CHANGE.

Understanding the urgency of the client and the sponsor, Townsend’s team moved rapidly to identify a leader with the right cultural fit and track record. Within six weeks of engagement, we had completed the search and the company had onboarded the new CDO.

This was Townsend’s first partnership with the client company’s private equity sponsor. Based on our performance, they immediately retained our services to identify a head of mergers and acquisitions for another portfolio company, this time within the education services space. That search also concluded successfully.