Background: In 2004, an equity-owned environmental consulting firm needed to execute its vision for helping its large private sector North American clients become more proactive in understanding, evaluating, and improving their environmental systems. Our client required four to six industry leaders who would operate as management consultants, building relationships with company boards, CEO’s and other C-Suite members within several Fortune 1,000 industrial organizations.
Challenge: Finding a reputable management consultant who possessed extensive experience in environmental systems and who could establish relationships at the C-Suite level had been problematic for the company. The company had been leveraging its industry and professional networks to find suitable candidates, but they interviewed the same re-tread professionals who had failed in similar roles in the past with competitor firms.
Action: RSMR identified several hundred relevant contacts and proceeded to screen each candidate for the most critical elements required to be successful: thought leadership, senior-level executive contacts, and proven execution skills. Since these individuals were tasked with generating millions of dollars of consulting revenues annually, they needed to be credible, consummate professionals with tact as well as substance.
Resolution: During a nine month period, RSMR identified six finalists and was able to get five of the six individuals who received offers on board. All of the individuals stayed as long-term employees (defined as more than three years). One of RSMR’s placements earned a promotion to one of three regional presidents for the North American market. Another one was recruited away by a larger competitor organization into a senior operations role. This group of individuals became the backbone of the company’s client capture teams. The end result was the organization increased its revenue pipeline from large industrials, thus allowing the supporting private equity firm to realize significant return on investment.
