Part II Case Study of Successful Search Project

Alternative Energy pre-IPO company seeks experienced CFO to lead it in acquiring private investment capital and lead the firm in preparation if a desired IPO.

This search was referred to me from a managing director at a private equity firm that had a small investment in it where I was told they were looking for a top level, experienced CFO. The firm can be described as both cleantech and biotech firm using convergent technologies to produce clean natural gas.

The requirement was to seek out and deliver candidates that possessed an oil & gas financial industry background and also find someone who has experience working in a scientific, biotech or pharmaceutical/chemical oriented environment who had raised institutional investment capital along with an IPO and publicly owned environment. Within a week I was fortunate to secure not one but two individuals who fit the profile and were interested in pursuing the position.

It is interesting to note that both were highly prized and involved in post IPO companies and yet found the prospects of working in another venture exciting and potentially rewarding. Both recognized the unique opportunities in developing this business model for today's energy and environment marketplace. And both had worked with a scientific bio-engineering company.

What set one apart from the other was his experience with oil & gas even though the other possessed energy and renewable energy experience. Ultimately the client chose the individual with direct experience with their ultimate customer. The purpose of these two unrelated anecdotes reveals that even at top executive positions in emerging companies with new technologies that industry experience is paramount along with horizontal experience and personality.