A Toronto-based private equity fund management company, focused on mid-market buy-out opportunities in Canada and the United States, purchased an American company that develops, markets, and distributes pet products. To take the business to the next level, our client decided to start at the top – and retained Mandrake to find a new chief financial officer and help them build a new leadership team.

Mandrake’s client saw the tremendous potential in the pet business to grab a larger share of the market, projecting to double sales within five years from organic growth and acquisitions. But they needed someone carrying the finance mantle as chief financial officer who could manage the financial and accounting functions of the company, work closely with the executive team, bankers and shareholders, and help steer the company’s growth.

Bringing to the table significant experience in finance and operations, including foreign sourcing and M&A integration, the ideal candidate needed to demonstrate their expertise in the consumer-packaged goods industry, and their experience with small to mid-market private equity owned companies.

Starting with stakeholder interviews, Mandrake crafted a new strategy to build a dynamic, niche team of executive talent. We developed a company profile and reviewed the organizational structure. Profiles and a go-to-market strategy were created to identify potential candidates. Our consultants researched, recruited, interviewed, and assessed prospective individuals. We staggered the hiring process to fill the sales role first, followed by the supply chain role, and then the senior finance position.

For that last role, Mandrake found a candidate with broad financial management experience, working with medium-size companies in the same industry. The new chief financial officer previously held a senior financial executive role in the food processing industry, a proven track record of managing cross-functional teams and achieving business growth targets. This candidate also brought business planning expertise specifically in reorganization and recapitalization, and previous experience managing ownership transitions in private equity firms.