Case Studies
Background
The business:
- Leading medical diagnostic imaging business, with public and private sector clients including the NHS
- Founder looking at succession planning having just taken on PE investment
- EBITDA of £0.1m, but with ambitious growth plans
The challenges:
- Lack of financial leadership experience for growth journey post-investment
- Founder looking to step back post-investment and needed succession plan
- Looking to diversify routes to market
Rowan worked closely with the CEO Mark Edwards and Founder Tim Dickinson, in order to understand the role requirements, alongside the personal requirements of the incoming BD Director.
As experts in Executive Search, Rowan: Consulted with Foresight and the Board at MI Healthcare, to hone down on the skills and attributes required by the impending hire. The business’ market is very niche and specialised, and there is only a very small number of candidates within it. This led to Rowan looking outside of the market, having specified the key skills and attributes. Identified candidates with significant, relevant experience of long term, complex solution selling, involving multiple, varied stakeholders. Thoroughly evaluated candidates’ exposure and experience of the above, using Rowan’s best-in-practice ETP evaluation tool. Delivered a qualified, relevant shortlist of appropriate candidates
Through Rowan’s Search and Assessment process, John Dickinson was hired by MI Healthcare. John is Business Development Director and has extensive experience of solution selling within the equipment diagnostic industry for thirteen years.
Journey
What we did:
- Clarified the Value Creation Plan and the ideal team to deliver the desired business growth
- Acted as trusted advisor to both PE and founder over the 5-year growth journey
- Mapped the market to influence growth plans
- Defined the need for an immediate CFO, who could step up to CEO alongside the succession plan
Key insights and actions:
- Intimate understanding of the quality of insight, rigour and reporting demanded by private equity
- A deep knowledge of businesses with comparable journeys, and what ‘good looks like’ in the new CFO and subsequent BDD appointments
- Helped define a succession plan for founder Tim Dickinson, who was looking to step back
- Appointed CFO Mark Edwards to take the business on its post-investment growth journey
- After Mark’s subsequent promotion to CEO, appointed BDD John Dickinson to maximise value in anticipation of PE exit
What makes Rowan different:
- Best-in-class search and assessment process to identify upper-quartile finance leaders aligned to the investment thesis
- Deep candidate networks of C-Suite leaders
- Unrivalled track record when working with North-West private equity
Impact
Outcome:
- Mark spearheaded the business’ financial strategy and took it on a growth journey from £0.1m to £1.8m EBITDA.
- Subsequently promoted to CEO in 2021, allowing Tim Dickinson to step down to an Exec Director position.
- Successful appointment of BDD John Dickinson who led the diversification of revenue streams
- Growth contributed to PE sale and 4.1x PE ROI
Value to customer:
- Significant EBITDA increase and geographical expansion
- 4.1x ROI for PE house Foresight
- Founder Tim Dickinson provided with clear succession plan to follow
- Highly successful career journeys for Mark & John
Foresight Director Matt Pomroy said:
“After Foresight invested, we engaged with Rowan to appoint a CFO who could support the transition of the business from Private Capital to PE-backed.
We found this in Mark Edwards, and we worked with Rowan again to find a BDD to enhance and drive growth in anticipation of secondary investment. John has fulfilled this role exceptionally well, and we were very happy with the sale to Probo Medical, and our 4.1x return and subsequent exit.”
“The business has gone from strength-to-strength, underpinned by key appointments in our senior team, thanks to the vision of Foresight and the support of Rowan. This culminated in a sale to Probo Medical, and the future for the business going forward is exciting”
Mark Edwards, CEO
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