Case Studies

Sometimes one example is worth more than a thousand explanatory bullet points. Following is a selection of "true life" search stories from the Kincannon & Reed library:

• Needle in an R&D Haystack
• One-of-a-Kind Leader for a One-of-a-Kind Enterprise
• Blazing Trails for a Forestry Biotech Leader
• The Israel-Mexico Connection
• Fast Track to Crisis Resolution
• Recruiting Outside the Box

 

Needle in an R&D Haystack

Role: Head of Global R&D

This multi-billion dollar crop input company was seeking to expand and restructure its R&D capabilities, and needed to find a truly unique individual to lead the way as a change agent. The client engaged Kincannon & Reed to conduct a high level, extremely targeted global search and provide competitive analysis on how R&D functions are structured in other organizations. Because of our Principals' own professional backgrounds, we understood the real driver for the client: the need to distinguish between those candidates who were superior scientists and those who were superior leaders of scientists.

Led by firm Principals who had served in executive positions overseeing research organizations at crop input companies, our global research team identified major and minor competitors and mapped their organigrams. Our Principals reached out to personally call the prospective candidates jointly agreed upon with the client. Thanks to our deep expertise and connections in this specialized area, we were able to meet the client's needs by determining priority candidates and providing useful competitive intelligence on R&D organization structures.

 

One-of-a-Kind Leader for a One-of-a-Kind Enterprise

Role: CEO

The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, a major new development effort led jointly by the Bill & Melinda Gates and Rockefeller Foundations, was poised for a high-profile rollout. This unique start-up venture already had Kofi Annan as chairman of its board, and needed to find a similarly qualified individual for its CEO. Candidates needed to have a rare combination of leadership abilities and technical experience in the private sector and development worlds, with the strong preference that they be of pre-colonial African descent.

Using our extensive network, we eventually found an extraordinary individual who had served in senior roles in the United Nations' World Food Program and other initiatives—but who had effectively dropped off the radar screen, having retired early to run his own tropical farming operation. We probably could have ended our search with this brilliant and pragmatic PhD from Cornell, who had also served as deputy minister of agriculture in Cameroon … but we also found a second strong candidate, with a similarly stunning résumé. Not only did we find two exemplary candidates, but to do so, we successfully engaged with leaders at the very highest levels of responsibility in important international organizations and governments.

 

Blazing Trails for a Forestry Biotech Leader

Role: Director of Varietal Manufacturing

Kincannon & Reed recently completed a search for an executive to guide the commercial scale-up of a global forestry biotech company's pilot process for clonal seedling production. It was a highly challenging search, because we needed to find someone who could guide applied research and who also had a strategic operations mindset. In addition, we had to overcome a significant obstacle of recruiting a biotech-savvy executive agreeable to relocating to the company's location.

To meet the client's needs, we had to search the globe—identifying and connecting with over 80 potential candidates in Australia, Malaysia, West Africa, Europe, and North and South America. In fact, we ended up providing a short list of well-qualified candidates from each of these geographies for our client's consideration. Ultimately we found the ideal candidate for the client's unique opportunity, and our client couldn't be happier.

 

The Israel-Mexico Connection

Role: Farm Manager

Kincannon & Reed goes to any lengths to help our clients find their candidates. For one of the world's largest hydroponic horticultural producers, we worked to locate a Farm Manager with a rare set of experience and qualifications. Not only did the candidate need to be well-versed in greenhouse production of the client's particular product, he or she had to have strong business management skills and an impeccable sense of teamwork, be willing to relocate for a year-round position in Mexico, and be fluent in Spanish as well.

To identify candidates meeting these requirements, we literally searched around the world. Following a systematic process of contacting sources in suppliers and allied industries, we developed a list of strong candidates from nine countries on four continents. We eventually found the successful candidate working in Israel, who relocated half-way around the world, and is now helping the client's Mexican operations thrive.

 

Fast Track to Crisis Resolution

Role: V.P., Regulatory Affairs

In an unfortunate series of events, a large and famous consumer products company was forced to deal with the fallout of a rogue employee whose actions had seriously jeopardized its relationship with the Environmental Protection Agency. As a result, they needed a new head of regulatory affairs quickly. While they realized they couldn't find the right person overnight, they needed to move swiftly in order to contain the damage and convince the EPA that they were moving quickly to address the problem.

The client understood that our normal search process takes from 90-120 days. However, toward the end of the first week, they let us know that they urgently needed to get a short list of candidates within a few days to demonstrate to the regulator how serious they were about addressing the problem. We moved our process into its highest gear, streamlining and accelerating the vetting process. Thanks to our Principals' deep experience at the executive level within the industry, they made a flurry of calls over the weekend to a highly targeted list of candidates—and by Tuesday, we provided the client with a list of six highly qualified individuals. As a result, we were able to play a key role in the company's winning strategy to avert a crisis in public confidence.

 

Recruiting Outside the Box

Role: President

This already substantial family-held animal health company had recently attracted a major new investor, and was preparing to make significant changes to drive growth. As part of their plan, they engaged Kincannon & Reed to search for a savvy, hands-on president whom they could groom for the CEO position.

During our search, we narrowed down our candidate pool to a handful of very promising individuals, including one who happened to have recently announced his decision to retire as CEO from one of the largest competitors in the field. Our president immediately set up a personal meeting with him and quickly determined that, while he was still highly motivated and competitive, he would greatly prefer a part-time leadership position.

Recognizing a unique opportunity for our client, we suggested the possibility of finding a position for him on the client's board of directors. In a classic win-win solution, he would gain the opportunity to provide significant leadership value to the company and help groom the new CEO position we would soon fill—and at the same time, meet his own needs for transitioning to a new phase of his career. By being able to put ourselves in our client's shoes and understanding their bigger-picture need to build shareholder value, we not only found the right candidate for the position of CEO, but also helped the client attract a new board member who has added significant strategic value going forward.