building boards & management teams for investor backed businesses

Understanding The Challenges Investor Backed Businesses Face

I’m Danny Vanner, Managing Partner at Equity Executive. For over a decade I have been working with business leaders and investors recruiting new leadership for their companies.

I understand the challenges ambitious, investor backed businesses face:

Scalability Challenges – needing to invest in systems and processes to maintain quality as headcount and client base increases. Needing to upgrade, train and professionalise the workforce in order to consistently improve output and grow. Needing to develop talent strategies to attract and retain more highly sort after, specialist talent

Investor Challenges – needing to understand what investors want and provide the insight they require. Needing to manage the pressure to scale quickly given investors typical exit schedule of 5 to 7 years

Financial Challenges – needing to manage cashflow, heavy upfront investment, high costs and lagging growth at times. Needing to manage heavy reporting and debt servicing requirements

Leadership Challenges – needing to hire proven leaders to take the business to the next level. Needing to maintain the vision and values whilst adding new talent and perspectives

Market Challenges – needing to develop deep and broad market knowledge to manage market pressures including macroeconomic trends, market conditions, competition and availability and cost of resources

Using this insight I help my clients recruit leaders who can overcome these challenges and make their businesses successful:

Strategic Leaders – have the right knowledge and nous and will dedicate sufficient time to developing an effective growth strategy, addressing revenue growth, operational efficiencies, investment in talent and technology, acquisition opportunities and possible paths to exit

Committed & Adaptive Leaders – are ambitious as to what is possible for the business and will work at pace to make it happen, are confident and fully commit to their decisions and give their decisions time to succeed but at the same time recognise when things are clearly not working and can quickly adapt their strategy, tactics and execution

Innovative & Resourceful Leaders – are highly innovative and creative with the often very limited resources they have at their disposal, are able to think outside the box and come up with solutions to difficult challenges and turn challenges into opportunities

Investor Smart Leaders – will nurture good relationships with investors by understanding what investors want and providing investors with the insight they are looking for

Financially Astute Leaders – will put the business on a sound financial footing for growth by prudently managing investment, lagging growth, cash flow, heavy reporting and debt servicing requirements

Operationally Astute Leaders – will put the business on a sound operational footing for growth by consistently developing and upgrading talent, technology, systems and processes

Commercially Astute Leaders – will scale the business by developing innovative product suites, building strong commercial functions and effectively utilising teams across the business in pursuit of immediate milestones and strategic goals

Exit Smart Leaders – will sell the business by getting it sale ready, positioning it favourably to potential acquirers, managing due diligence and playing a key role in negotiating a good price for shareholders