Assessing & Developing Leadership for a PE Firm

Background & Challenge


The client, a large, global private equity firm, recently acquired a major pharmaceutical company and appointed a new CEO. The remaining members of the executive leadership team were already in place prior to the acquisition. The client faced the challenge of assessing the strengths and development areas of each leader on the team, as well as the collective dynamics of the leaders they acquired. The executive assessment included evaluating the CEO, CMO, CFO, COO, and CTO.

Process


To address this challenge, we adopted a systematic approach. We began by collaboratively defining profiles of success to establish a clear understanding of the ideal characteristics and competencies expected from leaders in their respective roles. We engaged with key stakeholders from the private equity firm to gain insights into the desired skills, competencies, personality traits, and industry-specific challenges for each C-level position. Using this information, we created profiles of success that highlighted the qualifications and desired attributes of the ideal candidate for each role.

Next, we conducted individual assessments with the leaders, focusing on identifying their strengths and development opportunities. Over a three-month period, the leaders received coaching aimed at understanding their leadership styles, setting development goals, and monitoring their progress. This coaching process involved utilizing assessments such as Hogan assessments, DiSC profiles, and 360-degree feedback evaluations. During the initial coaching sessions, we provided comprehensive feedback on the assessments, and the leaders used this feedback to establish their development goals. Weekly coaching sessions were then conducted to guide the leaders in making progress towards their goals. At the end of the three-month period, pulse surveys were administered on behalf of the leaders to collect feedback from their peers, direct reports, and managers, enabling us to measure their progress in relation to their goals.

Recognizing that the newly formed team had not yet established the necessary foundation for effective performance, we organized a one-day offsite event. The purpose of this offsite was to define the team's goals and purpose, establish working agreements for collaboration, and clarify roles and responsibilities. We facilitated discussions to foster understanding of what each member needed from others to achieve success and how to leverage their individual differences and strengths.

Outcome & Impact


The offsite resulted in clearly defined goals, roles, and processes for the team. The team reported feeling more trust, a clearer sense of direction, improved team dynamics, and a renewed sense of pride and purpose in the two months following the offsite.

Based on the assessments, development goals, and coaching sessions, we created executive development profiles that provided a comprehensive overview of each leader's strengths, development areas, values, goals, and progress. These profiles were used to compare the current leaders with the profiles of success and were presented to key stakeholders from the private equity firm. The PE uses the profiles of success for ongoing hiring as they bring in new talent to the organization and they made some key hiring decisions based on the assessment. The client found this process to be highly valuable and insightful. As a result, we have continued to collaborate with the private equity firm to assess and develop leadership teams within the organizations they acquire.

This case study highlights the impact of assessing and developing leadership talent, enabling organizations to make informed decisions, enhance team performance, and achieve their strategic objectives.