Every so often we do some analytics within the firm just to level-set on where we are.  OK, in all honesty, we’re very metrics-driven so it’s probably more than “even so often,” and it’s also not a casual, anecdotal assemblage of loose stories and vignettes.

One of the topics we wanted to  give greater scrutiny was how much of our practice in the last 18 months or so was for portfolio companies of private equity firms.  And not only how much, but while we were at it, what geographies, and why not look at size of those private equity portfolio companies’ revenues, and the industries in which they clustered?

That set us off to “cypherin’” as they say.  Below are some of the results.  Given that our roots 15+ years ago were in earlier-stage, venture-backed companies, it’s an interesting diversification.  For some, this may be intuitive. For others, they may wonder about whether leadership talent for venture capital is completely different than those executives we recruit for our private equity clients.  The answer to that?  It is still apples to apples, and not apples to oranges.  Just a broader spectrum of apple varietals.   When thinking about venture capital portfolio leaders versus private equity portfolio leaders, at their core (couldn’t help the pun) they are still builder-leaders, which is the mantra for the type of talent we’ve specialized in a decade-and-a-half after founding the firm back in 1997.

While much has changed, this has remained a constant.

Stats below are based on some 40+ searches.

Enjoy.

***

Our sweet spot over the last few years has been in the growth equity segment of the private equity investing thesis.  That means more than half of all searches we’ve performed for private-equity backed clients have been for companies with revenues in the $25 million  to $250 million range.  The balance–about a third of private equity-backed company search work–was for companies with revenues about $250 million.   These were sprinkled evenly across the $250 million – $500 milllion, $500 million to $1 billion, and great-than-$1 billion slices.

When we looked at the executive levels we had executed on behalf of our private equity-backed clients, a third of searches were for CFOs, 40% were for CEOs and COOs, and the balance of our search work was at the VP level, across the functional spectrum (see next graph for more detail on the VP-level exploded pie analysis).

Search work for private equity-backed clients at the Vice President level distributed nicely over the organizational functional spectrum, including VP Sales, VP Manufacturing, VP Engineering, VP Marketing, VP Operations, VP Content (most in the education industry sector), and VP Human Resources.

Finally, we looked at what party of the country (or globe) these searches clustered within, and the above graph portrays the distribution.  Even we were surprised at this chart, as it shows an almost geographic-blind distribution–searches executed in all 7 regions in the U.S. (Northeast, MidAtlantic, Southeast, Midwest, Rocky Mountain, West & Northwest), along with an equal slice representing private equity-backed companies for whom we had done searches that were based in Europe (United Kingdom, France, and rest of West Europe).

A Leading Pioneer in reCommerce

Our client is a pioneer in what has been dubbed the re-commerce sector.  The Company fundamentally improves how people buy, use and dispose of their consumer electronics by providing a complete trade-in solution focused on value and convenience.

The Company addresses a global e-waste problem and simultaneously accelerates the extraction and monetization of a $185 billion secondary market in consumer electronics, video games and DVDs.   Over 2,200 retail locations in the United States are currently utilizing the the Company’s trade-in platform.  Gartner dubbed this industry the ITAD sector, or “Information technology Asset Disposition.”

THE POSITION

Detail of Responsibilities

The role gives an energetic and experienced business development professional in the mobile phone business an opportunity to join an industry leader in a relatively new, high growth and disruptive space and reports directly to the President & COO.

The ideal candidate will source national tier-one mobile industry players, including tier 1 wireless carriers, MVNO’s, VAR’s, OEMs and other potential partners for trade-in partnerships with the Company.  This is a strong hunter role and any account management responsibilities will be kept at a minimum using leveraged resources wherever possible.

The selected candidate will possess a combination of the following attributes:

• A minimum of 12 years’ experience in a business development role with tier one mobility companies, with retail-side experience a plus.
• A proven history of high level engagement at executive levels.
• A successful partnerships track record with both global 2000, industry-relevant companies, as well as fast-emerging smaller entities strategic to our client’s success.
• A comprehensive understanding of how the mobile phone industry works, including the points of differentiation among the top providers, as well as insights into each company’s strategies.
• Excellent presentation and communication skills.  The ability to create one’s own customized business development presentations on demand.
• Strong financial acuity and experience conceptualizing, presenting, and negotiating a win-win economics structure for both partner and Company.
• Solid “team playing” skills.  This role requires the contribution of many people in the organization to support the “selling effort” by the business development team.

For diagram of success attributes, team description, and compensation, clikc the “more” hyperlink below. 

FUNCTIONAL:

The Company is seeking a seasoned and accomplished business development executive with an unusual combination of skills.  However, there is no question that the most critical skill is a proven ability to source, develop, close and make successful partners in the mobile and consumer electronics ecosystem.  The VP Business Development will have a passion for and experience working with customers and colleagues to drive opportunities to closure, working with multiple internal champions, and influencers, identifying potential enterprise veto votes and derailers, and successfully navigating through to the finish line via a complex, often lengthy, and opaque landscape.

LEADERSHIP:

The VP Business Development will be expected to command the respect of the following constituent groups:

• Customer-partners
• Business peers inside the organization
• Company CEO, President & board directors
• Consumer electronics industry market research analysts & other luminaries

In addition, experience leading in the following 3 contexts will be critical:

• Distributed business development team members
• Fast-paced company culture with strong self-directed staff given clear goals & metrics
• Quickly changing industry dynamics

INDUSTRY, MARKET & CUSTOMER SEGMENTS:

Broad experience in the consumer electronics industry is a given.  Specialized industry experience will be critical in any of the below specialties:

• Mobile device manufacturers
• Wireless carriers
• Consumer electronics retailers

STAGE:

Key background & successful experience with company growth stage includes

• Board/investor communication and management
• Industry/customer mapping for business development opportunities

INTERNATIONAL:

Previous exposure to international business, in particular West and Eastern Europe and Asia is critical. This includes the ability to work effectively in other parts of the world, and an appreciation for the ways in which cultures and business practices differ from country to country.

EDUCATION:

Undergraduate degree required, with preference for marketing, economics, or other similar, with MBA or other Masters or advanced degree in related area a plus.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The diagram below illustrates the intersection of competencies critical in the position:

COMPENSATION

Compensation is competitive with the position’s requirements.  In a performance-based environment, this will include base salary, bonus structure based on corporate qualitative and quantitative business development targets, and a stakeholder position in the company.

The Company

Global leader in broadcasting technology

Harris Broadcast Communications, Inc. (www.harrisbroadcast.com) is a pioneer in the broadcast technology industry.  Anywhere broadcasters are making media moments — from the family room to the road, over the air or over the web, on a television or a tablet — Harris Broadcast is there.  Harris Broadcast is delivering innovative, end-to-end solutions to customers in more than 150 countries, including the top broadcast facilities and the most technologically advanced sports and live-event venues. Harris is also investing deeply in the next generation of technologies to expand their leadership into even more markets, geographies and applications.

At its core, Harris Broadcast Communications offers solutions that support the digital delivery, automation, and management of audio, video, and data. It offers radio and television products, systems, and services for broadcasters. Harris has an integrated, high-performance technology solution that makes video production, transmission and distribution providers do it more easily, reliably and profitably.  The company was founded in 1922 and is based in Englewood, Colorado.

In February 2013, Harris Broadcast was purchased from Harris Corporation (NYSE: HRS) by Gores Group, a leading global private equity firm headquartered in Los Angeles.  Gores Group, LLC specializes in acquiring and partnering with businesses that can benefit from their operating experience and flexible capital base.  Gores Group has become a leading investor, having demonstrated a reliable track record of creating value in its portfolio companies alongside management.

Products, Platform & Technology

Media delivery isn’t a one-size-fits-all kind of business.  Neither is Harris Broadcast.  Flexible and future-ready, Harris solutions allow customers the ability to quickly add revenue-generating services today, and affordably move to wherever those customers are headed in the future.  To achieve this, Harris Broadcast has a rich intellectual property portfolio of 241 patents held, with more than 150 patents pending.

Harris is divided into three divisions.

Media Management Solutions

MMS products and services manage digital media workflow, including sales, traffic, billing, scheduling, video asset management, and play-out automation.

Transmission Systems

This division develops hardware, firmware, and software for over-the-air TV and radio station broadcasting

Workflow, Infrastructure & Networking

The WIN division develops products and services that include routing, master control, networking, test and measurement, multi-image processing, graphics, news editing and servers.

The Position

Detail of Responsibilities

The VP Engineering will carry primary responsibilities for the following:

• Manage multiple complex projects with an emphasis on providing quality products on schedule, at or below budget, and achieving stated financial objectives.
• Oversee the design, development, testing, and documentation of all products and solutions to meet product line requirements and product development roadmap strategy.
  • Serve as primary visionary for the development and deployment of hardware and software solutions that are secure, scalable, extensible and maintainable.
  • Lead research efforts for new architectural innovations, frameworks, and techniques with close collaboration with Product Management to optimally support and align with Harris Broadcast’s sales & marketing efforts.
  • Identify, evaluate and select new and emerging technologies that can be assimilated within the company and significantly improve competitiveness.
  • Author white papers, analysis of recent technology; contribute articles and presentations which position the company as a technology leader in the space. Present papers and support company speaking opportunities at tradeshows, customer events and other external facing events.
  • Drive technology for global execution of product, platform and customer solution initiatives.
  • Develop and manage a multi-year technology roadmap, working with the business leader to link market opportunities and industry trends to specific development efforts.
• Manage multiple complex projects with an emphasis on providing quality products on schedule, at or below budget, and achieving stated financial objectives.
• Manage, evaluate, assist in developing, and implementing technical processes, disciplines, policies, and procedures in support of established product and business strategies.
• Responsible for identifying and interpreting trends in technology. Participate in business planning and communicate technical knowledge and vision of both current and future technology related to company’s competitive position.
• Responsible for the development and implementation of engineering activities to create new and improved products and solutions.
• Mentor technical management and staff to ensure continual professional growth and improvement and ensure that technical development resources support the technology vision of the company.
• Monitor industry market trends and competitors and providing intelligence on the competitive landscape and key trends occurring in the industry.
• Know and identify all internal and external technology and resources to leverage and maximize product development capabilities.
• Collaborate with Product Management/Marketing, sales and other functional areas to ensure alignment.
• Develop, track, report, and manage R&D Metrics. Develop R&D Productivity measurement strategy to optimize cost per employee and determine best locale for R&D projects, e.g. North America or lower cost geography.
• Lead Quality efforts, including Companywide QA/Test strategy.  Lead Interoperability initiatives.
• Drive productivity improvements via:
  • IP sharing and reutilization
  • Eliminating redundancies and developing Centers of Excellence
  • Moving to lower cost geographies
• Support sales pursuits via customer engagement, proof-of-concept solution demonstrations.
• Align organization to support Service via escalation methodologies.

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Team

The Harris Broadcast engineering team totals more than 800 engineering resources across 19 sites worldwide.   An India-based strategic engineering outsourcing relationship accounts for approximately 40% of engineering headcount.  Some 80%+ of the engineering team is software-focused.    Engineering is organized by a combination of the following:

• Geographic location
• Division (MMS, Transmission, and WIN)
• Application software, firmware/embedded software, and hardware
• Research engineering, development engineering, existing product support engineering
• Architecture, programming, quality assurance

Financial Backing

The Company was purchased from Harris Corporation by Gores Group in February, 2013.  For more on the purchase, see Gores’ press release, http://www.gores.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/gores.harris.pressrelease.2.4.13.pdf.

Compensation

Compensation is competitive with the position’s requirements.  In a performance-based environment, this will include base salary, bonus structure based on corporate qualitative and quantitative MBOs, and a stakeholder position in the company.

More Information

• Broadcast Engineering, December 2012 http://broadcastengineering.com/company-news/new-era-harris-broadcast-business-begins
• National Association of Broadcasters 2013 Conference, Harris Products Highlights, April 2013, http://www.harrisbroadcastlive.com/index.php/main/innovations

Prior to joining BSG Team Ventures, Susan spent six years as Director of Recruiting for Sun Capital Partners and their portfolio companies across North America and Europe. In that role, Susan led over 100 board level searches, with a focus on portfolio company CFO roles. These mandates encompassed a number of different industry verticals, notably, manufacturing and consumer. In her last year there, Susan successfully recruited both CFOs and CEOs across a broad range of Sun’s eighty portfolio companies.

A PricewaterhouseCoopers alum, Susan’s background also includes retained executive search experience and human resources roles in information technology and cleantech. Susan has a BA in Economics from Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario and a Masters of Science from Nova Southeastern’s School of Psychological Studies in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

A Canadian native from Montreal, Susan is bilingual in English and French. In her spare time, she enjoys biking, tennis, and exploring the outdoors with her husband, Uri from their home base in the Boston area.

BSG Team Ventures Managing Director, Clark Waterfall, expressed excitement over Susan’s joining the firm, emphasizing that “BSG, over the last several years, has developed a strong track record of search execution across private equity-backed portfolio companies in the education and technology sectors. Susan’s addition brings both a deeper functional expertise in CFO recruitment, as well as a broader industry specialization of including sectors important to private equity, such as manufacturing and consumer.”

“I’m excited to be joining BSG,” Susan adds.  “Their boutique orientation and depth of experience combine to create the best possible outcome for the customer, in terms of delivery and results.” 

Prior to joining BSG Team Ventures, Susan spent six years as Director of Recruiting for Sun Capital and their portfolio companies across North America and Europe.  In this role, Susan led over 100 board level searches, with a focus on portfolio company CFO roles.  These mandates  encompassed a number of different industry verticals, notably manufacturing, consumer and retail. In her last year there, Susan successfully recruited more than 22 executives for Sun’s 35-plus portfolio companies in both the CFO and CEO functions.

A PwC alum, Susan’s background also includes retained executive search experience and human resources roles in information technology and cleantech.  Susan has a BA in Economics from Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario  and a Masters of Science  from Nova Southeastern’s School of Psychological Studies in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

A Canadian native from Montreal, Susan is bilingual in English and French.  In her spare time. she enjoys biking, tennis and exploring the outdoors with her husband Uri from their home base in the Boston area.

BSG Team Ventures Managing Director Clark Waterfall expressed excitement over Susan’s joining the firm, emphasizing that “BSG over the last several years has developed a strong track record of search execution across private equity-backed portfolio companies in the education and technology sectors.  Susan’s addition brings both a deeper functional expertise in CFO recruitment, as well as a broader industry specialization to include sectors important to private equity such as retail, manufacturing and consumer.”

Working from the company’s headquarters in Hunt Valley MD, just north of Baltimore, and reporting to the CEO, the Chief Learning Officer will lead the development and production of K-12 online curriculum, including core, elective, and enrichment courses, and will direct academic efficacy testing, analysis, reporting, improvement, teacher training, and sales support for these courses.  An important aspect of this role is its inclusion of the company’s special education curriculum.

THE COMPANY

Calvert Education Services began providing courses for home study in 1906 and has long had a reputation for high-quality curriculum development and support. In addition to its core home schooling products serving the pre-K through 8th grade market, CES offers distance learning programs to public, private and international schools. Through its joint venture with the Jemicy School, CES offers Verticy Learning, a complete curriculum for students who may have language based learning difficulties such as dyslexia, or who struggle to read for a variety of other reasons.

Calvert educates students in all 50 states and in over 60 countries, using a time-tested, accredited curriculum aligned to national standards and correlated to state standards. A pioneer in distance learning – in the late 1800s a student in Africa explained her lessons were late because the roaring of lions had distracted her – Calvert Education continually updates, refines, expands, and improves its curriculum based on the latest research and results.

The Calvert Curriculum provides—

•  A balance of subject matter that includes cultural literacy
•  Integration and application across content areas
•  Content mastery with balance of new and review
•  Strong foundation of basic skills and application of higher-order thinking
•  Oral and written expression
•  Clear expectations for highest quality
•  Development of character, curiosity and commitment
•  Specialized curriculum for students with dyslexia or other LLDs

A key strategic emphasis at Calvert is on providing everything a district school needs to run its own virtual school within a school (except for teachers and special education services).

Programs

→  The Calvert Homeschool Curriculum is the fundamental platform that supports homeschooling and serves as the educational foundation of Calvert Education. For over one hundred years, Calvert has helped families guide their children toward excellence and achievement through an integrated, classical homeschool curriculum developed by the company’s expert Curriculum staff and proven in class use.

The Calvert Pre-Kindergarten through Eighth Grade homeschool curriculum is built on a rich foundation of reading, writing, and arithmetic. That foundation is then layered with history, science, music, geography, and the arts to ensure no gaps in instruction.

Homeschool Curriculum Development Specialists, all former classroom teachers, work on behalf of parents to find the finest curriculum material for children. They research textbook offerings from major educational publishers to find material that is most effective for homeschooling parents. If they do not find material that meets the company’s high standards, they develop their own.

Each course combines the best classroom-tested materials, teacher-created Lesson Manuals, and proven educational methodologies all in one complete, meticulously planned curriculum that guides users through each day of homeschooling with easy-to-use lesson plans.

→  The Calvert Virtual Academy (CVA), a dynamic program for Sixth through Eighth Grades, uses the latest instructional tools to provide an online environment that prepares students for high school. This program offers flexibility and many tiers of instructional support. The child can work at his or her own pace accommodating both the family’s schedule and the child’s learning style.

Students’ academic success is achieved through unparalleled support and a diversity of online resources. In the Calvert Virtual Academy, children receive the dedicated support and oversight of the Homeroom Teacher and Online Instructors, who each remain with the child all year long. They assist parents and students by reviewing checkpoints, assessment grades, and overall pacing.

→  For children who are dyslexic or who struggle with reading, writing or spelling, Verticy Learning is the solution. Verticy offers a comprehensive academic program in the home or classroom designed for struggling readers.

Verticy has two educational options: The first is a complete homeschool curriculum that includes all subjects. Don’t need a full curriculum? Verticy also offers intervention programs (supplemental curriculum) for reading, writing or math. Verticy improves academic confidence in children and rekindles a love of learning.

Calvert’s curriculum is based on both national and state’s standards, to better align with in-school programs.

Calvert Education Services is accredited by the Middle States Association Commission on Elementary and Secondary School.

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Virtual School Solutions

Besides textbooks, workbooks and other printed materials, Calvert partners with school districts, as well as homeschooling parents, to provide a wide variety of online resources to engage students, provide research and remedial support, and deliver a more rigorous, more effective, more immersive educational experience for students.

Calvert’s support programs cover everyone involved in the educational process:

•  For administrators, CES offers a full suite of administrative reporting, management and scheduling tools, along with technical and program support
•  For teachers, CES offers string professional development to help teachers develop 21st Century skills, along with technical support during the school day and beyond
•  For parents, CES offers educational counselors, all experienced teachers, to support both the curriculum and technology
•  For students, CES also offer educational counselors, all experienced teachers, to support the curriculum, as well as technical support

More than 160 schools, including brick and mortar, cyber, private and international schools, use the Calvert Education solution. Calvert’s flexible, time tested program offers schools and students a curriculum custom tailored to each student, backed by outstanding support.

The Calvert program also includes, as needed, the Verticy Learning program. Because the curriculum is modular, with multiple levels available in many subjects for most grades, each student can received a personalized curriculum.

About Camden Partners

CES was purchased by Camden Partners, a Baltimore-based private equity firm, in 2012.

Founded in 1995, Camden Partners is a firm that specializes in growing lower to middle market companies in the targeted sectors of education, healthcare, and technology-enabled business services. Its investment team collectively has more than 100 years of experience investing and operating in these three industry sectors, which enables Camden Partners to identify superior growth opportunities and partner with exceptional management teams to create significant shareholder value.

THE POSITION

Reporting to the CEO, the Chief Learning Officer will manage and support the design and development of new curriculum, alignment of curriculum development to state and national standards, development of formative and summative curricular assessments, integration of third party content and resources, and review and evaluation of existing curricula and scope and sequence models at all grade levels and in all subject areas. The management and close integration of the company’s LMS into Calvert curriculum will be critical.

In addition, the CLO will provide leadership to instructional staff, focused on implementation of K-12 online curriculum, effective online teaching and instructional strategies, and student achievement.

The CLO will continuously work on the design and refinement of the Calvert curriculum according to achievement data, instructional best practices, state and federal compliance requirements, and research of national trends and successful online curricular design models. S/he will work collaboratively with others on the curriculum team, as well as coordinate with various cross-departmental teams, school leaders, and third party content and course providers.

An important area of focus will be developing Verticy 2.0–overhauling the current in-home instruction-oriented design in order to tailor the product to the needs of bricks and mortar teachers.

Specifically, the CLO will—

•  Assume responsibly for the design, development, and production of an evolving online K -12 curriculum model, in accordance with Calvert’s educational philosophy, a project management model, and national trends and research;
•  Provide leadership to the curriculum team focused on effective curricular development, backward design principles, a scope and sequence of essential skills and concepts that address state and national standards, online instructional strategies, student achievement, and systematic review and analysis;
•  Oversee the development of curriculum based formative, benchmark, and summative assessments to monitor student academic progress guide and guide instruction;
•  Apply research and data to the content, sequence, and outcomes of curriculum development and to guide instructional practices for enhanced student achievement;
•  Direct the process by which curriculum change and innovation are put into effect for new course development and curriculum maintenance;
•  Oversee the development and delivering of training and professional development related to effective instructional practices, teacher effectiveness, and improved student achievement;
•  Manage curriculum development and implementation to the curriculum and instruction budget and ensure the timely development of high-quality, cost effective programs;
•  Liaison with the Academic Board of Governors, chaired by former Maryland Secretary of Education Nancy Grasmick, around accreditation and policy issues affecting the company;
•  Work collaboratively with others in the organization to establish and manage third party relationships;
•  Keep abreast of new instructional materials and products, and manage the evaluation of these materials in terms of their effectiveness as instructional tools and resources for the educational program;
•  Establish mechanisms for communication related to curriculum and educational standards to school staff, students, and families;
•  Serve as a consultant to principals and other staff on matters pertaining to curriculum and instruction;
•  Attend professional meetings, conferences, institutes etc. to keep abreast of current trends and practices in online curriculum development and instructional methods.

THE CAREER OPPORTUNITY

For a skilled and ambitious editorial director in the K-12 online curriculum space, this position offers the following career benefits—

•  The chance to work for an industry leader in a key strategic role
•  The chance to drive instructional design and course development for the company
•  The chance to have a seat at the table—to be part of Calvert’s senior leadership team
•  The chance to work with an experienced CEO and investor in K-12 education
•  The chance to own stock options in the company
•  The chance to live and work in the attractive Greater Baltimore area

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate currently manages a product team in charge of developing online curriculum/courses for the K-12 school marketplace. This might be for any of the following: another virtual school or homeschooling company (eg, Florida Virtual, Advanced Academics); a developer of online courses, AP or other (eg, Apex, Plato, Aventa); a charter school or other site-based EMO (eg, Edison Learning, Rocketship Education), a supplemental service provider (eg, Educate, Kaplan, Princeton Review);  a day care/early childhood company (Bright Horizons, KinderCare); a  development house that serves K-12 publishers; or a textbook or supplemental publisher, especially in the intervention products market (eg, Cambium Learning, National Geographic, Scholastic).

Specifically, this individual has the following—

•  An advanced degree in Education or related field, with additional coursework specific to curriculum development, instructional practices, online learning, and professional development
•  Minimum of five years of successful K-12 curriculum development, including online course development, and five years of successful administrative experience
•  Demonstrated knowledge of instructional design, curriculum development, backwards design curricular models, and online teaching and learning processes
•  Strong experience with online teaching and curriculum development and web-based systems, with strong knowledge of online instructional strategies and 21^st century skills
•  Demonstrated knowledge of project management principles and approach to curriculum development
•  High degree of comfort with the integration of curriculum into a platform LMS
•  Knowledge of state and national standards and effective alignment practices
•  Ability to identify and evaluate instructional content, resources and products
•  Ability to manage and evaluate online professional development
•  Knowledge of formative and summative assessment systems, including high stakes external summative assessments
•  Strong analytical skills and ability to disaggregate data to analyze and problem solve to evaluate student performance and guide curriculum development and instructional practices for enhanced student achievement
•  Prior experience working with and managing the varied and ongoing priorities of multiple stakeholders, including third party content providers
•  Knowledge of current literature, trends, and development in the field of curriculum, assessment, and student learning
•  Strong background in team management and participation–someone who is really engaged in the team, able to express themselves  easily, comfortable with handling  debate;
•  Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a customer focused, fast paced environment
•  Ability to analyze and problem solve to accomplish objectives
•  Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to facilitate teams; ability to work well with administrators, teachers, students, parents, and third party partners
•  Some experience with special education curriculum a plus
•  Strong technology skills (especially with Microsoft Office products)

The CLO will be working long hours to drive the success of the company. This involves a range of personal attributes– flexibility and adaptability; a great work ethic; strong leadership skills; an ability to analyze and evaluate one’s own (and other’s) performance and to develop plans to improve performance; excellent presentation skills; willingness to take responsibility for both success and failure; a thick skin; self-confidence; a positive attitude about self, company, marketplace; and a strong desire for success.

COMPENSATION

Compensation will include salary and performance bonus commensurate with the individual’s experience.

TRAVEL

Travel minimally will be 20%.

CONTACT

Resume and cover letter should be sent as Word documents to Ralph Protsik (ralph@bsgtv.com) and Barb Piercecchi (barb@bsgtv.com), and also posted on the BSG website, www.bsgtv.com.   No phone calls please.

Reporting directly to the Board of Directors, this Managing Director will run day to day operations of the College Measures JV. He or she will work closely with founder Mark Schneider to provide overall strategic direction for the company, including creating and implementing a business plan for exploiting various markets for the company’s premier research, data management, and consulting services, including government, institutional, and consumer markets.

Important considerations—

•  This Managing Director will report to the board comprising AIR and Matrix representatives. He or she will be working closely with Mark Schneider, the founder and President of the joint venture. Mark splits his time between his position at College Measures and his retained position as Senior Vice President at AIR. In addition to his vision and ideas for the future direction of the College Measures product suite, Mark has extensive connections to states and other public markets. The working relationship between Mark and the MD will be a critical factor in this appointment, and the board of College Measures is looking for the MD to complement and enhance the strengths of Mark by assuming day to day leadership of the business.
•  The position requires an entrepreneur—someone who is not looking to others for guidance but can build a business plan that takes College Measures from $1M to $20M and more. This is a prototypic builder/leader role.
Growth of the company will depend on leveraging the data that College Measures has generated or collated about public colleges. This is a Bloomberg/Zillow model—they are not in the business of generating data but in curating and displaying it for a variety of audiences, including states and agencies, vendors to colleges and universities, the colleges and universities themselves, and consumers (parents and students). The investor also sees a substantial revenue stream in providing wider advisory services to the higher education market, based on the company’s data and software platform.
•  Most likely, the individual hired will know the higher education market well. This might or might not come from having worked for a research and/or consulting firm. Brilliant thinking outweighs specific industry knowledge.
AIR brings research expertise; Matrix Knowledge brings its software platform and consulting expertise to the JV.
•  THERE ARE NO STAFF AT PRESENT – all support is provided by either Matrix or AIR. How quickly the company grows depends on how successful Mark and the MD are at (1) adding additional states to their list of customers and (2) leveraging these relationships and research data to sell to new markets.
•  The position can be based anywhere on the East Cast or in Chicago. The MD will need to be in DC for a few days weekly, however, for some period of time.
Compensation will be heavily weighted equity and bonus. This is not a salary-heavy role. Candidates who for very real reasons are not in a position to trade salary for equity and (attractive) bonus will probably not be satisfied.

ABOUT COLLEGE MEASURES

College Measures is a for-profit joint venture between the American Institutes for Research, one of the pre-eminent educational research organizations in the U.S., and TMKG Ltd (“Matrix”) a private equity-backed, U.K. based global software and advisory business focused on the health, education and justice sectors. This joint venture was created out of a pressing need to informing basis of the enormous human and financial capital investments made in higher education in the United States. At the core of the founding vision is the belief that important underlying data is underexposed and underutilized by students, parents, policymakers, and even by institutions themselves.

The founder and visionary behind the business is Mark Schneider, former U.S. Commissioner of Education Statistics in the US Department of Education.

JV Rationale

Troubling Outcomes

Far too many students enroll in college but never complete their education. On average, less than 60% of students seeking four-year bachelor degrees graduate within six years. Graduation rates for black and Hispanic students are far lower. Among students seeking associate degrees at community colleges, less than one-fourth earn these degrees within three years – with only about 14% of black students and 18% of Hispanic students doing so.

The human side of this failure is significant. The student who drops out after a year or two of college will benefit only slightly – at least economically – from having attended college but not having earned a degree. They will earn, on average, only 5% to 10% more than peers who never attended college. Many of these students will take on thousands of dollars of student loan debt which will be a significant financial burden for years to come. In addition to these personal costs, taxpayers spend billions of dollars each year subsidizing the education of students who fail to graduate and who, too often, don’t even make it through their first year of college.

Performance Measurement and Management

Stakeholders in the US higher education system – from students to administrators to legislators to employers – need to be able to accurately measure performance, understand what that performance means to them, and act upon the information presented. However, measuring and managing performance for colleges is not straight-forward. Important questions have to be addressed. What are the appropriate measures of performance? What data exist to support those measures? For any particular college, what are appropriate performance targets? Who should be held accountable for achieving those targets, by whom, and how?

Out of the Warehouse, into the Storefront

Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent creating data warehouses that contain the information needed to assess the performance of our higher education system. These warehouses exist at the school, state and national levels, and hold a powerful amount of information that needs to be presented in ways that are compelling to users. The goal of College Measures is to move the information out of these data warehouses and into “data storefronts” in which performance metrics will be placed into the public square, allowing students, their families, and policy makers to get much better measures of the rate of return on their investment in higher education programs and institutions.

Company Mission

The mission of College Measures is to inform and improve the decision making process for students, parents, and policy makers. This is being achieved through the sale of software products and consultancy services that link together the economic benefits (including actual and projected earnings) and costs of higher education down to the major field and college level. College Measures provides stakeholders with tools they can use to analyze the performance of their college or system, and serves as the basis for productive discussions about outcomes relative to the dollars being spent to achieve those outcomes.

The business has achieved significant early traction and has rolled out its Economic Success Metrics Tool in a number of states, including Tennessee, Virginia and Arkansas. This tool will be rolled out in Texas, Colorado and Nevada in the new year. This tool, which for the first time makes available, in a usable form, detailed earnings data at the major field of study and campus level has created significant interest across the US and a number of significant sell-on and partnership opportunities. There is also a pipeline of future products include a Return on Investment calculator.

The business model of the company is evolving but at its heart is built around leveraging software and substantive expertise within the field of educational earnings and performance data. To date the business has been managed by staff on secondment from its two shareholders, both of which also provide significant logistical support. With the fundamentals of the business model now largely proven the board has decided to appoint a managing director to take ownership of day-to-day management of the business. This is a very hands-on business development led role. A significant proportion of the ultimate remuneration, which will include equity participation, will be results driven. It must be stressed that College Measures is an early stage business and the successful candidate must be comfortable with, and motivated by, such an environment.

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About AIR

Founded in 1946 as a not-for-profit organization, AIR is one of the world’s largest behavioral and social science research organizations. Its overriding goal is to use the best science available to bring the most effective ideas and approaches to enhancing everyday life. For AIR, making the world a better place is not wishful thinking–it is the goal that drives them.

The intellectual diversity of its 1,600 employees enables AIR to bring together experts from many fields in the search for innovative answers to any challenge.

About TMKG (“Matrix”)

Matrix is a group of software and consultancy companies supporting the health, justice and education sectors. The group operates out of offices in London, Brussels, and Washington DC.

Its advisory business provides strategic and operational advice to governments, public sector bodies, and private sector organizations in the UK, North America, and for the European Commission. These companies have particular expertise in health, education, general economics, informatics, and policy impact assessment. Matrix Decisions, its software subsidiary, owns the Aspira platform upon which College Measures products are built. This platform enables messy and unstructured data held in disparate sources to be structured and presented in a meaningful manner. It is designed to be easily used by non-IT professionals while still providing the rigor required of a business critical software solution. Aspira is currently in use in a range of public and private sector organizations, including the management of highly sensitive data for governmental departments.

The Matrix team includes world renowned expert advisers, economists and researchers, experienced practitioners, and creative software developers. Together they create the organizational, knowledge and information infrastructures and evidence to deliver improvements in performance and value. The team is supported by a worldwide network of highly regarded partner organizations and academic institutions.

About Mark Schneider

Mark is a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and Vice President at AIR. Prior to joining AIR, he served as the U.S. Commissioner of Education Statistics from 2005-2008. He is also a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the State University of New York, Stony Brook. He is the author and editor of numerous article and books on education policy, including Getting to Graduation: The Completion Agenda in Higher Education (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2012), Higher Education Accountability (Palgrave, 2010), Charter Schools: Hope or Hype? (Princeton University Press, 2007), and Choosing Schools (Princeton University Press, 2000), which won the Policy Study Organization’s Aaron Wildavsky Best Book Award. Mark has been working to increase accountability by making data on college productivity more publicly available.

THE POSITION

Reporting to a Board of Directors, including representatives from the America Institutes of Research (AIR) and Matrix, this Managing Director will work hand in glove with the founder to establish and implement a strategic plan for the overall business.

The MD will be responsible for the following—

•  Develop and implement the annual operating plan for the business consistent with the strategic plan of the overall business.
•  Review market conditions, establishing and prioritizing key market development activities, reviewing the effectiveness of sales efforts and channels to market, providing sales forecasts and pricing policies consistent with profitability performance, and establishing sales and marketing plans to achieve annual sales goals.
•  Ensure product plans are executed to meet growth targets as well as ensure the ongoing competitive positioning of the business.
•  Improve operational efficiency and effectiveness by assessing, upgrading or installing new operational systems, processes and methodologies.
•  Review activity reports and financial data to determine progress and status in attaining objectives and revise tactics in accordance with current conditions.
•  Execute and achieve annual growth targets while gaining increased leverage on costs and operating expenses.
•  Demonstrate leadership skills in rapidly growing both product and service sales essential to high fidelity implementations and continuing support of existing customers.
•  Champion succession planning and employee development, ensuring bench strength for future growth while maintaining a focus on furthering the existing organizational culture.
•  Demonstrate skills in recruiting and holding top talent.
•  Assert her/himself into the existing leadership group and earn the respect of Mark and the Board.
•  Demonstrate the capacity to serve customers while building a great place for College Measures employees to work.
•  Close liaison with both shareholding parties and their representatives to ensure adherence to corporate governance and ethical requirements

THE CAREER OPPORTUNITY

For an experienced entrepreneur with the requisite background, this position offers the following career benefits–

• Opportunity to drive growth in a financially solid but still startup organization—to take revenues from <$1M to $20M and more…and to be compensated accordingly
• Opportunity to develop best in class product offerings
• Opportunity to work with a strong, committed Board and founder willing to invest in future growth
• Opportunity to do well by doing good—to lay an important role in improving higher education and the challenge of “gainful employment”
• Opportunity to live and work anywhere on the East Coast, or possibly in Chicago, with regular commuting to DC

The position is a prototypic builder/leader role. There is no fixed template for growth at this early stage—it will be up to the MD, Mark Schneider, and the board to plot the direction of the company, and to the MD to implement this plan. For someone who has always wanted to be in such a role, one could scarcely do better.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate currently is working as a CEO, President, COO, or GM for a rapidly growing for-profit organization that provides information or online support services to the higher education market. Specific experience with B2C marketing is a plus. Alternatively, this individual might be working for a for-profit education consultancy, research organization, or college or university in an operational, strategic, and revenue-generating role.

The successful candidate will have a proven track record within an early stage consultancy and software environment. Empathy with the mission of the business allied with commercial drive to optimize shareholder returns are pre-requisites. An in-depth understanding of the US Higher Education system would be a definite benefit, although not at the expense of business development experience. Personality and experience are critical to this role. Robust, pragmatic and a problem solver, the successful candidate will have a “can do” attitude and strong business development and communication skills.

Specifically, the candidate will possess—

• Experience in a P&L role for a leader that provides some kind of service or product—information , financial aid, lead generation, college application tools, software, or other—sold to either consumers (parents, students), other vendors in the higher ed market, government agencies, or colleges and universities, or all of these
• Specific knowledge and understanding of current trends in the higher education market
• Very strong business development and product management skills—a “P&G mindset” that studies markets, talks to customers, and designs high-quality products and services around customers’ needs
• Strong record of performance taking a company or division from <$10M to $50M or more as operating manager with full P&L responsibility
• Experience developing and implementing a strategic commercial business plan
  • Outstanding general management and leadership skills developed in a fast-paced, dynamic, multi-tasking environment; an entrepreneurial spirit–whether within a small or large company; not a “big company mentality”
  • Breadth if not depth in all functional areas of a company–operations, finance, product development (IT), product management, and business development
  • A self-starter mentality with sound judgment, discernment, and the ability to problem solve
  • The ability to work in a highly interactive team environment; excellent interpersonal and communication skills; flexibility a must
    • MBA or equivalent experience
    • Willingness to live in or commute weekly to Washington DC.

Culturally and temperamentally, the ideal candidate is a team player who believes that individual success flows from the overall success of the organization. This involves a range of personal attributes– flexibility and adaptability; a strong work ethic; leadership with minimal Board supervision; an ability to analyze and evaluate one’s own (and other’s) performance and to develop plans to improve performance; excellent presentation skills; willingness to take responsibility for both success and failure—a thick skin; self-confidence and a positive attitude about self, company, and marketplace; effective listening and questioning; sincerity, trust, believability and warmth; strong closing skills; and a strong desire for success

COMPENSATION

Compensation will include salary, very attractive bonus (pegged to EBITDA growth), and a significant ownership stake in line with the individual’s experience.

CONTACT

Resume and cover letter should be sent as Word documents to Ralph Protsik (ralph@bsgtv.com) and also posted on the BSG website, www.bsgtv.com.  No phone calls please.

Reporting to the CEO, the new CFO will be responsible for managing all finance, accounting and reporting functions for this industry leader in training for the aviation industry.

He or she will (1) work closely with the CEO and others to gather and leverage financial and other data to make critical decisions around programs, enrollment, expansion,  financial aid, technology,  partnerships, and other aspects of the school’s operations; (2) provide leadership and coordination of all company financial practices, including accounting, budgeting, financial reports, taxes, and audit functions; (3) assure compliance with all regulatory agencies, including working with outside auditors in preparation of annual financial and compliance audits; and (4) work with the VP of Administration and head of Financial Aid to oversee financial aid programs and all associated transfers of funds between the company and the federal government’s Title IV and other programs.

THE COMPANY

Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology is a for-profit postsecondary education institution that provides certificates, associate degrees and bachelor degrees in Aviation Maintenance Technology (“AMT”), Avionics, Professional Pilot Training and Quality Control / Non-destructive Testing (“QC” and “NDT”).  The Company also has contracts in place with the United States Air Force and private companies to provide aviation technician and pilot training.  Spartan is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma where its campus footprint spans 247,000 square feet of physical space.

Spartan is accredited by Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (“ACCSC”) and is eligible for Title IV funding. The Company was founded in 1929, has graduated 90,000 aviation technicians and pilots, is the oldest school of its kind in the country and is one of the best recognized brands in the sector known for its quality of instruction and positive outcomes for its students.

The mission of Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology is to provide a supportive educational environment for students to actively participate in learning and to provide quality career-oriented higher education programs to a diverse student population.

Key differentiated aspects of the institution include:

• Strong Student Value Proposition: Best in class student outcomes
• Academic Rigor: Employer recognized unique, rigorous and hands-on programs.
• Unique Non-Destructive Testing Program: Despite rapid growth of the NDT industry, Spartan is the largest and one of the only postsecondary institutions offering training for non-destructive technicians
• Outstanding Regulatory Compliance: Spartan has maintained strong regulatory compliance historically and is well positioned in light of recent changes in regulation
• Strong Brand and Large Alumni Base: Longest running aviation program in the U.S. with over 90,000 alumni

Spartan provides hands-on training in aviation maintenance, avionics, nondestructive testing and quality control. Students can graduate from Spartan’s programs in anywhere from 12 to 23 months with high-demand skills. They also gain the professional training and credentials necessary to work in some of the most exciting industries and in many parts of the world.

History

More than 80 years ago, Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology began as a place for individuals to learn how to take their passion for aviation and turn it into a career they loved. Founder W.G. Skelly was convinced that air transportation would come of age and bring with it a need for skilled aircraft technicians and pilots. He was right, and as a result, the Spartan aviation school, with its learn-by-doing teaching philosophy, quickly became a leader in aviation education, standing out from other aviation schools and programs.

The school motto, “Knowledge and Skill Overcome Superstition and Luck,” is exemplified by the Spartan Black Cat and the number 13. This insignia dates back to 1929 and the beginning of the Dawn Patrol. The Dawn Patrol name came about as a result of Spartan flight schedules that began at the crack of dawn. It was during these early morning flights that members of the aviation programs performed precision formation flying. Students knew that relying on superstition and luck was not an option and that the skill and knowledge gained at Spartan was paramount to their success.

Not only do Spartan College of Aeronautics graduates have the skills and knowledge necessary to pursue a career in their chosen field of study, they have a respected worldwide reputation, a rich history that has helped shape the field of aviation and the success of thousands of its aviation school alumni who came before them. As the torch is passed on, it is the alumni of the school’s aeronautical school who can continue to influence the aviation industry and aviation colleges and help contribute to the success of Spartan’s future graduates. There is only one Spartan and its history truly lives on in the success of its alumni.

Programs

Spartan offers programs at its Tulsa campus in the following areas—

• Aviation Maintenance
• Avionics Technology
• Nondestructive Testing / Quality Control
• Aviation Management Technology
• Pilot Training
• Continuing Education

Spartan also offers select Associate Degree courses on-line.

Completion and Placement Rates

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Accreditation

Spartan is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) and is authorized to offer Associate of Applied Science Degrees with Majors in Aviation Maintenance Technology, Avionics Maintenance Technology, Quality Control and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aviation Technology Management.

It is also licensed by the Oklahoma Board of Private Vocational Schools. Programs are approved by the Oklahoma State Accrediting Agency for Veterans (GI Bill). The Aviation Maintenance Technology Program is approved by the Federal Aviation Administration. Spartan is authorized under federal law to enroll eligible international students.

About the Investors:

Sterling Partners is a private equity firm with a distinct point of view on how to build great companies. Founded in 1983, Sterling has invested billions of dollars, guided by the company’s stated purpose: INSPIRED GROWTH™, which describes Sterling’s approach to buying differentiated businesses and growing them in inspired ways. Sterling focuses on investing growth capital in small and mid-market companies in industries with positive, long-term trends – education, healthcare, and business services.  Sterling provides valuable support to the management teams of the companies in which the firm invests through a deep and dedicated team of operations and functional experts based in the firm’s offices in Chicago, Baltimore, and Miami.

Included among its portfolio of investments in the Education sector are Laureate Education, Ashworth College, Educate, Educate Online, School of Rock, Progressus Therapy, Meritas, and InfiLaw.

THE POSITION

Reporting to the CEO and working with the CEO and company’s investors, the new CFO will drive all financial management decisions for Spartan College as it achieves healthy growth. He or she will also play an important operational role in support of the CEO.

This new CFO will be responsible for managing all finance, accounting and reporting functions for the college. He or she will (1) work closely with the CEO to gather and leverage financial and other data to make critical decisions around programs, enrollment, financial aid, technology,  partnerships, and other aspects of the school’s operations; (2) provide leadership and coordination of all company financial practices, including accounting, budgeting, financial reports, taxes and audit functions; (3) assure compliance with all regulatory agencies, including working with outside auditors in preparation of annual financial and compliance audits; (4) work with the VP of Financial Aid to oversee financial aid programs and all associated transfers of funds between the company and the federal government’s Title IV and other programs; and (5) work with the CEO and investors to assess and, if and when appropriate, open new campuses and/or acquire other schools.

Specific responsibilities and expectations include the following:

• Oversee all company accounting practices, including accounting, budgeting, financial reports, taxes and audit functions for all campus locations.
• Assist the CEO in managing school operations.
• Provide consultative support to internal department leaders and their initiatives by providing reporting, sound financial analysis and thoughtful, well-reasoned, balanced recommendations.
• Assure compliance with all regulatory agencies, including working with outside auditors in preparation of annual financial and compliance audits.
• Develop and utilize forward-looking, predictive models and activity-based financial analysis to provide insight into the organization’s operations and business plans.
• Create, coordinate, and evaluate changes and improvements in automated financial management information systems for the company. Work with the VP Administration and head of Financial Aid to oversee financial aid programs and all associated transfers of funds between the company and the federal government’s Title IV and other programs.
• On an ongoing basis, gather financial and other data that can be used to run the school more efficiently and profitably.
• Assist with financial strategy, planning and forecasting.
• Synthesize and generate financial reporting for outside accounting firm(s), ownership, CEO, and department heads.
• Prepare financial analysis for contract negotiations and corporate investment decisions; manage procurement process for meaningful equipment acquisition or major contracts.
• Assist in refining and/or establishing policies, procedures, internal controls, and analytical processes to ensure timely and efficient execution of finance, accounting and financial aid related objectives.
• Refine and execute expense monitoring and control procedures.
• Assemble the right financial team; supervise a Controller and other junior accounting staff members; constantly evaluate staff

THE CAREER OPPORTUNITY

To an experienced CFO with relevant for-profit higher education experience and a strong operations background, this opportunity offers several attractive features:

• The opportunity to join a small executive team and have “a seat at the table” as the college and investors chart its future
• The opportunity to work with the current investors in evaluating growth options, including new campuses, joint ventures and potential acquisitions
• The opportunity to be the principal financial decision maker in a niche school capable of growing to $60+MM or more within 3-5 years
• The opportunity to attain equity in the company
• The opportunity to work in an attractive Nashville TN location

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate is working as Chief Financial Officer or Vice President of Finance for an accredited for-profit college that enrolls students eligible for federal financial aid funds under Title IV legislation. He or she has worked with the CEO, COO, and other corporate executives, as well as Campus Presidents, to oversee all company accounting practices, including accounting, budgeting, financial reports, taxes and audit functions for the school. S/he has also helped to maintain accreditation and Title IV compliance, and together with a CEO and investors to secure additional funding and/or in an M&A capacity as opportunity presents. Importantly, this individual has a strong operational background—not just a “bean counter.”

This individual is a “player/coach”—strategic enough to handle critical financial management issues but also hands-on enough to manage day-to-day cash flow at the campus level.

Specifically, he or she has –

• High energy, financial and operational skills, work ethic, and integrity
• An extensive background in financial management with particular strengths in the areas of financial statement preparation, budgeting/forecasting and planning, financial analysis, internal controls, process improvement, and cash management
• A strong operations management foundation—capable of working with the CEO in a variety of functional areas to build a powerful operational foundation to the school
• Facility with data—its sources, aggregation, and application to allow the CEO and others to make enlightened decisions in a variety of functional areas, including new campus rollouts and program development and marketing
• A management style that is decisive and entrepreneurial; strong conceptual, creative, and problem-solving skills; a self-starter who is capable of managing his/her time and priorities effectively while successfully accomplishing planned objectives
• A track record of exerting strong fiscal control (appropriately managing/conserving cash) and driving EBIT bottom-line growth
• Specific experience with Title IV and other financial aid programs, regulatory compliance, revenue recognition, reviewing account reconciliations, and pro-forma analyses
• Experience developing and implementing financial processes and procedures that are scalable as an organization grows;  experience managing finances for a multi-location school
• Experience bringing a strategic level of leadership to the finance function, serving as financial strategist while managing the day-to-day requirements of a finance department
• Superior business and financial analytical skills–success with timely monthly financial reporting, detailed financial analysis, and the preparation of ad-hoc reports and analyses, cash flow planning, and management
• Experience working with external parties, e.g. private equity investors, bankers, consultants, and independent accountants; experience reporting on, and monitoring compliance with, bank covenants; M&A and/or IPO experience would be valuable
• A bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance or a related field; a Master of Business Administration degree and/or designation as a Certified Public Accountant would be a plus

Culturally and temperamentally, the ideal candidate is a team player who believes that individual success flows from the overall success of the organization.

This involves a range of personal attributes– flexibility and adaptability; a great work ethic; leadership with minimal supervision; an ability to analyze and evaluate one’s own (and other’s) performance and to develop plans to improve performance; excellent presentation skills; willingness to take responsibility for both success and failure—a thick skin; self-confidence and a positive attitude about self, company, and marketplace; consistent, effective prospecting skills—knowing how to reach decision maker; effective listening and questioning; sincerity, trust, believability and warmth; and a strong desire for success.

COMPENSATION

Compensation will include salary, bonus, and equity in line with the individual’s experience.

TRAVEL

Travel is unlikely to be more than 10%.

CONTACT

Resume should be sent as a Word document to Ralph Protsik (ralph@bsgtv.com) and Dan Martell (dan@bsgtv.com), and also posted on the BSG website, www.bsgtv.com. No phone calls please.

The Position

Highlights of the new CEO’s track record and experience will include the following:

• Strong commercialization stage leadership experience, with a focus on establishment of both direct and channel sales distribution and post-sales service support

• Experience with oversight of manufacturing “whole solution” electromechanical systems

• Executive team-building, with particular emphasis on the sales, marketing & business development side

• Corporate Development expertise in developing key strategic partnerships across the targeted Harvest customer ecosystem

• Success taking new products “cross-chasm” into new markets

• Experience taking companies from pre-revenue to $50M+

• Experience with global expansion, customer identification and development

• Equity capital-raising

Ideal Candidate Profile

The following diagram illustrates the intersection of competencies critical in the Chief Executive Officer position:

Approximately thirty-five million Americans are covered by a flexible spending account (FSA) and each year, our client estimates that consumers collectively forfeit over $400 million back to employers because they don’t deplete their flexible spending accounts (FSAs).  The client operates an online shopping website for FSAs which are employer-based programs that allow consumers to set aside tax-free dollars to purchase medical products and services – from band-aids to smoking cessation programs and tens of thousands of products and services in between.

Our client is the only one-stop-shop stocked exclusively with FSA-eligible products and services so there are no guessing games as to what is and is not reimbursable, a dilemma consumers face every time they walk into a drugstore. In addition to more than four thousand FSA-eligible products, the site offers a national provider database of FSA-eligible services and an FSA Learning Center. The biggest challenge to the consumer in capitalizing on the tax benefits of the FSA is sorting through the arcane rules of what is eligible and what is not.  Given how difficult this can be for the consumer to do, many FSA account balances simply languish until year’s end, and then revert back to the employer.

The company was founded on the idea that it should be easy and convenient for a consumer to use their FSA and recently launched site enhancements, even in the face of recent eligibility changes, which require consumers to obtain a physician’s prescription for many products in order to be reimbursed by their FSA.

The Company has unequalled expertise in flexible spending account eligible products & services. FSA’s offerings include the following:

PRODUCTS: Baby care products, cold and allergy, diabetes care, digestive health, elastics/athletic treatments, eye/ear care, family planning, feminine care, first aid, foot care, home health care, oral care, pain relief products, skin care, smoking deterrents, and vitamins/dietary supplements.

SERVICES: The Company also provides services in the areas of primary care, cancer, heart health, radiology, mental and behavioral health, surgery, pathology, orthopedics and sports medicine, and women’s health services, as well as ear, nose, and throat.

The company was founded in 2010 and is based in New York, New York.

About the Position

Reporting directly to the Founder & President, the Chief Revenue Officer will play a senior leadership role overseeing all revenue generation for the company, holding leadership responsibility for a team of three to seven (plus), covering both online and offline marketing, merchandising, business development, and partner sales.

Responsible for the overall topline, the CRO will recommend appropriate strategies, tactics, and operational initiatives to continuously build measure and enhance revenue opportunities for the Company. The CRO will provide vision and leadership for each of the three major revenue legs— online acquisition, offline channel partnerships, and marketing/public relations initiatives–  specifically driving the Company’s consumer brand awareness and ubiquity.

This role will also work closely with Operations to close, onboard, and drive partner program effectiveness.  The CRO will also work in concert with Engineering to optimize UI, UX, merchandising, and retention.

Reporting directly to the President, the Chief Revenue Officer shall:

•  Successfully lead and manage a sales and e-commerce team of three to seven staff
•  Be responsible for hiring, training, measuring, and motivating the team
•  Building new and expanding existing partnerships with third-party administrators and other channel partners to drive program adoption and execution
•  Drive online marketing excellence in search engine optimization, search engine marketing, affiliate marketing, online social awareness (e.g., Twitter, blogs, Facebook) with single-minded goal of revenue growth and optimization
•  Travel when needed to meet key partners and partner prospects to establish, develop, and maintain those relationships, including the management, expansion, and renewal of multi-year partner contracts
•  Manage short- and long-term staff planning, recruitment, performance management, work assignments, training, mentoring, career development, and recognition or disciplinary actions
•  Set up processes for project team selection, resource loading, KPIs, etc.
•  Own and drive overall budgeting, forecasting, and performance measurement against goals
•  Be responsible for business planning and proposals, operating budgets, and financial terms/ conditions of contracts for all revenue channel partners.

The successful candidate must also have the ability and experience to lead a multi-disciplined organization.

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Skills & Personal Characteristics

•  Defined by others as smart, capable, hands-on, energetic, and someone who possess a strong entrepreneurial spirit
•  A proven communicator both within the sales/marketing function, but as importantly, cross-functionally throughout the organization, and up and down the organizational hierarchy
•  A strong, assertive personality, able to make a creative contribution and build buy-in for ideas, as well as integrating ideas of others

Staff

The team reporting into the Chief Revenue Officer is currently four employees, supplemented by a number of consultants.  Departments that report into this role include the following:

•  Partner Sales (primarily selling TPA relationships)
•  Online marketing (SEO, SEM, social, & merchandising)

Currently, the entire full-time team is based at the corporate headquarters in midtown Manhattan.

Compensation

Compensation is competitive with the marketplace.  In a performance-based environment, this will include base salary, incentive bonus structure based on qualitative and quantitative metrics, and the opportunity to participate as equity stakeholder.