Chief Executive Officer
Reporting to the Board of Directors
Location: Southern Wisconsin (HQ)
BSG has commenced an executive search for a Chief Executive Officer for our client, a leading provider of mission-critical wastewater infrastructure services serving municipal and select commercial customers across the United States. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the CEO will have full P&L responsibility and will lead all aspects of strategy, operations, commercial execution, and organizational development. This role requires a leader with deep experience in municipal and regulated services businesses, a strong operational foundation, and proven ability to drive revenue growth through relationship-based selling and competitive bid environments.
Opportunity Overview
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
THE COMPANY
Our client is a private equity–backed, mission-critical infrastructure services provider supporting municipal and commercial customers across the United States. The company delivers specialized field services through a project-based model and is entering its next phase of growth and expansion. As part of a planned succession, the organization is seeking a next-generation President & CEO to lead this next stage in partnership with its investors.
THE POSITION
The President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) will have full P&L responsibility and will lead all aspects of strategy, operations, commercial execution, and organizational development. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the CEO will be responsible for scaling a high-performing, municipally focused infrastructure services platform in a private equity-backed environment.
This role requires a leader with deep experience in municipal and regulated services businesses, a strong operational foundation, and proven ability to drive revenue growth through relationship-based selling and competitive bid environments. The CEO must balance operational discipline with commercial leadership, ensuring safe, reliable service delivery while expanding geographic reach and integrating acquisitions.
The CEO will serve as the primary interface with municipal customers, senior operating leaders, and the private equity sponsor, and will play a central role in shaping the company's long-term value creation strategy and exit readiness.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Provide overall leadership and strategic direction for the Company, with full accountability for financial performance, operations, safety, growth, and culture.
- Lead and scale a project-based, municipally concentrated revenue model, managing customer concentration risk and multi-year procurement cycles.
- Drive organic growth through deepening penetration in existing markets and launching new metropolitan markets.
- Lead all aspects of commercial strategy, including high-stakes municipal RFP/RFQ processes, customer relationship management, and revenue forecasting.
- Execute a disciplined M&A strategy, including acquisition sourcing, due diligence, integration, and post-merger performance management.
- Ensure operational excellence across field operations, safety, compliance, and service delivery in regulated municipal environments.
- Build, develop, and retain a strong executive leadership team with clear accountability and performance metrics.
- Partner closely with the private equity sponsor and the Board of Directors on strategy, capital allocation, reporting, and exit planning.
- Serve as a visible, credible leader with municipal customers, field teams, and external stakeholders.
- Ensure that financial information, analysis, and reporting is accurate, timely, reliable, and relevant.
Success in this role will be defined for much of the first 12 months on key deliverables:
- Maintain and strengthen trust with key municipal customers while expanding the company's footprint into new markets.
- Deliver consistent revenue growth and EBITDA improvement while preserving safety, service quality, and compliance.
- Successfully integrate acquisitions without disrupting service delivery or culture.
- Establish scalable operating systems, performance metrics, and leadership cadence suitable for a national platform.
- Build a strong bench of operational and commercial leaders capable of supporting continued growth.
- Position the company as a clear, institutional-quality platform prepared for a future liquidity event.
QUALIFICATIONS
Requirements
- Prior CEO, President, or equivalent enterprise-level P&L leadership experience.
- Experience leading middle-market services businesses, ideally in the $100M–$250M revenue range.
- Deep background in municipal, government, or regulated infrastructure services environments.
- Proven experience managing complex municipal procurement processes and winning competitive, large-scale bids.
- Strong operational foundation with credibility across field operations, safety, and service delivery.
- Demonstrated success executing M&A strategies, including integration of multiple acquisitions.
- Prior experience in a private equity-backed or sponsor-owned business strongly preferred.
- Comfort operating in customer-concentrated, project-based revenue models.
- Willingness to be physically present and embedded in the Southern Wisconsin headquarters and core markets.
General Competencies
- High integrity, sound judgment, and low-ego leadership style.
- Strong analytical and strategic thinking capabilities combined with execution focus.
- Ability to lead through influence with municipal stakeholders, frontline operators, and investors.
- Clear, direct communication skills with the ability to engage effectively at all levels.
- A safety-first, compliance-driven mindset appropriate for regulated environments.
- Proven ability to build culture, align teams, and drive accountability.
- Demonstrate professional behavior and actions consistent with company values.
Education/Experience
- Bachelor's degree required; engineering or technical background preferred but not required.
- Advanced degree a plus.
- 10+ years of senior leadership experience.
LOCATION
Headquarters in Southern Wisconsin. This position is on-site with travel as required.
Ideal Candidate Profile
A summary of key competencies required to be successful include the following:
Functional Experience
- Proven enterprise-level P&L leadership with full accountability for operations, commercial performance, and financial results.
- Strong operational foundation with hands-on experience overseeing field-based service organizations operating in regulated environments.
- Demonstrated ability to balance operational discipline with revenue leadership in project-based, customer-concentrated business models.
- Experience leading complex, relationship-driven sales efforts, including executive-level involvement in large RFP/RFQ and bid processes.
- Track record of executing acquisition-driven growth strategies, including due diligence, integration, and post-merger performance management.
Industry Experience
- Deep experience serving municipal, government, or other highly regulated customers where safety, compliance, and reputation are critical.
- Background in infrastructure services, environmental services, construction-related services, or other technically complex, field-intensive industries.
- Demonstrated understanding of municipal procurement cycles, public-sector decision-making, and multi-year capital programs.
- Comfort managing customer concentration and long-term contractual relationships rather than transactional, high-volume sales models.
Corporate Stage
- Experience leading or operating within private equity-backed or sponsor-owned middle-market companies.
- Familiarity with PE operating cadence, board governance, performance reporting, and value creation initiatives.
- Prior exposure to platform scaling, geographic expansion, and exit preparation strongly preferred.
- Experience working in founder-led or family-owned businesses is a plus, particularly in succession or transition scenarios.
Management and Leadership Experience
- Low-ego, execution-oriented leadership style with high credibility among frontline operators and technical teams.
- Safety-first mindset with a demonstrated commitment to compliance, reliability, and service excellence.
- Ability to attract, develop, and retain strong leaders while building a culture of accountability and performance.
- Effective communicator capable of engaging confidently with municipal stakeholders, employees, board members, and investors.
- Willingness to be highly visible and embedded in the organization, with a strong on-site presence at headquarters and operating locations.
Compensation
Compensation will be competitive and aligned with market benchmarks for PE-backed middle-market CEOs. The package will include base salary, performance-based bonus, and a meaningful equity participation component tied to long-term value creation and a successful exit.
to apply
For more information or to express interest in this opportunity, please visit the application page.
