Established in 1997, AVPE operates predominantly within the Aerospace and Defence sectors and brings many years of experience in delivering a high-quality product and service level to its blue-chip customers.
The Campaign
The shareholders of AVPE decided to invest in a long-term strategy to grow and strengthen its position in the global aerospace and defence sector supply chains. They were looking to grow both organically and through acquisition and then transition from a private to a publicly owned business.
As part of this change process, AVPE were looking to strengthen their Senior Management Team and bring in two new senior hires of CEO and CFO. Both roles were new to the Board. Moon Exec Search ran both campaigns to a strict timetable and in essence, we looked for experienced and capable candidates working for mid-sized corporations who were especially disciplined and rigorous and who could lead the organisation, not only in terms of financial acumen, but it was also essential that they could ensure the Group could meet its legal, regulatory and compliance obligations.
Our Approach
We adopted a thorough search and screening process to enable us to fully assess each candidate’s experience, background, and soft and hard skills against the search criteria. We ensured that they had the confidence and technical knowledge to excel in each role and understand fully the future aspirations of the business.
The Challenge
Both roles required strategic leadership at Board level with strong and effective stakeholder management. The ideal candidates had to have experience of operating in a regulated environment and a career with international exposure to different markets, ideally with a knowledge of tier one supply chain scenarios, including bids and tenders.
The Solution
At the outset, we adopted a thorough screening process for each candidate as well as high degree of confidentiality and sensitivity. We carried out in-depth telephone interviews and face-to-face meetings, presenting our final short list to the Chair, Chris Steel.
Candidates were then invited to visit the site to meet other board members to assess their suitability. As a result, we were delighted to announce the two appointments, Duncan Frame as CEO and Tim Preston as CFO. Duncan has had a long and very successful career within the GE Group, later in their Oil & Gas business and has considerable experience in multi-site operations within an international business environment. Tim is a fully qualified accountant, having trained at Ernst & Young before enjoying a very successful career within several Listed Engineering Groups.
Chris Steel, Chair said:
‘I have known Vanessa and her team for many years and knew I could count on her for a highly confidential and bespoke approach for our search. This search needed great sensitivity and market awareness and I was delighted with the results. We now have a management team in place ready for our next phase of growth and development.’
Moon Executive Search provide bespoke solutions for clients, using our extensive expertise and knowledge gained from twenty years of recruiting to find your perfect candidate. If you are looking to appoint a senior leader to your Board, visit Build Your Board to get started, or call us on 01275 371200.
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