Natural Resources Executive Search

Our client was a VC-backed real-time water analytics, natural resources focused startup. They recently closed their Series-A funding round and were looking to scale their company aggressively. Transforming how water operators measure, manage and forecast water quality, the company uses state-of-the-art IoT technology to improve the efficiency of industrial, agriculture, and municipal water operations. The Chief Executive Officer took the business from conception to revenue, but she required strategic leaders to fulfill the CEO, CTO, and CRO roles solely.

In addition, she needed an executive leader of the engineering and technology department, and she also required three new hires to bring structure and organization to the sales department. With four roles to fill on the horizon, the CEO needed assistance filling and prioritizing these roles. In the middle of the engagement, the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, creating severe challenges and unforeseen requirements for the company and the people who would assume the newly created positions.

After engaging with the CEO and board members, N2Growth had a strong understanding of the client’s current state needs and trajectory. As the company shifted towards exponential growth, it was essential to first fill the SVP of Product and Technology position. Customer success and satisfaction are of utmost importance in a SaaS business, and it was critical to get their product and software in a position for scaling. In addition, our client not only manufactures smart sensors but also creates their software platform. The complexity of the role required someone with experience in AI and machine learning. As such, they needed a leader who understood hardware and who also had extensive experience in software and analytics.

Our client also needed a reorganization of their sales department. After successfully bringing their product to market, they needed to get organization, structure, and align strategy to their aggressive sales growth. To accomplish this, the client required an SVP of Sales and Marketing and two Vice Presidents to lead the Industrial and Agriculture channels. Our client’s product includes IoT hardware sensors, but their main value proposition is their SaaS platform. Consequently, they needed sales leaders who had experience selling a platform solution, scaling an organization, and targeting industrial clients. N2Growth was not merely filling three sales roles; it partnered with the client to craft a well-performing sales team.

As the engagement ensued and COVID-19 became more of a permanent circumstance, the needs and the skill sets required for the various roles shifted. N2Growth’s continuous iteration approach and its close partnership allowed the client to pivot as needed. Additionally, the new remote setup required the interviewing and assessment of candidates to be 100% virtual. In-depth leadership and psychometric assessments were conducted on candidates and the company’s leadership, ensuring day-one performance. Upon placements, N2Growth engaged in ongoing leadership coaching to ensure healthy team dynamics and sustained high performance.