The CEO’s Biggest Challenge for 2024 and What To Do About It

In the “Year-End 2023 Middle Market Indicator” published by the National Center For The Middle Market[1], 58% of middle market leaders are saying that Core Business Issues (maintaining revenue and sales growth, ensuring customer satisfaction/retention, and IT challenges) are their #1 concern for the next 12 months.?? At Pontem Advisors we see the same thing as we help our clients in Private Equity and VC firms who are peering into their portfolio companies measuring profits and cash flows and trying to boost valuation to payout their Limited Partners as promised.? The pressure is on.

?CEOs are either trying to navigate through the choppy waters of VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity), or they are fending-off declining revenues or rising customer acquisition costs.? What do you do?? What do you need?? Most CEOs look for outside expertise.? But how do you find the right help?

?This article will share different approaches for the types of consulting you should consider and then how to select the right expertise and background of consultants.

?APPROACHES TO CONSIDER

?Is it Restructuring?? Reorganizing?

Restructuring:

·????? Definition: Making significant changes to a company’s financial or operational structure

·????? Reasons:? preparing for a sale, merger, buyout, change in operations, or transfer of ownership

·????? Examples: divestment, spin-off

·????? Types:? Financial, organizational, portfolio

Reorganizing:

·????? Definition: rearranging the plan or structure of the company

·????? Reasons:? financial troubles, new owners or staff, structural changes

·????? Examples:? changing organization roles and focus to improve them

?Is it a Turnaround?? A Pivot?

Turnaround:

·????? Definition: a sudden improvement in the company’s success while staying within their market and product positions and history.

·????? Reasons: persistent decrease in sales, mounting losses

·????? Example: if they didn’t turn things around, they would be out of business

·????? Stages:? 1. Change leadership 2. Perform business analysis 3. Enact emergency actions 4. Business restructuring 5. Return to normal

?Pivot:

·????? Definition: changing the company’s product, business model, or target market

·????? Reasons: something significant has changed in the product, customer, market, or problem

Example:? changing the product capabilities, revising how the company delivers value to customers

Is it an Organizational Design/Development??

·????? Definition: is a social science-based process that helps companies build their capacity to change

·????? Reasons:? achieve greater effectiveness, growth, responsiveness and reinforcing strategies/structures/processes

·????? Example:? redeploying teams, charters, and (people) structure as well as changing culture and processes for better communications

?IDENTIFYING THE RIGHT EXPERTISE OR PEDIGREE

?When seeking consultants, consider their past engagements and focus.? There are many kinds of consulting firms:? Finance/Investment Banking, Audit/Accounting, Consolidation/Bankruptcy, Management/Organizational Development, Operations, Marketing, and HR.? You do not want a firm that is adept in Bankruptcy or asset assignment to help you through a turnaround or pivot!? Past experiences matter.? One must look at their mindset/perspective, history, and first-hand experience to see credibility and determine if they are the right fit for your needs.? Have they been through similar experiences in their own career??

GETTING CLARITY

Be clear on the approach you need, whether a pivot or an organizational overhaul. Look for past experiences, successes, and work styles that are a good fit for you and your team.? Will they force-feed you their playbook or work with yours? At this stage, it's a good practice to compare what talents and mindsets you currently have on your team and identify the gaps you need to round out inputs from diverse and credible perspectives. Avoid running to a big, expensive firm that will proudly deploy a bunch of theorists and package up a tome of to-do lists for you to do. Also, make sure that your team has clear and realistic expectations and that the consulting firm has the empathy and understanding to deliver on those goals, or that they can sincerely help you adjust your expectations.? Your company’s future and team are on the line.? Your stakeholders are watching.? We’re here to help.?

?See more about the Pontem Advisors experience https://www.pontemadvisors.org/team-profiles and case studies? https://www.pontemadvisors.org/about-1

[1] https://www.middlemarketcenter.org/performance-data-on-the-middle-market

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