Q: Who is ForteCEO?
A: ForteCEO is a firm that works exclusively for and with business owners – private equity-owned and family businesses – to help turnaround underperforming businesses and implement positive change. Our clients usually have pressing issues within their firm and need hands-on leadership to provide direction and deliver results. We work with ownership and help them clearly define a go-forward plan, and then we work with the management team to implement it. At our core, we are operating executives who work inside companies to bring change.

Our philosophy is, if you have a tough task to accomplish, find someone who has done it successfully before – ideally in the same industry. This is compelling for our clients because our consultants have already accomplished in other companies what our clients need in their businesses. Equally important, executives on assignment can tap the collective expertise of ForteCEO's group of 80+ operating executives and the firm's partners.

ForteCEO recruits and vets executives in more than 50 industries, and our group is deep enough to support a wide range of clients. Since I started the company, we have screened over 2,000 executive candidates. We currently have a core group of about 80 executives, with a large alumni network around the country.

Q: What is interim leadership and how can it benefit companies with traditional organizational structures?
A: The concept of interim leadership is widely used in Europe but is still relatively unknown in the U.S. Interim executives are used when results are needed quickly, such as revitalizing a troubled company, growing a business, working on high level projects, or filling senior level management voids. Interim leaders are purposely over-qualified for the assignment, which allows them to deliver results quickly.

The flexibility and deep bench strength of our firm means that we will always select the right person or team to fit the need.

Q: How does ForteCEO differ from traditional consulting firms?
A: We differ in four ways. First, our engagement leaders have run successful firms and had P&L responsibility. We hit the ground running. Second, Forte executives have on-site operating experience in our client's industry or a related industry. Third, we don’t just make recommendations; we implement our recommendations. Finally, our senior executives have access to the entire ForteCEO Executive and Partner groups who provide them with support and assistance throughout the engagement.

ForteCEO's focus is to help business owners maximize the value of their companies. We believe so strongly in our ability that we will work to create compensation plans where we have "skin in the game" based on achieving specific objectives.

Q: Can you give us a short example of how ForteCEO has helped a business owner increase the value of his or her company?
A: We recently helped a private business owner prepare his 35-year old company for sale. Having established his company as a global leader in the snack industry, the owner contacted ForteCEO when he learned that the market valuation of the company was well below his expectations.

ForteCEO was engaged to improve profitability, operations and quality processes and to establish financial disciplines in preparation for a planned sale of the company. After conducting a two-week, 360-degree analysis of the company, we developed a prioritized action plan. Within two weeks, a team to implement the recommendations was assigned based on industry expertise.

The ForteCEO team, working with the investment bankers and the company's current management, successfully implemented the recommendations. This led to an increase in the market valuation of the business by more than 50% from the original level and to a successful sale of the company to a private equity firm. In addition, ForteCEO supplied several executives in key management positions who transitioned to the new owner.

Q: You mentioned that ForteCEO has screened over 2,000 executives to get to the current group of about 80. Why is ForteCEO so selective?
A: We are selective because the stakes are so high with our engagements. We insert people into complex situations where strong emotions, financial needs and constantly changing expectations prevail – usually all at once. It is tough to find executives who have both the industry experience and the emotional intelligence to function effectively in this type of environment. We need to be the calm in the storm, and the truth is that many talented executives are simply not suited for the pressure of ForteCEO engagements. We have developed an effective vetting process which helps us find the talent to suit our client’s needs. In most cases, the ForteCEO executive will be on site working with the business owner and the executive team within days.

We have one shot to create dramatic, lasting change within an organization, and we stake our reputation on the results we deliver.