With the advent of technology and professional networking venues like LinkedIn, private companies often assume executive recruiting happens with a simple push of a button. And while these tools have injected efficiency into the process, relationships still form the core of effective C-level and board searches.

Braun Intertec handed off not one but two important executive searches after discovering the limits of LinkedIn recruiting. Their initial outreach for a new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) resulted in a large quantity of resumes—without the corresponding quality of candidates they sought.

With another significant search on the horizon to replace their outgoing Chairman of the Board, they reached out to Lyman Executive Search.

“David and Libby are very genuine and attentive. I received great feedback from our candidates about their experience.”

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Jon Carlson, CEO, Braun Intertec

Industry connections yield experienced CFO candidates

David Lyman, Principal, and Libby Utter, Search and Business Development Consultant, collaborated on the project. We worked directly with Braun Intertec CEO Jon Carlson and SVP Scott Beadleston to identify company requirements and understand the unique “must-haves” for each role. The respected company now has more than 1,000 employees and operates in 11 states.

For the CFO position, Braun Intertec needed a seasoned financial leader adept at financial management, long-term planning and mergers and acquisitions, with previous professional services experience. Cultural fit was also critical, as their new hire would also become an employee owner.

These criteria led us to Scott Poellinger, a tenured financial professional skilled at building strategic partnerships in fast-growing companies. He joined Braun Intertec as CFO and Senior Vice President.

“I truly enjoyed working with David and Libby on our CFO search,” Carlson said. “They are very genuine and attentive. I received great feedback from our candidates about their experience with Lyman Executive Search.”

“Your efforts to find independent board candidates were well executed.”

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Raymond F. Messer, Board Chairman Emeritus, Braun Intertec

Simultaneous search fills Board of Directors seat

At the same time the CFO search was underway, we were reaching out to our extensive connections around the Midwest and in the engineering and construction space, this time for a Board of Directors role.

Braun Intertec’s board reflects its structure as a 100 percent employee-owned (ESOP) company. Four employees and four external directors make up the board for a balanced approach. Beadleston holds one of the internal Board of Director seats and represented the employee-owner viewpoint during the search process.

Diversity was essential to our efforts, both in the candidates we identified and in bringing outside perspectives to the Braun Intertec selection committee.

Our collaboration paid off with the selection of Julie Moore, an established marketing executive with previous experience on private company boards and in ESOP environments. Her business acumen, strategic planning abilities and track record of helping companies scale aligned well with Braun Intertec’s vision.

“Your efforts to find independent board candidates were well executed and you provided us with excellent candidates to interview,” said Raymond F. Messer, Board Chairman Emeritus for Braun Intertec.

Carlson added, “Positive candidate experiences are very important and reflect meaningfully on Braun Intertec. I appreciate the professionalism with which you conduct your searches, and how well you take care of the candidates, from start to finish.”