HR Director

Compass Carter Osborne was mandated by a leading healthcare private equity investor focused on mid-market projects with a high potential for growth. The portfolio company, led by a high-energy, driven and focussed CEO, had a significant opportunity to further consolidate its position as the UK’s largest community eyecare provider. 

Reason and Purpose: 

CHEC needed an HR Director that could support and coach the entrepreneurial CEO and wider business as it prepared for accelerated growth into new markets. The HR function was understaffed and lacked professional and strategic approaches to people and culture.  

An HR and recruiting strategy and the establishment of structures were urgently needed. A rapid build-up 

of a larger HR team as well as the introduction of the most important HR processes had to be created in the short-term as the most urgent prerequisites in order to achieve the company’s growth goals. 

 Methodology:  

The project required CCO to gain a deeper understanding of the candidate’s soft skills as well as technical skills, particularly around integration and growth. As this was a new HR Director seat, extensive candidate interaction and expectations management was imperative to ensure that the prospective HRD understood the unique challenge of the rapid growth environment, and ability to work closely with both the CEO and deliver within a PE environment.  

Compass Carter Osborne successfully placed an HRD from outside of the healthcare sector, from a diverse background and with an extensive track-record leading HR functions for technology businesses. 

Outcome:  

At speed the roles and key processes in HR were defined and the team was fully staffed with HR business partners and recruiters. This meant all the necessary HR structures were in place for further growth. In addition, the CEO and fund gained complete transparency of all HR issues through the newly developed HR strategy and were confident that the HR team was perfectly positioned for the next expansion period and new markets.