Executive Search Case Study: Chief Compliance Officer for an International Manufacturer

Client Need: Chief Compliance Officer with Experience in Global Manufacturing in a Complex Regulatory Landscape

The client, a global manufacturer of unique and complicated products, has over 30 manufacturing and laboratory sites worldwide, customers in 130 countries, and more than 6,000 employees worldwide. This stable and growing business operates in a complex international regulatory environment and needed a Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) with experience in its industry.

This hire, reporting to the General Counsel, would be highly visible to the CEO and the executive leadership team, as well as to the Board of Directors and various regulators worldwide.

The new CCO needed to be entrepreneurial and ready to hit the ground running to rebuild the company’s compliance function. This individual would create, build, and maintain a top-tier global compliance program. The new hire would partner with the General Counsel to influence the company’s culture of compliance and ethics and set the tone for compliance and ethics across the organization. This position required skill in building trust and relationships with the legal department, within the business, and with regulators.

The client needed a CCO to serve as a strong partner for the executives in business functions, who understood key business drivers, could analyze the legal and compliance obstacles, and apply sound judgment that complied with regulatory and ethics requirements. The CCO would also be expected to introduce technology and data analytics to the department.  The position required regular presentations of compliance-related data analytics to help executive leaders make business decisions.

The search criteria included:

• Educational Background: A Juris Doctor (J.D.) or a CPA, CFE, or CCEP designation; the ideal candidate would also be a Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional (CPEP).
• Industry Experience: A minimum of 15 years of experience in compliance in the client’s specific industry and knowledge of the industry’s standards and regulations.
• Leadership Skills: The ability to communicate persuasively and clearly, in writing and verbally, with personnel at all levels, from individuals on the factory floor to institutional investors and regulators.
• Entrepreneurial Mindset: A high degree of initiative, motivation, discretion, and integrity.
• International Capacity: The ability to work in multiple geographies and understand and demonstrate adherence to local laws and cultures.
• Compliance and Legal Expertise: Experience with U.S. compliance standards, including the Securities and Exchange Commission and Department of Justice regulations, as well as with laws and regulations related to anti-bribery and anti-corruption, antitrust, conflicts of interest, government contracting, trade, and privacy.
• Business Acumen: Solid knowledge of data analysis, performance metrics, and operational metrics, a deep understanding of business law and ethical standards, and the ability to apply a business lens in the compliance function.

Recruiting Solution: Focusing on Cultural Fit and Industry Expertise

Although the client’s extensive requirements narrowed down the field of potential candidates, BarkerGilmore leveraged its in-house research team and industry connections to identify several excellent candidates quickly. Based on in-depth conversations with the client’s executive team, including its General Counsel, BarkerGilmore understood the client’s culture and what type of individual would succeed there. The team also explored the client’s pain points. It developed a true consultative relationship, which enabled frank discussions about each candidate’s attributes, and which helped the client select a final candidate.

The selected finalist had worked in compliance at three different international corporations: two in the same industry as the client and one in an even more heavily regulated industry. She had built successful compliance functions from scratch and operated as a key business partner. In addition to her deep expertise in compliance and ethics within the client’s industry, the selected finalist possessed a proactive approach to her work. She had a track record of taking on additional responsibilities, knocking on doors to see how business partners were doing, and providing in-person updates.

The finalist was content in her senior role at her prior employer and was well-respected within the organization. Early in the recruitment process, BarkerGilmore spoke with her in-depth to understand what would be required to make a move, from her buyout requirements and expected bonus to the type of work and challenges she sought. This established trust and transparency with the candidate, making her more comfortable raising important questions and enabling our team to work with the client to address her questions and concerns.

Ultimately, the client elevated both the responsibilities and the level of the position for the selected finalist, who brought to the table capabilities that went far beyond the job description. This resolved another problem for the client: the need for an individual to take on those additional responsibilities. The client could focus on hiring in other areas by elevating the CCO position. The trusting relationships BarkerGilmore developed with the client and the candidate facilitated the negotiation of a hiring solution that left both parties happy and excited to work together.

Client Impact and Feedback

Although the client had reached out to BarkerGilmore only for one position, during the CCO hiring process, BarkerGilmore’s legal operations advisors identified two additional positions in the legal department and filled those as well. Both the CCO and the two other placements BarkerGilmore sourced exceeded client expectations. Top executives report that the newly hired employees have volunteered for additional responsibilities, enabling the GC to concentrate on higher-level responsibilities.