President and Ceo – Social Networking/internet – Toronto

THIS SEARCH WAS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED.

About the Company

Our client is among Canada’s most successful social networking/internet companies. Repeatedly lauded as one of Profit 500’s fastest growing Canadian companies, their online communities have been featured on some of the world’s top media properties including CNN, The New York Times, The Globe & Mail, and Bloomberg business week, giving them exposure to billions of people around the globe. With over 30 million members worldwide, our client boasts multiple brands and a presence in over 50 countries.

Our client’s broad addressable markets are sizeable with industry experts predicting continued growth well into the foreseeable future. The firm’s specific target markets also continue to grow and evolve creating exciting opportunities for future growth. Our client’s mission is to deliver the highest value to its customers with unparalleled industry solutions built on innovative technologies, deep technical knowledge and feature-rich niche applications.

Our client is Toronto-based and boasts a blue-chip private ownership group

Scope of Position

Our client is currently undertaking a search for an executive to lead the company through its next stage of growth. The successful candidate inherits a dynamic, profitable company with a large and loyal customer base, a motivated team and the opportunity to make a real difference.

Owning the strategy and driving its execution will be the responsibility of the President and Chief Executive Officer. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the President & CEO will lever the company’s positioning, momentum and growing markets to significantly accelerate revenues, while delivering operational excellence to enable that growth. It is expected that the successful candidate will bring a driving, hands-on, ‘lead from the front’ professional management approach to that task while nurturing a collaborative organizational culture.

This is an outstanding opportunity that features:

• Strong industry and company growth
• Committed and well-funded financial backers
• Highly entrepreneurial environment
• An opportunity to make an impact

Functional Tasks

• Work with the Board of Directors and members of the senior management team to refine the strategic and operating plans, priorities and options.
• Oversee the day-to-day operations of the company to ensure the timely implementation and execution of the business and financial plans.
• Ensure that organizational capacity is in place by which to deliver on the company’s plans.
• Architect the organization ensuring that it has in place the human resources, processes and operational capabilities by which to scale and the corporate culture to outperform.
• Provide ongoing direction, performance management and developmental support to the team. Continue to build world-class capabilities. Focus the team to accelerate and drive the growth of the business, new market development, sector leadership and profitability.
• Drive the revenue build process with substantive rapid growth as the goal. Refine and align the sales organization and processes to that goal.
• Maintain, improve, and create senior level relationships with existing and potential customers and strategic partners.
• Ensure operational milestones are met on time, with high quality, and that they meet the cost objectives that are established; report on a monthly as well as a quarterly basis.
• Remain abreast of the industry, competitors and trends with a view to ensuring that all alliance, acquisition and investment opportunities are considered and the most attractive pursued.
• Lead the expansion of the company business into new high growth verticals. Engage with strategic stakeholders in those markets.
• Report regularly and proactively to the board of directors on results and plans going forward.
• Adapt business model to capitalize on evolving customer needs and new competitive offerings.
• Implement and continually refine a product roadmap that incorporates customer feedback and ensures competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Key Performance Indicators

In light of the identified responsibilities, the following are specific deliverables that the position is designed to achieve.

• Specific measures of performance relating to growth, profitability, customer satisfaction, efficiencies, etc. will be discussed and agreed upon with the successful candidate.

Competency Profile

The following competencies listed below define the role of President and CEO

Planning and Objective Setting
Systematic in approach to work; Produces action plans in which objectives are defined and steps for achieving them are clearly specified; Plans for breaking down large tasks into subtasks; Develops plans that anticipate obstacles; Is realistic about time-scales and builds in appropriate checkpoints, milestones and controls in order to ensure that desired results are realized.

Strategic Approach
Develops a strategic plan to realize the vision. Revises strategy in light of changing circumstances. Takes a long-term view of organizational success. Works to clarify long-term organizational goals. Able to stand back from immediate problems in order to focus on more far reaching ideas.

People Management
Establishes and communicates clear priorities and sense of direction. Clarifies roles and responsibilities. Adapts management style to situation to achieve optimum results. Develops a high-performing team that delivers in a highly complex organization or situation.

Results Orientation
Focuses strongly on achieving agreed upon outcomes and ensures that key objectives are met. Conveys a sense of urgency and drives issues to closure. Aims to improve upon past performance. Establishes aggressive personal targets and strives to achieve them.

Initiative
Proactive. Seizes opportunities and acts upon them immediately. Takes responsibility for own actions and addresses problems before asked.

Customer/Client Orientation
Strives to provide customers/clients with personalized and efficient service. Anticipates customers’/clients’ needs. Quickly follows up on customer/client contacts and complaints. Monitors and acts on measures of customer/client satisfaction. Develops high-impact relationships with key external clients, with the ability to envision and advocate a mutually beneficial long-term partnership between the company and the client.

Industry & Market Awareness
Seeks to anticipate and respond to industry and market changes/challenges by understanding key characteristics, issues and the factors driving them. Aware of competitor’s products, services and position.

Commercial Acumen
Applies appropriate commercial and financial principles. Understands situations in terms of costs, profits, added-value and return on investment. Appreciates the commercial impact of own work on the organization’s total expenses and revenues.

Preferred Experience / Education

The following indicates specific industry, academic and functional experience/qualifications that are important to the successful achievement of the identified responsibilities and performance deliverables.

• A highly intelligent, strategically minded executive with superb communication and interpersonal skills and a willingness to roll-up his/her sleeves.
• Minimum of 10-15 years of experience in leadership capacities with at least five years in a CEO/President/COO or SVP role with specific P&L responsibilities.
• Previous experience in a technology/internet/social media based company.
• Track record of working with mid-sized enterprise software companies driving accelerated revenue growth over extended periods.
• Proven experience with appropriate financial, market and business acumen in scaling businesses.
• Strong operational orientation.
• Strong team orientation well-suited to building consensus in a growing concern.
• Toronto-based or willingness to spend considerable time in Toronto.
• A charismatic, inspirational leader rather than manager.
• Change management and business transformation experience within mid-sized companies.
• Highly competitive base, variable and equity compensation package to the successful candidate #J-18808-Ljbffr