When sector fixation can be misguided by Chris Sammes

Are you fixated on sector expertise when hiring senior management? Do you believe that only permanent executives can be truly aligned to the business, using the incentivisation of equity to achieve it? Are you unsure that interim executives can be relied upon to see an assignment through to the end? Any one of these lines of thinking could be costing your investment more than you think. Chris Sammes, a serial interim executive with more than 20 years’ experience under his belt, explains why.
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Cracking the code to German private equity investment in 2009

In a two part series, Pilot’s Log takes a look at why Germany and other DACH countries are proving to be 2009’s most compelling story for private equity targets. In this edition, Pieter Kraan, a private equity partner with interim management provider AC Alpha Management GmbH, analyses why the availability of high quality, self-motivated managers is more vital now than ever for UK & US private equity investors in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. ...
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How a stalwart business can flounder a deal

The private equity investors of a leading dental group knew they were onto a good thing when the multi-site business was coping better than most in the face of the credit crisis and inevitable recession. The private dental part of the business was protected from the credit crisis. And as far as the NHS element of the business was concerned -- practically recession proof. But soon after the investment when the senior management and the backers were set to sail with the acquisition of a small group of 9 dental practices, the winds changed, and things became complicated and costly. Darren Taylor, interim acquisitions director, takes us through his story of how a business once lacking an acquisitions execution became the proud owner of 13 practices worth £10m in just seven months. .
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