Case Study

PROBLEM

Our client, a Inovia Capital retained DES to lead a search for its inaugural Vice President, Investor Relations role.

With a recently-hired CFO in place, as well as significant growth in AUM and ambitious fundraising targets ahead, the firm sought to bring on a dedicated professional in this important area. It was important to find candidates who had previously held senior positions where they had contributed meaningfully to developing a fundraising strategy, and could professionalize the firm’s processes as it matured.

APPROACH

We de-prioritized experience in the asset class in favour of investor relations & fundraising competency. Our collective view as a search committee was that the ability to connect with a range of LPs outshone depth in venture investments.

As such, we focused on identifying and attracting highly relevant candidates at a range of institutions, including fundraising arms of venture capital, private equity and other alternative investment firms (as well as investors in such firms who are well-known and serve as de facto fundraisers), in-house IR teams at large venture capital and private equity firms and IR leaders across a range of corporate entities, investment firms and financial services organizations.