Case Study

PROBLEM

ATS Services Ltd. is a market-leading, Canadian-owned company specializing in aviation communication services and meteorological observations.

CAI Capital Partners invested in ATS in 2021. Together, CAI and ATS sought to install a new CEO as part of ATS’s succession planning effort, with the incumbent leader having announced his retirement. The company was looking to the candidate to leverage her/his experience in helping to scale similarly-sized organizations, playing a meaningful role in bringing to life – and being accountable for – a host of key initiatives as ATS sought to position itself for the future, while also tending to the “base” business. This included setting ATS’s strategic vision, working closely with the Board and CAI, managing the financial performance of the organization, including full P&L responsibility and assessing new service offerings and potential markets for expansion.

APPROACH

In consultation with the search committee, DES’s search targeted candidates at organizations that included participants in the aerospace industry, facilities services / operations groups across relevant sectors, government contract-focused industries, weather observation and airport services / operations companies and a many PE-backed portfolio companies (across industries).

We were attracted to candidates who had developed new and more sophisticated approaches to sales & marketing, while having also developed relationships with existing and prospective clients (as well as other important external partners). The committee was particularly keen on candidates who displayed strong people leadership across their teams, while maintaining their respective companies’ entrepreneurial culture, and attracting new talent.