Executive Nexus is transforming the way private equity investors identify, engage, and manage networks of CEO+ level executives through the smart application of digital tools and specialist services. The business was founded and is owned by two leading private equity headhunters, Jamie Oppenheimer and Matt Steeds, who have a combined 40 years’ experience partnering with the world’s leading PE firms in Europe and North America.
Executive Nexus connects CEO+ level executives with private equity investment professionals to support their core business activities, ranging from deal origination and angle generation, through to identification and access to key deal advisors and senior leadership candidates for portfolio companies. The company employs a range of proprietary digital tools to enable clients, invited executives and Executive Nexus’ Client Services team to leverage live data to create smart, timely and consequential connections. Private equity customers subscribe annually to the company’s services and licensed data or engage on a per-project basis.
Founded in 2019, Executive Nexus launched in September 2020 and quickly subscribed major cornerstone private equity clients. That client base has grown significantly over successive years and now includes more than half of the top 50 global private equity firms, necessitating the growth of the Client Services function.
The Role:
The Client Services team is responsible for delivering outstanding results for both private equity clients and executives – the key to the commercial success of our business. Senior Associates work closely with Client Leads to deliver comprehensive, accurate and curated research output and to enable consequential connections between world class senior executives and private equity investors.
Working with our proprietary datasets and executive engagement platform, supported by offshore research teams, the Client Services team delivers long-term network building and shorter-term (mainly deal-related) assignments for our subscription customers, including key advisor finding around PE deals (Deal Support) and buy-in Chair searches. The team is externally facing and interacts with CEO-level executives and private equity investors across Europe and North America.
Senior Associates take primary responsibility for the day-to-day execution of Deal Support and Buy-In Chair assignments, working closely with Client Leads who provide client context, subject matter expertise, and oversight.
The Senior Associate’s remit includes end-to-end ownership of Deal Support assignments, identification of target companies and executives through interrogation of our proprietary data combined with primary research, preparation of client-facing commentary, executive engagement to support project outcomes, and contribution to client account management to ensure Executive Nexus clients see value and grow their use of our services and platform.
Executive Nexus is a remote-first business and we embrace the flexibility associated with working from home. We run one formal and one optional in-office day each week at our Soho offices.
Core responsibilities:
The Senior Associate must become highly competent with each of the following components to support the Client Services team in efficiently providing world class services to our clients:
- Deliver consistently excellent, client-ready output
- Own and manage the project life cycle for assigned Deal Support projects, including Senior Advisor assignments around PE deals and buy-in Chair searches
- Demonstrate full ownership for assigned projects, proactively identifying issues and delivering solutions rather than waiting for direction, and escalating early as required
- Leverage our data, technology, and in-house market knowledge to deliver output that supports the creation of consequential connections between executives and PE
- Become knowledgeable around key subsectors, understand market dynamics, key players and private equity funds, and what constitutes relevant C-level executives for each client use case
- Manage and leverage offshore research resources to maximise efficiency whilst maintaining quality
Data capture and improvement
- Become a black belt master of our digital platforms, dataset, and data structure
- Be a leading contributor to our core data asset, through your own efforts and through enabling a user experience for executives which maximises data contributed to the platform
- Take personal pride in the continuous improvement of our data and data processes, via timely feedback and personal contributions
- Support Client Leads in executive engagement and, over time, take ownership of executive outreach required to deliver assigned Deal Support projects
- Initially, support Client Leads in proactive executive engagement to fulfil client needs, support sales efforts and raise Executive Nexus’ market profile. Develop to lead this activity and draft in colleagues as required
- Source and collate information to support the assessment of candidates for their suitability for roles (CEO/Chair/Board)
- Attend client calls and meetings relating to assignments you are associated with (95%+ virtual meetings)
- Prepare supporting material for client calls and meetings, and take clear ownership for documenting actions, next steps, and updates within agreed timeframes
Being a great colleague (100% of the time)
- Work smart and be prepared to work hard
- Collaborate and support one another
- Understand and enable interdependencies across the firm
- Have a life outside of work and appreciate that others do too
Key skills and experience:
To succeed in this role, you will have worked in executive search, or an industry research function, for at least two years and have at least 5 years professional experience. You will be comfortable dealing with senior executives, either CEOs and/or senior PE professionals. Working across multiple projects will be something you are used to and enjoy. You will have a bachelor’s or master’s degree, or equivalent experience.
You will also need to be:
Accountable – Comfortable taking full responsibility for defined projects, making decisions, and being held to clear delivery standards.
Highly engaged – We hire smart people and expect them to apply those smarts every day to the benefit of our team and our clients.
Versatile – We are a fast-growing, disruptive business so elements of your role may change as we grow and test new initiatives.
Energetic and positive – We all feed off each other’s energy and our clients do too.
Organised – Able to manage multiple projects in parallel, potentially across multiple time-zones, and must manage your time to ensure outcomes are delivered on schedule.
Sincere – Candour and openness across our business is essential to deal with challenges quickly, deliver the best results and ensure everyone enjoys their job.
Professional and self-assured – We expect a high level of professionalism and promote a direct yet informal communication style within our team, with clients and executives.
Disciplined to use our CRM and other systems – Our data is our core point of difference. Appropriate use of our CRM and other systems is critical to our success.
Our policy is to appoint people with potential and ambition to progress within our fast-growing business.
The clearest progression route for Senior Associates is to develop within the Client Services function to a Client Lead role, managing client accounts and overall responsibility for delivering our proposition. However, as Executive Nexus grows, progression opportunities are also likely to arise outside of the Client Services function.
Progression to Client Lead is based on demonstrated competency and feedback from colleagues and clients. We expect Senior Associates to progress to Client Lead within 3-4 years of joining the business, but some have achieved it within 18 months.
What is it like to work here:
- We are proud to have a collaborative, supportive and respectful culture
- Everyone has a “seat at the table” to make an impact, progress themselves and our business
- We treat you like an adult, and trust you
- We encourage independent decision making, give opportunities, and allow you to excel
- We support autonomy, progression, diversity, and flexibility
What we offer:
We offer extensive benefits covering financial, wellbeing, lifestyle, and personal development, including:
- Quarterly performance-linked incentive scheme
- Participation in firmwide distribution of client deal success fees
- Company contributed pension
- Private health insurance
- Generous 25-day holiday allowance, with a 22-day minimum to ensure you are taking enough time away from work, in addition to UK bank holidays and Christmas-New Year off
- No set working hours, to allow you to manage work and home-life
- Regular team social events
Performance reviews:
- We offer you exposure, autonomy, and opportunities to develop
- Annual 360 reviews, quarterly check-ins, and regular feedback
- Training programmes, and on the job learning
We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, or age.
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