A Proven CEO to Drive Skilled Staffing Integration
A national skilled staffing provider partnered with our firm and their Private Equity sponsor to identify a new Chief Executive Officer. Operating across 48 states with over 25 branches, the company had grown through nine acquisitions and was generating over $200M in revenue heading into its next phase of growth. With an exit targeted for 2025–2026, the business required a leader capable of unifying fragmented operations, instilling discipline, and unlocking enterprise value.
The Challenge
The company’s COO had been managing day-to-day operations in the absence of strategic leadership, while key business units operated in silos with uneven management depth. This misalignment was hindering integration efforts and clouding exit readiness. The board sought a seasoned operator who could realign the team, reinforce accountability, and deliver sustained performance improvements in a private equity context.
Key criteria included:
Proven P&L ownership in a $100M+ revenue business
Deep expertise in skilled trades or industrial staffing
Track record of unifying distributed operations and teams
Strong operational leadership and integration skills
Executive presence fit for board, customer, and field engagement
Our Approach
We collaborated with the private equity sponsor to create a targeted leadership scorecard emphasizing operational rigor, cultural cohesion, and proven execution. Our search focused on sitting or former CEOs with experience in skilled staffing, field-heavy operating models, and national scale. We prioritized leaders who had navigated fragmented organizations and brought a hands-on approach to transformation.
The Candidate
The ideal candidate emerged early in the process. A seasoned staffing executive with over 25 years of experience, he had previously built one of the country’s largest construction staffing firms, scaling it to nearly $1 billion in revenue. Known for driving operational discipline and building high-performance teams, he brought the credibility, vision, and grit needed to lead in a skilled trades environment. His people-first leadership style and ability to execute across complex markets made him the clear choice to unify the organization and guide it into its next chapter.
The Outcome
The candidate began onboarding in April 2025. His appointment was met with strong internal alignment and renewed confidence across the board and executive team. His leadership marks a critical inflection point for the firm—positioning it to consolidate gains, elevate performance, and realize the full potential of their sponsor’s investment thesis.
A COO for Growth, Integration, and Scale
The two executive hires were instrumental in strengthening our client’s position in the global market, and transitioning their brand to a more powerful and advantageous position.
A private equity-backed national healthcare staffing platform with over $1B in revenue and a portfolio of well-known clinical and allied health workforce brands. With a broad footprint and a mission to redefine clinician engagement and operational agility, the company has rapidly expanded through acquisition and innovation, and is now regarded as a top-five provider in the U.S. market.
The Challenge
Following several acquisitions, the company sought a transformational COO to unify operational strategy across its multi-brand enterprise, build scalable systems, and lead the business into its next stage of growth. The ideal candidate would combine deep experience in staffing, proven P&L oversight at scale, and a track record of driving operational improvement in private equity environments. The executive needed to bring fluency in data and technology, comfort with integration work, and an ability to instill discipline while maintaining entrepreneurial momentum.
Strategy
L.Maxwell executed a nationwide search focused on senior operators from healthcare, IT, and professional staffing sectors. The search prioritized leaders with:
$750M+ P&L oversight
Transformation and integration experience across complex businesses
High fluency with data-driven decision making
Track record of success in private equity-backed environments
The Candidate
A robust slate was developed across public companies, PE-owned platforms, and high-growth staffing firms. Candidates were benchmarked using a structured scorecard to assess strategic orientation, M&A experience, technical sophistication, and cultural alignment with the CEO and investor group.
This individual brought a rare combination of operational rigor, team leadership, and strategic foresight. Most recently serving as COO for the North American business of a global workforce solutions firm, they had led multiple post-merger integrations, implemented enterprise-wide KPIs and tech platforms, and helped drive significant revenue and margin expansion.
The Outcome
Since stepping into the role, the new COO has partnered closely with the CEO and brand leaders to implement a shared operational framework and enhance accountability across the portfolio. Their early impact has been felt in improved alignment, stronger cross-brand collaboration, and accelerated operational planning.
CEO-CFO Synergy Elevates Blue-Collar Business to Optimal Exit
Together, the roles came together to script a successful exit narrative, drawing commendations from the PE company and stakeholders alike, and reflecting L.Maxwell's pivotal role in shaping their trajectory at a strategic inflection point.
Client
Private Equity firm focused on blue-collar sector, looked to evolve a rapidly growing business in their portfolio.
Executive
CEO embodying the blue-collar essence, boasting hands-on experience and an intrinsic understanding of the nuances of the sector.
CFO with a track record of successful transitions and staffing sector experience.
Situation
L.Maxwell was approached for our record of success in recruiting pivotal C-suite positions in specialized industries. Our work focused on supporting the overarching Private Equity strategy to boost their subsidiary’s value through judicious acquisitions and accelerate a successful exit. The subsidiary’s niche focus on blue-collar staffing meant the challenge was two-pronged:
Identify a CEO whose leadership resonates authentically with the blue-collar ethos.
Acquire a CFO with the finesse to navigate the complexities of an exit transaction.
Recognizing that the industry values hands-on experience over polished corporate personas, L.Maxwell successfully identified a CEO who was not only highly qualified but also deeply relatable. Our work culminated in onboarding a CEO who seamlessly integrated into the company culture of ethics and respect, boosting morale, driving operational efficiency and positioning the business for a successful exit.
Next, L.Maxwell shifted to addressing critical gaps in finance capabilities, by sourcing and onboarding a CFO with the experience and clout to execute on the exit plan, given a 2-3 year timeline.
Outcome
CEO spearheaded critical growth initiatives, resonating with every stratum of the workforce and growing from $180M to $400M+ through organic and acquisitive growth.
CFO applied his acumen to streamlining operational processes, achieving a highly advantageous 2020 exit.
Together, the roles came together to script a successful exit narrative, drawing commendations from the PE company and stakeholders alike, and reflecting L.Maxwell's pivotal role in shaping their trajectory at a strategic inflection point.
CEO-led Pivot Amplifies Growth in Target Capability
Within six months, the CEO drove the sale of an underperforming business segment, enabling focus and accelerating growth in the target capability and the associated practice.
Client
Private-equity-backed consulting firm sought to execute a precarious and highly strategic pivot by adding critical new capabilities and a new practice to its growth portfolio.
Executive
CEO with 10+ years experience, a portfolio of carefully cultivated senior client relationships, large-scale operations, IT/ERP strategy, and leadership across sectors, including consulting, finance, and administration.
Situation
Following a private equity transaction, the firm’s founding CEO envisioned transitioning to a Chairman role, necessitating the search for a transformational CEO to amplify the business.
Prior to engaging L.Maxwell, search horizons encompassed candidates with broad advisory consulting backgrounds. Recognizing the niche appeal and potential of the target capability, L.Maxwell refined the search focus, navigating thorny challenges including a constrained talent pool and complex non-compete clauses from leading firms.
Our approach was multi-faceted:
Stakeholder Engagement: By leveraging multiple channels, L.Maxwell ensured stakeholder engagement and an optimal partnership timeline.
Precision of Communication: Given the close-knit nature of the consulting community for the target capability, carefully-timed communications were paramount to protect the integrity of the search and the client’s recruitment message.
Expert Navigation: The confined talent pool, coupled with complex non-compete clauses and the unexpected global challenge of COVID-19, required exceptional strategic foresight.
Despite these constraints, our efforts identified a candidate who had been instrumental in aiding the expansion of their current firm, but was limited in growth opportunities in their current role. L.Maxwell presented a clear and compelling vision of future opportunity that helped secure the candidate, executing the onboarding and transition with due care and sensitivity.
Outcome
L.Maxwell facilitated a strategic CEO appointment driving significant growth for our client.
Within six months, the CEO drove the sale of an underperforming business segment, enabling focus and accelerating growth in the target capability and the associated practice.
This strategic move has repositioned the company as one of the top partners for the target capability and enabled them to capture a critical market segment.
Strategic CEO Placement Fuels Distinctive Identity and Growth in Locum Tenens
Under the CEO’s leadership, the locum subsidiary has undergone a transformative rebranding expanding their footprint in the market, and establishing itself independently from its nurse staffing counterpart while integrating industry best practices.
Client
Leading Private Equity-backed healthcare staffing conglomerate with a significant market presence in nurse staffing and venturing into locum tenens, seeks a transformative leader to redefine their course
Executive
CEO with strong background in locum industry, adept at leading transformative growth phases
Situation
L.Maxwell was engaged to assist with the complex task of acquiring a CEO with the capabilities to steer a Private Equity firm's newly-acquired locum tenens subsidiary to prominence.
Despite their dominance in the nurse staffing market with a valuation of $800 million, their new $50-million locum venture faced integration hurdles. The niche nature of the locum industry, its restrictive non-compete landscapes, and the challenge of merging distinct industry cultures added layers of complexity to the recruitment. The decision to grant the locum business its own operational sphere demanded a CEO who could navigate this transition seamlessly.
Through strategic narrative control and persistent engagement, L.Maxwell introduced our client to a CEO candidate originating from one of the U.S.'s largest locum firms. To ensure stability and smooth leadership transition during a crucial rebranding phase, we also facilitated the critical communication and visioning necessary to successfully onboard the CEO.
Outcome
Under the CEO’s leadership, the locum subsidiary has undergone a transformative rebranding expanding their footprint in the market, and establishing itself independently from its nurse staffing counterpart while integrating industry best practices.
This appointment and its impact underscores L.Maxwell's reputation for finding the clear choice executive, even in the most confidential and sensitive situations, ensuring successful transitions through critical inflection points.