Private Equity Placement: CEO Drives 400% Growth in Court Reporting Company
The Challenge
Apex Leaders’ client wanted to evaluate a regionally-known court reporting company with strong growth potential. Initially, the client sought to speak with advisors who could diligence the opportunity and, potentially, serve in operational roles post-acquisition. Apex introduced the client to C-Level executives including, Gary Buckland, the former Vice President at Kelly Legal Managed Services. The client was impressed with his experience leading a global sales team and noticed he had strong industry contacts.
Buckland Joins Board, Promoted to CEO
The client acquired the company and consulted with Apex, again, to locate potential board members. Apex coordinated another discussion with Buckland and shared details about the clients’ background and vision to triple the revenue of the target in four years. “I felt comfortable with the culture, and we hit it off,” Buckland said after being prepped for the board opportunity by Apex. Buckland left his current job and relocated to the target company’s headquarters where he joined the board and was later promoted to COO. He hired a handful of his contacts and worked collaboratively with the Private Equity firm to implement a growth plan.
“There was no organization modeling; there was no scale strategy in place. It was truly build-it-from-ground-zero to where we are today, which is a sophisticated, customer-focused sales organization.”
Gary Buckland
CEO
The Results
Buckland eventually became the CEO. In four years the company grew from $24 million in revenue to $120 million, far exceeding the client’s revenue goals. During his tenure at the company, he helped diligence and ultimately oversee the acquisition of 10 additional litigation support companies. In 2019, the target was acquired by a private equity firm and Buckland plans to continue as CEO for the foreseeable future.
Last Word
We connected our client with Gary Buckland, who—by leveraging his industry contacts and strategic vision—exceeded growth targets and oversaw the acquisition of 10 additional companies. Contact Apex Leaders today to find the right talent and achieve your business goals.