ELP Spotlight: Hands-on Leadership Experience for High-Caliber Talent

Pathways to ELP

ELP participants come from a variety of professional backgrounds but share a common desire to take on significant leadership responsibilities and make a meaningful impact early in their careers. They are humble and hungry, eager to learn, and committed to delivering; helping them to make the most of the resources around them and drive the growth of exciting search businesses. 

We'd like to introduce you to a few of our recent graduates of the program...

For Dave Considine at Omatic Software, the program represented a deliberate pivot away from roles removed from day-to-day business operations and towards becoming an operator. After working in financial sponsor coverage at JPMorgan Chase, Dave developed a keen interest in high-growth, middle-market companies, but wanted to do more than watch the operators from a distance. ELP offered him a chance to get directly involved in growing a business on the proverbial field.

Will Sullivan, Chief of Staff at OneShield, made the transition to ELP after a stint in management consulting—he was similarly drawn to the opportunity to roll up his sleeves and operate a business. ELP program allowed him to leverage his consulting toolkit in tackling complex, mission-critical initiatives.

Others, like Jacob Ahle, come to the program with a desire to pursue entrepreneurship after careers in different fields. Jacob served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army before attending Harvard Business School, where he first learned about entrepreneurship through acquisition and the search fund model. The Chief of Staff role was particularly appealing as it allowed him to join Tactiq at an executive level, be close to the CEO, and have an immediate impact.

What unites these backgrounds is a shared ambition to take on significant responsibilities in fast-growing businesses, learn directly from experienced CEOs, and make a tangible impact on growth. ELP offered these individuals, and continues to offer others, a unique avenue for talented professionals to accelerate their careers in ways that traditional corporate paths often cannot match.

The CEO Advantage

For the Search Fund CEOs matched with ELP participants, the program’s allure is in adding a dynamic executive to their team. An ELP member can enable CEOs to tackle the growing and complex challenges of scaling their business. For Daniel Kim, the CEO of Omatic, the decision to pair with an ELP leader was animated by the increasing complexity of his business. He saw breaks in the seams between functions that a Chief of Staff could bridge, and sought someone who could tackle complex initiatives, bridge gaps between growing teams, and ultimately help the company move faster.

Companies bringing in an ELP leader add high-caliber talent and additional bandwidth to tackle critical initiatives. Cameron Parker, CEO of OneShield, describes Will as a “force multiplier" across the entire executive leadership team. Cameron decided to bring in an ELP participant so they could capitalize on more opportunities as the business grew. CEOs paired with an ELP leader don’t just add new capabilities, they also free up their own capacity. CEOs with an ELP leader can hand off initiatives to a capable owner that they would otherwise need to spearhead themselves. 

High-Impact Responsibilities of Executive Leaders

The ELP offers an opportunity for participants to get hands-on experience, mentorship, and exposure to high-level decision-making. The participants often end up as the CEO’s right hand, with access to why decisions are made, and the bigger picture context of the business. This proximity to decisions at the highest level of the company can serve as an invaluable experience for those looking to become an entrepreneur or CEO in the future. 

Will Sullivan’s role at OneShield allowed him to ride shotgun with the CEO. He and the other participants had early opportunities to take on meaningful responsibilities and tackle challenges that have real consequences in a growing business.

Oftentimes, the ELP participant sees step change in the level of responsibilities they’re tasked with as they progress in the role. Dave Considine describes how his role quickly evolved from a role primarily executing tasks, to one that involved orchestrating resources to reach goals and influencing others across the organization. Early on, his impact was limited to acting as a doer, given an objective and executing it himself. As he’s gained experience and the company tackles more complex challenges with more resources required, he’s found that he’s orchestrating resources to reach goals.

In another example of this rapid progression of responsibilities, Jacob Ahle began managing a team of 10 within months of joining his company, while also spearheading marketing initiatives and leading integration efforts for an acquisition.

“The CEO provides you with access and makes it a point to mentor you and give you opportunity. I don't think a CEO can often do that, particularly in a big business. You're just not going to be a part of the strategic decisions being made every day. But as a small business, you're a part of those decisions. You're in the room, you're contributing and that's been one of the best parts.” - Jacob Ahle

A Long-Term Impact On Career Trajectories

The level of access and insight provided by CEOs in the ELP program can provide invaluable context and experience for ELP leaders. 

Dave Considine holds a close relationship with Omatic CEO Daniel; Daniel knows his career goals and they discuss them regularly—with Daniel sharing insights from his experience and guidance that go beyond day-to-day business to support David's long-term career development. 

The ELP experience can impact career trajectories and help shape the long-term aspirations of participants. For Dave, Jacob, and Will, the program has affirmed their desire to one day lead a business and left them feeling more prepared to do so. It’s given them a chance to experience interacting with a board, managing a P&L, creating annual budgets, and holding business units accountable—real-world experience that can’t be picked up in business school. 

Want more?

Learn more about the program here and reach out to Liza Cherney for additional information.