Case Studies
Proven Results When the Stakes Are High
CASE STUDY #1:
CEO Succession for a Multi-Generational Family Firm
Our Approach
We facilitated open conversations with both generations to clarify values, ambitions, and cultural expectations.
We prioritized candidates with emotional intelligence, governance fluency, and experience in family business environments.
To ensure fit, we designed multiple informal touchpoints—dinners, working sessions, and candid discussions—well beyond the standard interview process.
A third-generation, family-owned real estate investment seeking their first non-family CEO, requiring deep sensitivity to cross-generational dynamics:
G2 prioritized stability and conservative growth
G3 wanted innovation, transparency, and stronger internal leadership
Several candidates dropped out over concerns about typical family-business dysfunction
The Outcome
We placed a seasoned executive with a rare blend of institutional credibility and family-office experience—someone who had already been the first non-family CEO at another legacy firm.
Three years later:
Institutional-grade financial systems and governance structures are in place.
A robust internal management team has been built.
The family and CEO are strongly aligned on the company’s future.
CASE STUDY #2:
Global Real Estate Transformation for a Financial Services Firm
A Managing Director was needed to lead a newly created role: transforming corporate real estate and sourcing operations across all geographies. They would need to:
Reduce operating costs and real estate footprint
Align workplace strategy with sustainability goals
Improve service delivery across a complex matrixed organization
Our Approach
We prioritized leaders who could build trust across departments, navigate C-suite dynamics, and integrate green business strategies, specifically targeting candidates who had:
Led large-scale real estate transformations in complex organizations
High organizational and cultural fluency
Experience aligning global strategy with local execution
The Outcome
We placed a former trading executive turned real estate leader who had built a global workplace function at a leading sustainability-focused manufacturer.
Since beginning, they have:
Delivered a more nimble, cost-effective operating model
Aligned real estate strategy with business priorities
Built strong internal relationships across global teams
Advanced measurable sustainability initiatives
CASE STUDY #3:
Launching a Disruptive Tech Platform in Real Estate
A global media and information company sought a leader to launch a new web-based product for the real estate sector: a major pivot from its traditional terminal-based tools. The new platform aimed to reach a broader audience with a more accessible, data-rich experience combining analytics, news, and deal insights.
Our Approach
We prioritized candidates who could drive innovation, build internal buy-in, and establish credibility with the market quickly, focusing on entrepreneurial leaders with:
Real estate and capital markets expertise
Experience launching ventures within complex organizations
A track record of building high-impact teams and managing ambiguity
The Outcome
We placed a capital markets executive who had built and sold three businesses. With a customer-first, data-forward mindset and startup energy, they:
Launched the product on schedule
Built internal alignment and a strong founding team
Quickly gained traction in a competitive market
Today, the platform is recognized as a disruptive force in the real estate data space, serving institutional and independent users alike.
CASE STUDY #4:
Building a Real Estate Investing Platform from the Ground Up
A large public institutional investor made a strategic shift to carve out real estate as a standalone allocation for the first time.
They needed a Head of Real Estate Investments to build the platform from scratch, balancing long-term performance with public sector governance.
Our Approach
We prioritized candidates who could build trust internally and externally while standing up policies, risk frameworks, and team structure. We conducted a nationwide search for leaders with:
Experience across both public and private real estate investment
A track record of strategic platform design and capital deployment
The ability to operate with transparency, discipline, and stakeholder fluency
The Outcome
We placed a leader with pension fund and private market experience who:
Built and led the real estate investment program
Deployed $4B over four years through direct and indirect investments
Outperformed the NACREIF benchmark
The platform is now considered a best-in-class model for public institutional real estate investing.