How we helped a new boutique land a top-tier Vice President

When a new infrastructure advisory boutique was launched in the UK and looking to build their team, they approached us with a critical mandate to help them secure a high-impact Vice President to anchor deal execution and lead junior resources.

The firm is focused on European infrastructure, spanning core assets, digital infra, and renewables.

They needed a VP who could operate independently, lead transactions end-to-end, and be a key part of growing a new player in the market.

We had previously worked with both founders before, which gave us a head start in understanding their expectations and culture. They wanted to ‘build a war machine’.

‍

Our Approach:

‍

● Mapped 350+ candidates with relevant infrastructure experience (those who had started their careers between 2017 and 2020), across Paris and London (75%/25% split).

● Noted strong gender imbalance (270 male vs. 80 female profiles), which shaped diversity considerations early in the process. We were then able to narrow this number to around 60 bankers after discussing strict criteria with the client.

● Held weekly touchpoints with the founders, aiming to deliver within four working weeks. Within 10 working days, we submitted two shortlisted candidates:

● One withdrew due to personal constraints of relocating to France.

● The second, from a leading elite boutique, advanced rapidly through interviews and bought in to the founders’ vision.

‍

We helped structure an equity-based package that aligned long-term incentives. After extensive negotiation and our support, the candidate accepted and joined the firm in September.

‍

Outcomes:

‍

● Time to shortlist: 10 working days

● Time to offer acceptance: 4 weeks

● Strategic hire made under market constraints (location, equity trade-off, high

expectations)

● Equity-led package negotiated successfully.

‍