We engaged the Kirchner Group to provide interim CEO support to address a challenging operational and management situation in one of our cleantech portfolio companies… I would be happy to engage the Kirchner Group again should an interim management situation arise.
John TrbovichGeneral PartnerMILCOM Venture Partners
The Environmental Technologies sector is very complex, both scientifically and technically. Understanding the science behind innovations and the requirements to bring them to market are key. Our proprietary methodology allows us to support and add value to environmental technologies companies (and their stakeholders) at every stage of their lifecycle.
Our prominent domain experts in this focus area include:
Representing on cumulative basis 60+ years experience
Environmental Technologies domain related experience:
• 15 years of transaction experience, with M&A and financings worth over $750 million
• Particular experience in the areas of water treatment, energy efficiency, renewable power, and waste management
• Has appeared as speaker and panel member at numerous Cleantech conferences
Environmental Technologies domain related experience:
• 20 years of operational and investment experience
• Vast experience with investments in cleantech domain
• Current/past director at numerous cleantech companies
Within the environmental technologies sector our more specific expertise includes (but is not limited to) companies in:
• Energy (all sectors)
• Transportation
• Water & Wastewater
• Advanced Materials
• Agriculture / Aquaculture
• Recycling & Waste
• Manufacturing and Industrial
We have worked with and are in regular contact with the majority of the strategics in the environmental technologies sector.
To learn how we can put our domain expertise to work for you contact us.
A VC-backed chemical engineering company developing innovative approaches to recover valuable silicon from waste
Founder/CEO was technically competent but lacked people- and operational-management skills, needed to stabilize and grow company
Investors concerned that technical team might disperse and company would lose momentum
Investors moved founder to CTO role and engaged KPCG to provide interim CEO, providing business leadership, operational management and consistent leadership of staff
Mandate
Culture change management and interim CEO role
Activity
Provided leadership to technical team and interfaced with founder to maximize effectiveness in CTO role
To allow CTO to focus on technical commitments made to investors, KPCG provided CEO outward-facing functions, including :
investor communications and status reporting
handling external legal issues
interfacing with external business consultants
Developed business plan to support upcoming new round of fundraising for next growth phase
Provided hand-off to new (permanent) CEO
Results
Investors happy to achieve a stabilizing influence resident at company laboratories
One team member had resigned prior to engagement and another was very dissatisfied. Both staff members were retained and became supportive during KPCG’s involvement
Founder had committed to meeting challenging goals for Si purificaton (6N purity from silicon kerf) that team had already failed to deliver on time – but met after engaging KPCG. The team has since produced product of 7N purity.
Business planning and operational changes laid foundation for introduction of new CEO