Guiding Founder-CEO through a Pivotal CEO Succession

The
Client

Ispiri, a premium design-build and home improvement company preparing for its next chapter

Ispiri is a Minnesota-based design-build, home improvement, and residential renovations company built around exceptional design, craftsmanship, and a highly personalized client experience. Its Founder and CEO sought a President & CEO successor to lead its next stage of growth.

The Challenge

Defining the right leader and the right partnership

Jason needed an entrepreneurial business builder who could expand the core operation, develop new divisions, and strengthen leadership and systems without compromising Ispiri’s premium brand.

Getting the hire right also meant clarifying which backgrounds would translate, how to align compensation with long-term performance, and how to evaluate someone who would work closely with the owner.

The Solution

A consultative partnership from initial exploration through selection

Our work began with collaborative reviews of ten candidate archetypes, from remodeling operators and multi-location home services leaders to entrepreneurs and executives from larger adjacent organizations. We explored the trade-offs between industry familiarity, proven scaling ability, and adaptability to a founder-led business. Those discussions sharpened the search criteria before outreach.

We also provided compensation-plan feedback and illustrative scenarios from an executive recruiting perspective. We explored incentives for profitable growth, equity considerations, transition-year compensation, and how rewards should evolve as the business scaled. The focus was attracting an exceptional executive while supporting long-term commitment and protecting the owner’s interests.

Throughout the assignment, we served as a sounding board, connecting candidate feedback to the original leadership priorities. We developed a tailored three-round interview framework and advised on stakeholder involvement, assessment timing, and candidate experience. Final-round guidance emphasized candid business discussion, judgment, and the everyday working dynamic with ownership, rather than rehearsed interview performance.

Alongside that advisory work, broad outreach and deep assessment leveraging our PrecisionPath™ execution model yielded a precise shortlist from nearly 200 total prospects, with candidate development continuing as interviews progressed.

The Outcome

An accomplished executive drawn to the opportunity to build.

Ispiri’s CEO selected a U.S. military veteran with an impressive career built at Renewal by Andersen (one of the nation’s largest and most effective home services companies), with more than $600 million in multi-market P&L responsibility. Previously, he had grown a major market as a full P&L General Manager from roughly $150 million to more than $200 million while maintaining exceptional customer experience standards.

His commercial and operational depth, people-first leadership, and desire to shape a founder-led business aligned with the mandate developed together: a growth-minded President/CEO and a long-term leadership partner.

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