Success Story - Community Preservation Corporation
The Challenge
CPC, a nonprofit affordable housing and community revitalization finance company, was seeking to hire its first-ever SVP in Capital Strategies in response to its continued business growth.
This newly created position, combining a cross-functional blend of skills in finance, strategy, and sector-specific insight, would be pivotal in setting up the future growth and the direction of the organization.
The hire needed to be of a senior level, with both strategic and executional experience in capital markets. A deep understanding of capital raising, a proven track record of building capital strategies, and robust relationships with financial institutions were all non-negotiables. Additionally, the candidate needed to bring extensive sector knowledge in real estate and affordable housing.
With the role combining several complex and niche requirements, it would be a particularly difficult brief to deliver on.
The Solution
Cobalt’s deep expertise in both real estate and capital markets made us the natural choice for this complex search. Our understanding of the intricacies involved in capital strategy and fundraising within the real estate sector allowed us to advise the client with confidence and precision.
We were engaged on a retained basis, which ensured a highly consultative and focused approach to what was a pivotal, senior, and niche skill-set hire.
We leveraged our extensive network of senior professionals across real estate and financial services, while also conducting proactive outreach to the passive candidate market via LinkedIn’s premium tools. This dual approach ensured we captured both active talent and those not actively seeking new roles but with the right expertise and profile.
We implemented a structured three-stage recruitment process:
- Telephone Screening: Initial conversations to assess interest, suitability, and alignment with the client’s vision.
- Virtual Interview: In-depth interviews with shortlisted candidates to further evaluate experience and cultural fit.
- In-Person Meetings: A final stage for top candidates prior to meeting key stakeholders.
This process was designed to balance speed and rigor, ensuring the client could meet and assess high-caliber candidates in a timely manner.
The Results
The client progressed four candidates to the interview stage, all of whom were closely aligned with the brief and brought varying strengths to the table. Following a comprehensive four-week interview process - comprising a mix of virtual and in-person meetings with five key stakeholders at CPC - the client successfully appointed Neil Adamson.
Neil brought with him a significant track record in capital markets and a deep understanding of the real estate sector. His combination of strategic vision, fundraising expertise, and sector knowledge made him a standout choice for this newly created role.
On taking up his role with CPC, Neil commented on the process: “I'd like to echo others' recommendation of Nick. He is unlike other recruiters I've worked with. Nick acts how a candidate wants the recruiter to act - genuine, communicative, coaching, feedback, honest. He communicated openly and frequently with me throughout my interview & hiring process, and he has checked in with me several times since placing me in my current role - we've spoken not less than 3 times in the 5 months since I've been in my new role. The care Nick provided during my recruitment, hiring, and post-onboarding process is exactly why I will utilize Nick's services when I hire roles to fill out my team. Nick honestly cares, and this brightly shows through in the way he carries out his recruiter services”.
Global real estate recruitment leaders, and finance recruitment specialists across seniorities and sectors, all over the US. Cobalt has an intimate understanding of all aspects of the real estate industry, working on behalf of real estate developers, REITs, property management groups, and other real estate businesses across commercial, residential, and alternative asset classes. Our finance-specific function has a long-proven track record with over 25 years of experience in recruiting commercial finance & accounting professionals across the US into roles at all different levels, recruiting from accountancy roles to corporate strategy positions and capital markets specialists. Get in touch with your challenge now to see how we can assist.
