Lock Search Group

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Managing Partner of Atradius

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

A safety net during turbulent times. Independent risk guidance in an evolving state of international trade. The ability to protect the sustainability of your business while focusing on future growth. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Lock Search Group to accomplish?

• We needed Lock Search Group to place a fractional Controller who could take over our month-end close process, clean up our financial reporting and prepare our books for a private equity acquisition process that was already underway.

SOLUTION

How did you find Lock Search Group?

Referral

Why did you select Lock Search Group over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Lock Search Group ran a fast-turn placement through their interim and fractional finance practice. Our situation was unusual because we were already in preliminary conversations with a PE buyer and realized our internal reporting was not at the level that would survive a quality of earnings review. We needed someone who could come in on a part-time basis, own the close process and produce investor-grade financials without disrupting our existing office manager who handled day-to-day bookkeeping. Lock's consultant screened specifically for candidates who had supported a transaction process before and who were comfortable operating in a small firm environment where there is no accounting department to lean on. Deliverables included a candidate brief, a shortlist of three vetted fractional Controllers, interview coordination, reference checks with prior PE sponsors or acquirers where possible, and a scoping document that defined the Controller's weekly time commitment and deliverables for the first 90 days.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Lock placed our fractional Controller within 18 days of engagement kickoff, which was critical given that our PE buyer had already requested a preliminary data room. The Controller restructured our chart of accounts in her first two weeks and produced a normalized EBITDA schedule that became the foundation of our quality of earnings review. Our buyer's diligence team flagged zero material adjustments to the financials she prepared, which our M&A advisor told us was uncommon for a brokerage of our size. The transaction closed on schedule and the Controller stayed on for 60 days post-close to support the integration into the buyer's reporting framework. Our PE buyer has since asked Lock for an introduction to their insurance practice for another portfolio company acquisition.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Because our timeline was compressed, Lock's consultant matched the urgency without skipping steps. He called me the same afternoon we signed the engagement letter with two candidates he had already pre-screened from his existing fractional finance network, and we had all three shortlisted candidates interviewed within eight business days. Communication happened almost entirely by phone and email, which suited how our office operates, and he was consistently available during business hours when I had a question. When our PE buyer asked to speak directly with the Controller candidates as part of their preliminary diligence, Lock coordinated those calls on a same-week turnaround so we did not lose momentum in the deal process.

What was your primary form of communication with Lock Search Group?

Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

What stood out was how naturally their consultant moved between the recruiting conversation and the transaction context. He understood that this was not a typical fractional placement in which someone shows up and handles month-end for six months. He knew we needed a Controller who could produce financials that would hold up under PE scrutiny, and he screened for that specific capability rather than just looking for someone with a CPA and availability. During reference checks he asked questions about how each candidate had performed during prior transaction processes, which gave us a level of confidence we would not have gotten from a standard reference call. For a small brokerage going through its first acquisition, that level of situational awareness from our recruiting partner made a meaningful difference in how smoothly the process ran.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Lock Search Group could have done differently?

N/A

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of SOBIS Software GmbH

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide structure, transparency, compliance, and control to all stakeholders. Working with EPCs, Owners, Suppliers, and other project or document-driven environments.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Lock Search Group to accomplish?

We retained Lock Search Group to hire a Chief Revenue Officer who could professionalize our sales organization, build a repeatable enterprise pipeline and help us tell a credible growth story ahead of our Series B fundraise.

SOLUTION

How did you find Lock Search Group?

Referral

Why did you select Lock Search Group over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Lock Search Group were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Lock Search Group conducted a contained executive search for our Director of Clinical Operations. The role sat at the intersection of operational leadership and client management, which made the profile harder to define than a purely technical clinical operations hire. Their consultant spent a full morning with our leadership team walking through the organizational chart, the trial protocols and the specific sponsor dynamics that would shape the role before drafting the position specification. Deliverables included the written spec, a target list that spanned CROs and sponsor-side clinical teams across Eastern Canada and the US Northeast, a shortlist of four candidates with detailed written assessments, interview scheduling across three time zones, reference checks focused on operational leadership rather than just scientific credentials, offer negotiation advisory and a 90 day integration plan built around our active trial milestones.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The placed Director joined us during the most demanding phase of our pivotal oncology trial and took ownership of site management across seven clinical locations within her first three weeks. Two of our sponsor contacts commented independently that the transition from her predecessor was the smoothest they had experienced with a CRO partner. 
Enrollment velocity on the trial held steady through the leadership change, which had been our primary concern going into the search. She has since restructured our monitoring team and reduced our query resolution cycle by roughly 30 percent. We rated the search a five out of five in our internal review and our board chair has asked for an introduction to Lock's life sciences team for a portfolio company that needs a similar hire.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Lock's consultant proposed a cadence that matched our operating rhythm rather than imposing a standard reporting template. Because our leadership team meets every Monday morning, he delivered a written candidate update by Sunday evening so we could fold it into our weekly agenda without scheduling a separate call. 
When we lost a finalist to a counteroffer midway through the search, he had already been warming a backup candidate and moved her into the active pipeline within 48 hours. Interview coordination across Halifax, Toronto and Boston was handled entirely by their team, including time zone juggling for a panel that included two of our sponsor representatives who had asked to participate.

What was your primary form of communication with Lock Search Group?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

What set Lock Search Group apart was their consultant's firsthand understanding of the CRO operating model. He had recruited into both sponsor and CRO environments before and understood that a Director of Clinical Operations at a mid-size CRO carries a fundamentally different workload than the same title at a large pharma company. 
That distinction shaped how he screened candidates from day one and it meant we never wasted time interviewing people who had impressive titles but had never managed the kind of lean, multi-sponsor trial portfolio that defines our business. Several firms we spoke with during the RFP process treated CRO and sponsor-side clinical ops as interchangeable, and they are not.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the COO of Kapstone Medical

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Kapstone Medical partners with physician inventors and manufacturers to develop and commercialize new medical devices. We do this by providing services for design, prototyping, patenting, quality systems, and regulatory approvals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Lock Search Group to accomplish?

• We were looking to hire a VP of Engineering who could scale our hardware and firmware organization through a 510(k) submission and a commercial launch.

SOLUTION

How did you find Lock Search Group?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select Lock Search Group over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Lock Search Group were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Lock Search Group handled a retained VP of Engineering search together with a compensation benchmarking exercise that ran in parallel. The benchmarking piece was added because our board wanted independent data on West Coast medtech engineering leadership packages before we set the offer envelope. Core search deliverables included a position specification, a long list and curated shortlist, structured interview guides tailored to each panelist, candidate assessments, reference checks, offer negotiation support and a 90 day onboarding plan. The compensation workstream produced a written benchmark report covering base, bonus and equity data across 14 comparable Pacific Northwest and Bay Area medtech companies.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Our preferred candidate came from a Boston based surgical robotics competitor and accepted a package that landed at the midpoint of the benchmarking data rather than the top of the range, which gave us meaningful runway on our engineering payroll plan for the year. He started six weeks after signing and completed our design freeze milestone on the original schedule set before he was hired. Interview panel feedback on the candidate experience was uniformly strong, including from two candidates who were not selected and later told us they would recommend Lock Search Group to peers. Our engineering headcount has since grown from 22 to 38 under his leadership.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Project coordination ran through a shared candidate tracker that our leadership team could check at any point without waiting for a formal update, which suited our async working style. Written summaries followed every candidate interaction within the same day and the lead consultant was responsive over email even on weekends during the most active stretch of the search. When we asked to add a hands-on technical exercise to the final round halfway through the process, they reworked the remaining candidate journeys without losing momentum and the exercise ended up being the single most useful signal for our CTO.

What was your primary form of communication with Lock Search Group?

Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

What impresses us most is their willingness to push back. Early in the search our CTO had written a requirements list that included eight years of direct surgical robotics leadership experience, and the Lock Search Group team came back with market data showing how few leaders in the world actually fit that profile and why insisting on it would lock us out of strong adjacent candidates. They were right, the candidate we hired did not meet that original criterion on paper, and he has been one of the strongest hires the company has made. A firm that tells you no when the data says no is rare and we valued it.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Lock Search Group could have done differently?

As at the time we use everything was fine with us

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CFO of SMSbiotech

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a biotech company developing next-generation gene therapies for rare pediatric neurological disorders.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Lock Search Group to accomplish?

• We needed to hire a VP of Regulatory Affairs with deep cell and gene therapy submission experience on both sides of the border.

SOLUTION

How did you find Lock Search Group?

Referral

Why did you select Lock Search Group over others?

• Great culture fit
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Lock Search Group were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Lock Search Group ran a confidential retained search for our VP of Regulatory Affairs. Because our lead program was still unannounced, the engagement required discretion around which companies and individuals were approached, and the team built a carefully curated target list rather than running broad outreach. Work products included a competency rubric co-developed with our Chief Scientific Officer, a confidential long list reviewed in a working session, a shortlist of five candidates with written assessments, full interview coordination including travel for two in-person finalists, reference verification with former direct reports rather than just listed references, and a written integration plan for the first 90 days focused on our upcoming pre-IND meeting.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The placed VP came from a rare disease unit inside a top 20 pharma company, which was a target profile we had privately considered a long shot. She accepted the offer within 48 hours of receiving it and relocated from the northeast US to the Greater Toronto Area without asking us to extend the start date. Since joining she has led our pre-IND interactions with the FDA and built a small team underneath her. The executive team rated the search a ten out of ten in our internal post-mortem and two of our board members have since retained Lock Search Group for their own portfolio companies.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The cadence was genuinely high touch. Our lead consultant joined a weekly 30 minute call with our CSO and also kept a running thread with me over email where candidate notes, scheduling questions and market intelligence all lived in one place. When one of our finalists needed to reschedule a panel on short notice due to a family emergency, the team rebuilt the interview day around the remaining candidates within a few hours so that our executives did not lose a block on their calendars. Every document they promised arrived early rather than on the day it was due.

What was your primary form of communication with Lock Search Group?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The piece that genuinely surprised us was how thoroughly they did reference work. Instead of simply calling the three names each finalist provided, they used their own network to reach former colleagues and former direct reports, which gave us a far richer picture of how each candidate actually operated inside a team. One reference conversation in particular surfaced a leadership strength that had not come through in interviews and it became the deciding factor when our executive team chose between two strong finalists.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Lock Search Group could have done differently?

N/A

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Managing Director of Pair Finance

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

PAIR Finance is a leading fintech for digital debt collection and receivables management. The company is transforming the debt collection industry with its sustainable, digital, efficient, and customer-centric approach. Using artificial intelligence, behavioural psychology and data science, PAIR Finance is setting a new standard in debt collection that supports businesses and consumers alike.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Lock Search Group to accomplish?

• We needed to fill a senior-level finance position with a candidate who had both technical expertise and experience operating in regulated financial environments. Internal sourcing efforts were not yielding candidates with the right mix of leadership and industry knowledge.

SOLUTION

How did you find Lock Search Group?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select Lock Search Group over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The team worked with us to refine the job specification and identify key competencies, including regulatory compliance, financial reporting, and strategic planning. They conducted targeted outreach, screened candidates, and presented a shortlist with detailed profiles and assessment notes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Lock Search Group delivered a strong shortlist within the expected timeline. Several candidates progressed to final interviews, and we successfully hired a candidate who met both technical and leadership requirements.

The offer process was smooth, and compensation aligned with our internal benchmarks. The new hire has integrated well into the team and is contributing effectively in their role.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Project management was organized and consistent. The team provided regular updates and maintained momentum throughout the search. Timelines were generally met, and any adjustments were communicated clearly.

What was your primary form of communication with Lock Search Group?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Their ability to present candidates with relevant financial services experience stood out. The shortlist was well-aligned with our requirements, which reduced the need for extensive screening on our side.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Lock Search Group could have done differently?

While the overall experience was positive, providing a slightly broader initial candidate pool could offer more optionality early in the process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Talent Hero, an advertising and marketing company. We help recruiting agencies grow their business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Lock Search Group?

We needed help hiring a new director of marketing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Lock Search Group helped us find candidates for our director of marketing role. They also helped us draft the job description. Once they found potential candidates, they screened them, conducted an initial interview, and onboarded them.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 2–5 teammates from Lock Search Group.

How did you come to work with Lock Search Group?

We found them through an online search. We chose them over other options because they had high ratings, were close to my geographic location, and their pricing fit our budget.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $10,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from October–December 2025.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Lock Search Group successfully hired a director of marketing for us. It took them two months to complete the process.

How did Lock Search Group perform from a project management standpoint?

Lock Search Group's project management was amazing. We communicated via email and messaging apps.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Lock Search Group's clear communication was impressive. They met all deadlines and found us a great hire.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything for Lock Search Group to improve.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Head of School of Royal Crown School

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Royal Crown is a private and international Middle and High School school with grades 7 to 12, located in Toronto. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Lock Search Group to accomplish?

• Searching for a senior finance officer

SOLUTION

How did you find Lock Search Group?

Referral

Why did you select Lock Search Group over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Lock Search Group were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The school was looking for a senior financial officer to lead our finance area. The candidate needed to be able to work with both staff and the Board of Directors.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Good communication, strong list of candidates, met key deadlines

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Delivered above and beyond expectations

What was your primary form of communication with Lock Search Group?

Virtual Meeting

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Their willingness to provide customized solutions was impressive.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Lock Search Group could have done differently?

Everything was done well. No further recommendations

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

KBC Staffing is a staffing and recruiting agency that places candidates in finance, marketing, clerical, engineering, and accounting roles through temporary, temp-to-hire, and direct-hire contracts. I’m the founder and president of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Lock Search Group?

One of my clients was hiring in the Toronto area, so I wanted to find a partner who could split the recruiting duties.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Lock Search Group helped me find a life sciences CFO in the Toronto area. Their deliverable was a signed contract between my client and the candidate. The team performed a market map to identify potential candidates. They filtered them by additional criteria and reached out to approved candidates via LinkedIn, email, and phone. Finally, they passed along positive responses to us.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two teammates from Lock Search Group.

How did you come to work with Lock Search Group?

I found Lock Search Group through an online search.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $15,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from September–November 2024.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Lock Search Group found us a candidate who had previous experience working with a biotech company as their CFO. Moreover, they lived in the city of Toronto. The impact on my client’s business was significant. This new CFO completely overhauled their internal accounting processes and redesigned their finance and accounting operations to be more unified and efficient across their front, middle, and back offices.

How did Lock Search Group perform from a project management standpoint?

Lock Search Group delivered on time. We primarily communicated via email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed by Lock Search Group’s understanding of the life sciences market.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there weren’t any.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Recruit Engineering, a recruitment firm. We help companies hire engineers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Lock Search Group?

We needed them to use their local knowledge of the Toronto market to find us some candidates we could present to our client.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Lock Search Group provided us with 12 candidates that we screened further before presenting them to our client. They helped us with candidate sourcing and initial screening. Lock Search Group also assisted us with some paperwork on the back half of the project.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two teammates from Lock Search Group.

How did you come to work with Lock Search Group?

When one of our clients asked us to find someone for their new Toronto office, we needed a Canadian partner to help with the job. One of our network’s recruiters said they had a good experience with Lock Search Group on a previous split placement.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together in February-April 2025.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Lock Search Group presented us with 12 candidates in about two weeks. The quality of the candidates was very high and comparable to the work we would have done on our own. One of their candidates was hired.

How did Lock Search Group perform from a project management standpoint?

Lock Search Group was super organized and on time. Their project management was very impressive. We primarily communicated via email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Lock Search Group was totally on the ball. They got the assignment and ran with it with little guidance from us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. It was a great engagement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

PA Career Hub is a job board dedicated to physician assistants in the U.S. We offer curated job listings, career resources, and tools for both job seekers and employers in various healthcare settings.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Lock Search Group?

We needed to hire a life sciences consultant to help us improve our branding.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of work performed?

Lock Search Group provided us with a shortlist of candidates qualified to help PA Career Hub improve our branding. They screened the candidates, conducted the first round of interviews, prepped the candidates to interview with us, helped us negotiate deals, and took care of the onboarding process.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two teammates from Lock Search Group.

How did you come to work with Lock Search Group?

We found Lock Search Group through an online search. We chose them because they understood the life sciences space better than anyone else we spoke with.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from October–December 2024.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Lock Search Group helped us hire the consultant, and the impact on our branding efforts was incredible. She was amazing and helped us triple our search volume in six months.

How did Lock Search Group perform from a project management standpoint?

Lock Search Group's project management was excellent. They delivered on time and were very on the ball. We communicated via email and Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were impressed with how smooth everything went. We had worked with other recruiters and were constantly chasing them for updates. Lock Search Group was on top of everything.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There was nothing Lock Search Group could have done better or differently.