Case Studies

CETA Insurance

About CETA Insurance

When CETA Insurance needed a new CFO for their business, their private equity investors Kester Capital and CETA CEO John Bibby appointed Drax to conduct the search. The search was headed up by Mat Cuthbertson, DRAX Partner, Financial Services, and from the shortlist that Drax created, CETA appointed Ian Gilbert to the role.

The Result

John Bibby, CEO of CETA Insurance said: “We had had an unsuccessful experience with a headhunting company previously so we were a little bit jaundiced about the idea when we appointed Drax, but the process went really well and they did a really good job. The first presentation was very good and Mat was really good at engaging on all levels. The matrix that Drax produced was really helpful and they kept us in the loop as the programme developed. The challenge we had was that we are based in Chipping Norton so we needed to find someone who was both geographically a good fit and who had the right sort of mindset for the development stage we are in as a business, but Drax created a sensible shortlist of really good candidates and didn’t waste our time with inappropriate people. The person that we have taken on is a real breath of fresh air and a massive improvement from where we were, so I have got nothing but positive things to say about Drax. I would definitely use them again.”

Ian Gilbert, CFO at CETA, said: “The Drax team were really responsive and proactive. They kept me informed about where we were in the process and pretty much everything happened when they said it would happen. There were no surprises and it was a good experience. The company was based in Chipping Norton which wasn’t on my doorstep and I liked the fact that this was handled very openly and upfront by all parties. Drax were also very good at managing the different parties involved to ensure that everyone was on board. They also gave me plenty of opportunities to meet the team at CETA informally in addition to the formal process and I felt that they were serious about ensuring the job was right for me and I was right for the employer, rather than just managing me through a process. I would recommend Drax to other people; in fact I already have.”

At DRAX, our industry experts are dedicated to assisting our clients in reaching their value-creation plans by developing strong leadership teams.​ Reach out to Euan Corbett at ec@draxexecutive.com​ for an explorative discussion about your leadership change requirements within the financial services industry.

The person that we have taken on is a real breath of fresh air and a massive improvement from where we were, so I have got nothing but positive things to say about Drax. I would definitely use them again.

- John Bibby, CEO at CETA Insurance

Share this case study
© Copyright 2023