Scaling the Scale Up Collective: Driving Growth and Acceleration with our Tech Practice

Despite disruption across technology markets globally and difficult economic conditions, Odgers Berndtson is investing now to strengthen their position as a world class executive search and talent advisory firm.

David Bell, the new Head of the Scale Up Collective, brings 15 years’ executive search experience, the last eight of which have been working with private equity, venture capital, and founder-led technology businesses.  

David said: “Working with investor backed scaling technology businesses is something I am passionate about and Odgers Berndtson’s focus on accelerating this aspect of their business through the Scale Up Collective was a very exciting prospect for me. Given the heritage and excellence the Odgers Berndtson brand brings, as well as the breadth of service offering they provide to clients made joining a very easy decision.”

He is joined by Sam Smith, who brings over a decade of executive search experience, having joined from a leading boutique firm specialising in the European B2B SaaS eco-system. There, he supported public and venture capital/private equity backed businesses to build out their leadership teams.

"The chance to combine these two elements and play a part in this was too good to pass by, and it is a combination I think will add immense value to our current and future clients.”

The firm has considerable experience helping investor backed businesses bring in executive talent to take them to the next stage in their evolution. Odgers Berndtson’s Scale Up Collective hires for the portfolios of VC and private equity firms, providing leadership assessment, talent mapping, and executive search. Combined with interim management and the mid-management recruitment expertise at Berwick Partners, the offering provides a powerful and compelling proposition for clients.

The Scale Up Collective works across the entire deal flow for investors and investor-backed businesses, with a track record assisting the world's best venture capital and private equity firms. Odgers Berndtson’s aim is to be the executive search business investors and portfolio companies rely on for talent requirements at any stage of their investment cycles. Despite a turbulent market, Odgers Berndtson has continued to provide expert services to growing investor backed business, who need exceptional C-suite level executives.  

"The relevant sector expertise here at Odgers Berndtson is phenomenal and it’s great to be working with such interesting clients to accelerate their growth.”

Sam said: “Within the investor-backed community, all signs point to a busy 2024 thanks to the ‘dry-powder’ built up during the past 18 months. Odgers Berndtson is well positioned to advise clients through this period with its exceptional Technology & IT Practice.”

Mike Drew, who leads the Global Technology & IT Services Practice, said: “investment in the UK practice mirrors what we are doing in the US. While the market has slowed due to consolidation from big-tech, we still see a lot of activity from investor led businesses who are continuing to invest in their value creation plan. We feel confident that the tech sector overall will rebound next year, and the technology practice and Scale Up Collective are well positioned to respond to client demand, when it does.”