Background
Clayton Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) invested in Exclusive Networks with a clear value creation thesis: accelerate growth and scale the business from ~$6bn to $12bn.
Exclusive Networks operates at the centre of the global cybersecurity ecosystem, partnering with leading vendors to deliver specialist distribution across high-growth markets.
While the business had a strong foundation of organic growth, a critical lever for achieving CD&R’s ambition was inorganic expansion through M&A.
Recent transactions including the acquisition of Dan Distribution and the Nextgen Group highlighted a clear strategic pattern:
- Expanding geographic reach in high-growth regions (e.g. North America / APAC)
- Deepening cybersecurity specialisation and vendor capability
- Strengthening local market leadership through targeted acquisitions
To deliver this at pace and scale, CD&R and the Exclusive ELT identified a key gap:
A dedicated, senior M&A leader to build and execute a global acquisition strategy.
This was a highly nuanced executive search.
The mandate required a candidate who could:
- Lead end-to-end global M&A processes (origination → execution → integration)
- Operate across multiple geographies and cultures
- Bring deep experience within technology and / or cybersecurity ecosystems
- Partner directly with private equity investors and C-suite stakeholders
Crucially, this wasn’t just about deal execution.
The hire needed to build a repeatable M&A engine, one capable of identifying, evaluating, and integrating acquisitions aligned to Exclusive Networks’ growth strategy.
The intersection of:
- Global M&A leadership
- Cyber / tech exposure
- PE-backed environment experience
…created a highly constrained talent pool.
Iperium conducted a pan European, data-led search, mapping senior M&A leaders across:
- Technology and cybersecurity businesses
- PE-backed environments
- Corporate development functions within scaled international organisations
The successful hire:
- A Denmark-born executive, based in France
- Proven track record of executing complex, cross-border M&A transactions
- Experience operating across the global technology landscape
- Strong alignment with both investor expectations and operational delivery
This individual brought the capability to institutionalise M&A within Exclusive Networks, moving from opportunistic deal-making to a structured, scalable growth function.
Exclusive Networks successfully appointed a Head of M&A to its Executive Leadership Team, creating a centralised function to drive global inorganic growth.
This hire directly supports the company’s strategic ambition to:
- Scale through targeted international acquisitions
- Expand into new geographies and high-growth markets
- Strengthen its position within the global cybersecurity ecosystem
With a dedicated M&A leader in place, the business is now positioned to execute at pace and scale, aligning inorganic growth directly to investor value creation goals.
Why it worked
1. Investor-aligned mandate
Clear strategic rationale from CD&R ensured alignment from board to execution.
2. Precision in a niche talent pool
Iperium identified candidates operating at the intersection of M&A, technology, and global scale.
3. Focus on building capability, not just filling a role
The hire was positioned as creating a core growth function, not simply executing deals.
4. Pan European search, local execution
A cross-border mandate required a truly international talent approach.
5. Speed with strategic depth
Delivered at pace without compromising on the complexity of the brief.