Non-Executive Director for one of the largest mineral fertilizer companies in Russia, the CIS and Eastern Europe

Our client was a top mineral fertilizer company in Eastern Europe. It was the world’s second largest ammonium nitrate producer and the second largest maker of nitrogen and compound fertilizers in Russia. The company’s competitive advantage came from its highly innovative products. The majority of the company’s products were exported with the lion’s share of that going to Europe.

The company was planning a listing on the London Stock Exchange. In preparing for the IPO, it was decided to strengthen the board with the addition of a new independent director to chair the strategy committee and act as a shareholder advocate. On the advice of the law firm which was consulting them on their IPO they approached Board Solutions.

The Chairman and top executives of the company wanted a director that could work well with their management team providing them with guidance in a wide range of areas from improving operational efficiencies to the integration of new assets. It was also expected that the new Board member would have the experience and contacts to leverage the company’s on going business activities.

They envisioned a CEO with the demonstrated capacity to adapt an organization to changing business models, a penchant for strategic thinking, and the willingness to do whatever is necessary to drive a company forward in its continuing evolution.

After consulting with the client and confirming their specific needs we set a schedule that would have a director in place before the IPO. We conducted an international search resulting in a short list of the most qualified individuals. We then facilitated the interviews and advised our client on the market value of the position that they were filling.

The selected candidate had more than forty years of experience in the industry. He was already serving on the board of a fertilizer company working in China. As the former CEO of an international fertilizer company he had the experience of leading that company's successful IPO. He had negotiated international joint ventures and takeovers.

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