Building a Best-in-Class Commercial Team in 5 Months: PE-Backed Transformation at Vernacare | Case Study

Vernacare is a global manufacturer of healthcare solutions specializing in infection prevention, clinical waste management and surgical solutions, supporting hospitals since 1964. Following its acquisition by H.I.G. Capital, a global private equity firm, in 2020 and the subsequent absorption of Frontier Medical and Robinson Healthcare, Vernacare undertook a significant strategic shift, refocusing on sustainable healthcare solutions and rebuilding its commercial structure entirely to drive market growth. To do that, they needed a best-in-class commercial team, built quickly, in a market where awareness of Vernacare's portfolio and values was still limited.

Challenge

For healthcare companies going through post-acquisition transformation, the commercial talent problem is rarely straightforward. Vernacare needed to attract senior sales and marketing professionals capable of shaping strategic direction and hitting ambitious growth targets, while also being able to articulate a value proposition that much of the market had not yet encountered.

Finding senior commercial leaders is hard enough. Finding them for a company that needs to be explained before it can be sold is harder. Vernacare needed a search partner that could do both: identify the right people and bring them into the story before they ever sat down in an interview. The initial phase required identifying high-level executives to shape strategic direction, while simultaneously running searches for subsequent roles and engaging candidates who were largely unfamiliar with Vernacare and its sustainability ethos.

Solution

Guided Solutions assigned a dedicated team of five consultants to the campaign, beginning with an in-depth briefing process to define team structure, establish complete job requirements and finalize role descriptions across the full commercial function.

From there, the team reviewed more than 400 candidates, evaluating proactivity, functional expertise and track record of achievement. 42 comprehensive interviews and assessments were conducted, each used not only to assess suitability but to introduce Vernacare's portfolio, ethical positioning and long-term growth agenda.

Led by a Guided Solutions Director throughout, the team remained actively involved at every stage: participating in interviews, adjusting criteria as needed and ensuring every candidate who progressed genuinely understood Vernacare's story and what the business was building toward.

Result

14 roles were filled across the full commercial function in 5 months, spanning leadership through to regional key account management. Individual assignments averaged 6 to 8 weeks from job briefing to placement.

The roles filled included:

Group Commercial Director, UK and Ireland; B2B Business Unit Director; Head of Marketing, Infection Prevention; Head of Marketing, Surgical Solutions; Product Manager, Surgical Supplies; UK Commercial Manager; International Commercial Manager; Key Account Manager, Scotland; Key Account Manager (Non-Surgical), Central London; Key Account Manager (Surgical), Northwest England and Wales; International Executive; Key Account Manager (Non-Surgical), Southeast England; B2B Account Manager, Northwest England.

Vernacare entered the process needing an entirely new commercial function. It left with a team built to drive a new growth strategy in a market it was only beginning to make its own.

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