NFA

National Fostering Agency (NFA) is the second largest independent fostering agency in the United Kingdom.  Founded in 1996, NFA provides care for over 1,000 children each year.  It operates from nine regional offices in England, Scotland and Wales and employs over 120 people.  Local authorities often find it difficult to recruit, support and retain foster families, and are increasingly turning to independent agencies like NFA to provide this service.  NFA’s pioneering business model and its close relationships with local authorities have enabled it to grow strongly over the last 10 years.

Having tracked this emerging fostering sector for some time, Sovereign Capital led the buyout of NFA in December 2006.  Its strategy is to expand NFA’s business through organic growth and acquisitions, and to support this strategy, the firm decided to strengthen NFA’s senior management team.  Sovereign Capital asked us to identify and recruit a new Chief Executive with the relevant skills and experience to take the business forward.

The challenge Skillcapital faced was a shortage of candidates in this nascent, fragmented market.  Established management teams were scarce, and it was clear that a creative approach would be needed.  We analysed the core skills the role demanded and concluded that NFA’s success in building relationships with local authorities was a key driver of growth.  We searched for candidates across sectors with experience of working with local authorities, and identified Iain Anderson, then Managing Director of Sodexo’s healthcare division.  As the successful chief executive of a sizable business that provides services to a similar customer base, Iain clearly demonstrated the attributes we had identified, and in summer 2007 he became Chief Executive of NFA.

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