How MU helped Réseau Abilis appoint an independent Chair aligned with its ambitions
Abilis is a network of homes for people with disabilities, with 1,200 employees. The Board of Directors is composed of a private equity firm and two shareholders. At the request of the CEO, the Board conducted a self-evaluation using their own tool and asked MU to analyse it, interview each of the Board members and the CEO, and facilitate a workshop with a dual objective: to identify improvements to be made and to define the profile of the Chair of the Board.
The goal was to improve governance by finding an independent Chair who can structure meetings, build a collaborative decision-making process, and serve as a true partner to the CEO.
MU conducted the board analysis, defined the success profile, prepared the executive search brief, and developed a shortlist of high-quality candidates who were interviewed and selected. We facilitated the board's decision regarding the selection using a sociocratic process to reach a consensus quickly.
The new Chair not only has extensive experience in the sector but also possesses significant expertise with private equity. Additionally, they have a valuable network that can be utilised in the future to attract new shareholders.
Voices from the Clients
We had the pleasure of working with MU, on a strategic recruitment mission for the Abilis Group, of which I am co-founder and co-owner. The assignment focused on identifying and recruiting a Chairman of the Board, a key role in the future development of our organisation. From the outset, we were impressed by Mercuri Urval’s methodological rigour, professionalism, and dedication. The process was structured, efficient, and consistently well-supported—from defining the ideal profile to the final selection of the appointed candidate. MU presented a shortlist of three candidates—selected from an initial pool of five—all of outstanding calibre. The quality of the profiles, the relevance of the insights shared, and the strategic recommendations provided were instrumental in guiding our decision. Thanks to this rigorous yet transparent and constructive process, we were able to appoint a new Chairman fully aligned with our ambitions. We are deeply grateful to MU for their outstanding support and warmly recommend their expertise to any organisation seeking high-level leadership. - Benoît Duplat Co-founder & co-owner Abilis Group
I wholeheartedly recommend MU for their outstanding support. They gained a swift and precise understanding of our challenges, adapted their approach as our requirements evolved, identified top-tier candidates, and conducted an in-depth evaluation of each profile. Professionalism, discretion, and efficiency characterised every phase of the mandate to select our new Chair of the Board.- Anne-Sophie Marsin CEO, Réseau Abilis
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