Associate Director Digital
About IK Investment Partners
IK is a private equity fund with Nordic roots which is deeply committed to fostering growth. The fund invests in mid- and small-cap businesses to create robust, well positioned companies with excellent long-term prospects, both organically and through acquisitions. During their typical four-to-five-year ownership cycle, they help their portfolio companies define and deliver transformational agendas which comprise e.g., operational improvement, expansion into new geographies and entering adjacent product areas.
Founded in 1989, IK has so far invested in over 135 companies. The current portfolio consists of over forty businesses that generate approximately €5.4bn in sales. Recently, the company has closed its ninth mid cap fund (IK IX) at its hard cap of €2.85bn. The key investment geographies of IK include the Nordics, France, Benelux, DACH region and, more recently, the United Kingdom. The main industries the PE-fund operates in, are: consumer/food, business services, engineered products and healthcare.
The fund is deeply aware of its responsibilities towards society. IK encourages portfolio companies to act responsibly and is a signatory to the UN Global Initiative and UN PRI. It also founded and supports IKARE, a venture philanthropy foundation which helps reduce disease, create jobs and take people out of poverty.
IK aims to build lasting value by fostering fundamental performance improvements through active engagement. The fund currently has an Operations Team consisting of ten professionals who are integral to the investment approach; they support the deal team by providing guidance and assistance throughout diligence and the investment lifecycle.
Requirements*
- 10+ years of work experience
- Top tier consulting firm with PE exposure
- Digital thought leader who can inspire business leaders
- Pragmatic and hands-on
- Open to frequent European travel
- Fluent in English and at least one other Northern European language (French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Danish)
Research shows that while male candidates feel confident enough to apply when they meet about 60% of the requirements, female candidates only apply when they tick every box. So if this role has your name on it, but you’re not sure about the criteria, we still want to hear from you.
Our Scandinavian roots are clearly reflected in our culture. We take the egalitarian approach where we encourage everyone to have a voice. We distribute responsibility easily and generally have small egos.
Associate Director Digital
As the other Associate Directors in the Operations Team, the Associate Director Digital applies their core consulting and problem-solving capabilities to support senior management of portfolio companies to develop strategic roadmaps and drive value creating initiatives. What sets this Associate Director apart is their role as digital evangelist. With digital being an increasingly pivotal element in deal due diligence and portfolio company strategy, the work of the Associate Director has significant impact on IK’s future fund performance.
The Associate Director works closely with senior management of portfolio companies (mostly B2B) to set their digital agenda, boost execution and drive growth. The role requires frequent travel throughout Northern Europe to be available on site for in-depth discussions on digital priorities and offer pragmatic and hands-on support.
One of the key challenges for the Associate Director is the wide variety of digital topics they provide support on. Between the different portfolio companies, the primary focus will be digital marketing and commercial/top line growth. There will be a variety of other projects which could include: SaaS-delivery, data utilization, customer journeys, data-driven sales, e-commerce, RPA, IoT, AI, blockchain, online brand building, digital positioning, platform dynamics and automation. Ideally, the Associate Director would be able to leverage knowledge of or exposure to these areas to oversee implementation of projects with the support of external consultants.
Next to their support of portfolio company management, the Associate Director makes their digital expertise available to their colleagues in the Investment Team by running digital diagnostics and informing investment decisions. The Associate Director Digital educates peers in the Operations Team on digital and codifies knowledge in toolkits and standardized deal assessment methodologies to structure and improve IK’s overall due diligence process.
More information?
Curious if this role is right for you? View the full job profile for more details about the responsibilities, the team, and what we're looking for in a candidate.
This position has been filled
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