Core Firepower: Uniting Teams and Systems in Fire Protection

Client Overview

Our client is a national provider of special hazards fire protection systems and complex fire alarm solutions. With offices across Colorado, Washington, California, Wyoming, Texas, and Oklahoma, the company serves a diverse array of customers—including data centers, power generation facilities, clean rooms, hospitals, industrial sites, and aviation hangars. As a full-service provider, they design, install, inspect, and maintain highly specialized fire safety systems, including air sampling smoke detection systems like VESDA and FAAST.

The company has built a strong reputation for technical expertise, tailored service, and responsiveness in high-stakes environments where fire safety is mission-critical.

The Challenge / Mandate

Following a period of growth and geographic expansion, the company sought a new Chief Executive Officer to unify its operations, define a coherent growth strategy, and lead the organization through its next phase of professionalization. The CEO would be responsible for refining internal systems, leading cultural integration across a multi-site organization, and partnering closely with the board and fractional CFO to support operational excellence and financial transparency.

Core responsibilities included:

• Leading the development and execution of a long-term growth strategy across the company’s service lines and geographies
• Overseeing day-to-day operations and ensuring alignment between commercial, technical, and field teams
• Driving financial reporting upgrades and ERP system implementation in collaboration with the CFO
• Establishing a KPI-driven operating model to track pipeline, backlog, and team performance
• Fostering a people-first culture, improving internal communications, and ensuring cross-office cohesion
• Acting as the face of the company with key clients and partners
• Supporting potential long-term investor exit planning and value creation initiatives

The ideal candidate would bring both deep fire protection industry expertise and a strong operational playbook.

Search Strategy

The search focused on executives with demonstrated success in the fire protection, life safety, or security systems space—particularly those who had led multi-site or fast-scaling service businesses. Ideal candidates brought:

• Experience in fire detection and suppression or closely related industries
• Operational leadership experience with an emphasis on systems, KPIs, and accountability
• Strong commercial instincts, with a background in sales leadership or client development
• High EQ, with the communication skills needed to align diverse and geographically dispersed teams
• A hands-on, entrepreneurial mindset suited for an evolving, private company environment
• Experience reporting to or partnering with a board and financial sponsors

The Placement

The selected CEO brought over 15 years of experience in fire safety, security, and life safety systems, with a consistent record of sales leadership, operational execution, and team development. His background included senior roles across multiple verticals, including COO of a security and life safety design-build firm, VP of Sales & Marketing at a nationally recognized fire safety provider, and GM at a firm delivering fire alarm solutions to commercial and industrial facilities.

He stood out for his entrepreneurial energy, people-first leadership style, and strong understanding of both the technical and commercial sides of the fire protection industry.

The Outcome

The new CEO hit the ground running—driving clarity across the leadership team, enhancing performance tracking, and building trust throughout the organization. He led the implementation of new operational systems and began aligning field offices around shared processes, culture, and KPIs. His ability to connect strategic planning with frontline execution positioned the company for continued growth, greater internal cohesion, and a more structured path toward long-term value creation.