Chief Technology Officer Search & IPO
The Need
The largest privately owned coffee chain in the U.S., owned by TSG Consumer Capital, was rapidly scaling to go public and needed an experienced Chief Technology Officer to modernize the company’s information technology systems, including fulfillment, inventory, POS, app, and drive through systems, with the goal of supporting continued growth. Ultimately, they tasked Cowen Partners Executive Search with finding a CTO who could make Dutch Bros a leader in the QSR (quick service restaurant) space.
The Solution
Dutch Bros (DB) identifies as being an outsider, a rule breaker, and a company without ego. Their Broista’s are at the center of their culture, and it was up to Cowen Partners to find a CTO who could speak with both wall street and their entry level staff seamlessly.
We started by visiting company headquarters and profiling their ideal candidate with the help of the executive team. We then created a list of aspirational peers, companies who exhibited similar cultural values, were rapidly growing and pioneers in utilization of technology in their space. Target companies and candidates were identified, a pool of candidates was created and presented to DB, and a new chief technology officer hire was made within four months.
About Dutch Bros
Dutch Bros Coffee is a drive-thru coffee company dedicated to making a massive difference one cup at a time. Headquartered in Grants Pass, Oregon, where it was founded in 1992 by Dane and Travis Boersma, it’s now sharing the “Dutch Luv” with more than 500 locations in 12 states. Dutch Bros serves specialty coffee, smoothies, freezes, teas, an exclusive Dutch Bros Blue Rebel energy drink and nitrogen-infused cold brew coffee.
Its rich, proprietary coffee blend is handcrafted from start to finish. In addition to its mission of speed, quality and service, Dutch Bros is committed to giving back to the communities it serves. Through its Dutch Bros Foundation and local franchisees, the company donates several million dollars to causes across the country each year.
About Cowen Partners Executive Search
Cowen Partners is the nation’s executive search firm, enabling companies to harness the power of human capital to fuel their success. Cowen Partners gives our clients access to the top 1% of human capital to create opportunities that accelerate their growth and market share. With Cowen Partners, clients can grow at scale, create value, and drive results with world class talent. Our clients are both small and large, publicly traded, pre-IPO, private, and non-profit organizations.
Clients are typically $50 million to multi-billion dollar revenue Fortune 1000 companies or have assets between $500 million to $15 billion. Successful placements span the entire C-Suite and include VP and director level leadership roles.
With our proven processes and guaranteed results, we have successfully placed hundreds of candidates in industries including technology, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, financial services, and private equity.
Contact us if you would like help recruiting world class talent.
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