“It’s been a pleasant surprise how much Newport has our personal interests in mind along with the company’s interest. The degree of commitment to the people, as well as the company itself, is a wonderful balance, and we appreciate the holistic approach.”
“Newport Partners go beyond providing advice and actually provide help. It’s great to have the expert network which you use to bring resources to the table.”
“We see Newport as trusted advisors who provide us with coaching, mentoring and counsel that is incredibly useful.”
– Dave Chung & Thierry Marbach, Co-founders & Co-owners, CreditXpert
Insights
- Software company in the mortgage credit industry provides analytical tools for improving consumer credit scores so they can qualify for the best mortgage
- Owners dedicated to the business and its mission, but burned out from managing day-to-day operations for almost 20 years
- Extremely profitable, indicating an under-investment to professionalize the company
- No leadership team or management capacity
- No infrastructure to support scaling
- Single-threaded ‘hero’ model for staffing
Action
- Newport partners engaged by the owners to evaluate strategic alternatives for the business
- Quarterbacked successful process to seek a growth partner, though it did not end in an investment
- Professionalized the business as interim CEO:
- Hired permanent CEO & leadership team
- Built infrastructure to scale
- Created a board of directors
- Modernized product development & deployment
- Developed disciplined marketing programs
Results
- 25% higher growth with ‘healthier’ profitability
- Owners transitioned to board roles
- Culture evolved toward performance, innovation and urgency
- Business prepared for dramatic growth in value
