Boyden partners with a second-generation, family-owned defense services company to appoint a Vice President of Human Resources, strengthening leadership infrastructure and supporting the organization's growth toward $200 million in revenue.
Our client is a second-generation, family-owned and woman-owned defense services company supporting the U.S. Navy's active and inactive fleet. Founded in the 1960s and headquartered in Southern California, the company provides ship repair and industrial services, asset lifecycle management, logistics, workforce solutions, and training across operations on both U.S. coasts, Hawaii, and Alaska. With approximately 600 employees and annual revenue approaching $90 million, the company is executing an ambitious growth strategy toward $200 million, including significant workforce expansion and the launch of a new cybersecurity business.
Following the departure of its head of Human Resources, the CEO assumed responsibility for the HR function while leading an organization undergoing significant expansion. As the business scaled, it required a Vice President of Human Resources who could build the infrastructure, processes, and leadership capability needed to support continued growth across multiple locations.
The mandate required an uncommon combination of capabilities: experience leading HR for a distributed blue-collar workforce, deep knowledge of government contracting and compliance, and the credibility and judgment to operate effectively within a family-owned business.
Boyden developed a targeted search strategy focused on HR executives from operationally intensive, founder-led, and family-owned organizations, recognizing that candidates from large corporate environments often lacked the hands-on leadership experience required. The search prioritized proven success in building HR functions across distributed workforces, navigating federal contracting requirements, and serving as a trusted advisor to ownership.
To complement the interview process, Boyden applied its Leadership Framework through the LEAP assessment platform, evaluating finalists across nine leadership competencies, including self-leadership, to provide deeper insight into long-term leadership potential and organizational fit.
Boyden evaluated ten highly qualified candidates and presented a shortlist of three finalists drawn from defense manufacturing, government contracting, and family-owned organizations. The successful candidate brought more than 20 years of executive HR leadership experience across defense manufacturing, a multi-site operator with more than 30 locations, and family-owned businesses, complemented by an Executive MBA.
Her LEAP assessment validated strong alignment with the leadership profile, providing a foundation for a subsequent leadership consulting engagement focused on executive onboarding and team effectiveness.
Boyden helped position the organization for its next phase of growth by placing an HR executive capable of building the people infrastructure, leadership capability, and operational discipline needed to support the company's expansion toward $200 million in revenue. The engagement also evolved into an ongoing leadership consulting partnership, reinforcing the client's long-term investment in executive effectiveness, organizational performance, and sustainable growth.
