Background check concerns

Question

Hi everyone, first off, thank you for your advice in advance.

I’m preparing for consulting recruiting(new grad) and would appreciate advice on managing a potential resume and background check risk.

I previously worked at an early-stage startup where I held an executive role (COO) and was the co-founding team. I have a formal employment contract stating my title, received salary and severance, and have external proof of work (competitions, government programs, public events, etc.).

On my resume, I currently list the role as Co-founder / COO. However, after I left, the company rebranded under a new name and appears to be reshaping its founding narrative - making new co-founders and taking the title from the original founders including myself. The company is the same company with the same registration, but with a new name and logo(I made both of them). There was tension during my exit, and communication is now cut off. Due to their rebranding, they even reported my LinkedIn work experience, as it stated co-founder. Therefore, I would prefer not use the founder as a reference.

I’m considering changing the resume wording to “Founding Team Member / Early Executive (COO)” to reduce risk, but I’m unsure about the trade-offs.

Specifically, I’d love input on:

Does using “Co-founder” vs. “Founding Team / Early Executive” materially affect resume strength in consulting recruiting?
Would switching away from “Co-founder” meaningfully reduce perceived seniority or impact resume screening scores?
How deeply do consulting firms verify titles at early-stage startups during background checks?
If a former startup disputes a “Co-founder” label, how should a candidate handle that conversation professionally during a background check or diligence process?

Since I am now graduating from university, this startup is my only practical work experience, and it’s making me even more nervous. Any advice from those who’ve gone through MBB / Tier 2 recruiting or background checks would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

you are overthinking this.

In practice, consulting firms (including MBB) do not care about founder semantics at early stage startups. Background checks are handled by third party vendors and are mostly administrative. Their goal is to verify that an employment relationship existed, not to adjudicate internal startup history.

What is typically verified:

Employment dates
Legal employer entity
Basic employment status

What is rarely scrutinized:

Co founder vs founding team wording
Title changes after rebranding or leadership turnover
Competing narratives about who “founded” the company

As long as your dates are correct and the employment was real, this almost never becomes an issue. Firms look for integrity red flags or material inconsistencies, not startup politics.

From a recruiting perspective, “Co founder / COO” versus “Founding Team Member / Early Executive (COO)” does not materially change resume strength for new grad consulting. What matters is the signal of ownership and impact. In some cases, “founding team / early executive” is actually perceived as more credible and cleaner.

The only real risk is inconsistency. If your resume, LinkedIn, and verbal explanation do not align, you can create unnecessary questions. Pick one version and keep it consistent.

If the company disputes the co founder label later, the professional response is factual and brief: you were part of the original founding team, held the COO role formally, and the company later rebranded after your exit. That is usually the end of the discussion.

Answer 2

Hi,
Regarding your title, both "Co-founder" and "Founding Team Member / Early Executive (COO)" are strong; consulting recruiters care far more about your demonstrated impact and achievements than semantic title distinctions.
On background checks, firms primarily verify dates and titles via official channels, but for early-stage startups, they often rely on provided documentation (like your contract) and may contact listed references. From that POV, a more conservative title may be better.
In case of discrepancies, they may ask you questions. Be prepared to show your formal employment contract as evidence and focus the conversation on your concrete responsibilities and accomplishments (e.g., "I held an executive operating role from inception, as shown here, where I led X and achieved Y").
For me, when I was joining McKinsey, the background check firm first asked me to fill out all the details on education and prior jobs. You can also indicate "HR title" in that form, I believe, and add a comment. Then they asked for evidence from me, such as prior contracts & contacts of past employers. Then they contacted the past employers. One of my employers wasn't responding, so they asked alternative contacts such as someone on the team etc. So you may also give an alternative contact to them, and also put a comment that the company rebranded etc.
Hope this helps.
Kateryna