Overview
A leading global company approached us with a unique challenge: finding the right candidate for a replacement Managing Director role for a newly acquired arm of the business.
The position required a rare blend of high-level leadership and deep technical expertise in engineering. The client, a long-standing partner, entrusted us exclusively with this critical assignment due to our proven ability to deliver results. Adding to the complexity, the business was underperforming, and this role was central to a turnaround project aimed at increasing output to suppliers and driving overall operational efficiency.
Key Challenges
The role’s specifications were highly niche. The ideal candidate needed to demonstrate:
Turnaround Leadership Required: The role involved spearheading a critical turnaround project. Addressing underperformance and implementing strategies to improve output to suppliers, stabilise operations, and restore business growth.
Exceptional Leadership Skills: To guide the organisation through a pivotal growth phase.
Engineering Expertise: A strong technical foundation to oversee complex projects and lead innovation
Vision for Growth: The ability to strategically align the team’s objectives with the company’s future goals.
The client’s decision to create this position stemmed from their ambition to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving industry. This made the search even more crucial, as the selected MD would shape the company’s trajectory for years to come.
Tailored Recruitment Strategy
This role exemplified the importance of a specialized and targeted recruitment strategy. Our Executive Division employed advanced headhunting techniques to secure the perfect match. Key elements of our tailored approach included:
Headhunting Expertise: We leveraged our extensive industry connections and insights to identify top-tier candidates who were not actively seeking new opportunities but were the perfect fit for this role.
Specialist Executive Division: Our dedicated Executive Division brought a strategic focus, ensuring that the process aligned with the client’s vision and long-term goals.
Custom Candidate Engagement: Personalized outreach and engagement strategies ensured that we attracted and retained the interest of the ideal candidate.
Value Delivered
Deep Industry Expertise: Our Engineering and Manufacturing division has an in-depth understanding of the sector's challenges and requirements. This enabled us to precisely define the skills and leadership qualities essential for the role, ensuring the candidate met not just the technical criteria but also the company’s cultural and strategic needs.
Long-Standing Relationship: Thanks to years of partnership, we had a detailed understanding of the client’s business, culture, and goals. This relationship allowed us to act swiftly and accurately, identifying the exact type of candidate they needed without an extended onboarding process.
Access to a Specialist Network: Over the years, we have cultivated an extensive network of highly skilled professionals in the engineering and manufacturing sectors. This network allowed us to reach candidates not typically accessible through traditional channels, many of whom were passive job seekers open to the right opportunity.
Exclusive Focus and Commitment: By working with us on an exclusive basis, the client benefited from our full focus and resources. This exclusive approach allowed us to dedicate more time to candidate research, engagement, and assessment, ultimately leading to a superior hire.
The Outcome
Within a tight timeframe, we successfully placed a candidate who exceeded expectations. The individual brought:
Over a decade of experience in senior leadership roles within engineering.
A track record of driving innovation and leading multidisciplinary teams.
The vision and capability to align technical advancements with business strategy.
The client expressed immense satisfaction with the process and the outcome. The newly appointed MD has already begun driving positive change and positioning the company for sustained success.