10 Feb Executive Search Reflection: Top 3 Placements made by our Specialists
At the start of 2021, Gavin Crowther, Matt Woods and Fiona Walters wanted to reflect on their Top 3 executive search placements since commencing their careers in the industry.
Gavin commented;
“It’s the variety of projects that I’ve worked on over the years to bring the best-in-class candidates to my clients that I have really enjoyed. Starting off my Top 3, for me, my most memorable placement that really got me into orthopaedics was my first placement into the orthopaedic industry. This was a Regional Sales Manager position for one of the Top 3 global orthopaedic companies. Many years down the line, I’m still in contact with the candidate, and have really enjoyed watching his career grow.
Secondly, I worked on a demanding headhunting project for a private equity backed company in the field of critical care, resulting in the placement of an outstanding Commercial Director for Northern Europe. This was a really different experience to working with a large multi-national within orthopaedics; the pace when working for a PE client is often frenetic and the stakes are high. Understanding and reacting to different client needs, markets and demands is essential, and I can demonstrate how I have achieved this through these two examples above – by matching candidates carefully with client industries and taking into account the vision and culture of different businesses.
It’s hard to narrow down on just 3 placements to talk about, and naturally I do like to talk about my successes! I’m extremely passionate about the art of executive search and how I’ve contributed to my clients’ business by placing fabulous candidates with them. So, I have to say that the two other areas that are most memorable to me are at the opposite ends of the career spectrum. Identifying and placing high-potential new graduates into their first role and watching them grow is at one end of the spectrum. And finally, taking the responsibility for helping today’s business leaders in the MedTech industry with their career progression and hiring strategy for their business is always a proud achievement”.
Next to Fiona;
“In the last decade I’ve enjoyed all of the executive search projects that the Ortho Consulting Team has worked on. Much like Gavin, my Top 3 experiences that I am most proud of vary widely. This is part of the absolute joy and challenge of working in executive search; no two placements, clients or candidates are the same, and as an executive recruiter, having to be able to understand the needs of a business when finding them the perfect person for the role requires an in-depth understanding of many factors.
My proudest achievement was in placing a candidate into an International President position at an orthopaedic multi-national. This project happened early on in my recruitment career, and I had put myself under a lot of pressure, as I was determined to succeed in finding the perfect person for the business. I collaborated with the VP of HR on this project, who had taken a measured risk in appointing Ortho Consulting Group, rather than a larger search firm, like Korn Ferry or Heidrick and Struggles for this search project. Our client was so pleased with the service that we offered in securing the right person for their business that they paid us an additional financial reward over and above our agreed terms and conditions. It has been a pleasure to stay connected with the candidate, and all the shortlisted candidates for this role, having met them during interviews on mainland Europe.
Another highlight for me is at Sales Associate level. Recruiting at this level presents a whole new range of challenges, and competition is high for entry-roles into the medical device industry, but equally flooded by potential candidates, with little or no record of accomplishment with which to assess their capabilities. Often, I am bound by strict hiring criteria, such as adhering to strict educational background criteria when presenting candidates at this level. While these criteria are important, sometimes an outstanding candidate comes along who you know will achieve remarkable things. This was the case went I met an Olympian, who was looking to enter the medical device industry. Despite not matching all the criteria laid out by my client, I convinced them to meet the candidate who was subsequently employed and went on to become their International Sales Representative of the Year.
Finally, it’s a success story that we use as a case study, I placed a candidate into an International Product Manager role, in a field outside of orthopaedics. Not only did this demonstrate how Ortho Consulting Group can manage executive search projects across the medical device industry, but the search process was enhanced by working with the best hiring manager in terms of giving meaningful candidate feedback and being very clear on exactly what he was looking for, but also due to the great feedback we received from the candidate. “Just to keep you in the loop, start date all agreed, notice handed in, and contracts all signed! Thanks for all your help!”
Matt’s concluding comments to our discussion were; “Executive search is where Ortho Consulting Group started. We’ve expanded into becoming a global expansion partner that builds and strengthens sales channels internally and externally. Search is still an important part of what we do and who we are. When I talk to contacts in Venture Capital and Private Equity about how we can help them achieve their aims, it’s the package of solutions that we offer across consultancy, distributor search and management, executive search and M&A/investment support which makes us a compelling partner”.
If you would like to discuss our executive search service further, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with us:
Tel: +44(0) 203 011 5574
Email: info@orthocg.com