Chief Commercial Officer hired in six weeks

The brief

A company under NDA needed a commercial director to set the commercial strategy, manage sales, grow relationships with key clients and find new partners. The role also covered market and competitor analysis, improvement of existing business processes, and leadership of the sales department, including goals and control of results.

The client looked for at least five years in a commercial director role or a similar one, strong negotiation and sales management skills, experience leading a team, and analytical thinking.

How the search went

Within the first week we found the profile of the future CCO in a CV database. Two weeks after the role opened we held a video interview with the candidate, and the profile went to the client with a written summary of achievements, skills, availability and conditions.

The funnel in numbers

41 candidates entered the search. 18 reached screening, 8 had a video interview with us and 5 were reviewed by the client. One of them moved to the test task, received the offer and accepted it. The search took six weeks from opening the role to the CCO starting.

For 10 candidates the search ended with a recorded outcome. 4 did not match the requirements, 2 did not reply, 2 went to our stop list, 1 was declined after a review and 1 did not match the company culture.

Why this candidate

Our notes describe a systemic thinker who adapts quickly. The profile matched the brief closely.

• More than twenty years of management experience, with roles from commercial director to the top of a company.

• Launching new business units from scratch.

• Building KPI systems and sales analytics, and introducing CRM systems.

• Leading large teams on both the strategic and the operational level.

The offer and the first months

Our work continued after the interviews. We helped the company discuss the offer with the candidate. Then we acted as the link between both sides to agree and approve the goals and the motivation system for the role. This took many conversations and negotiations.

We stayed in touch with the company and the new CCO until the end of the probation period, and later as well.

What to take from it

• For a commercial director the goals and the motivation system are part of the hiring. We agreed them together with both sides, acting as the link between the company and the candidate.

• A written profile helps the client decide. Each candidate we present comes with achievements, skills, availability and conditions in one place.

• A steady rhythm keeps the search short: the first video interview two weeks after the role opened, and the CCO at work after six weeks.

• Support after the start matters. Staying in touch through the probation period and beyond helps both sides settle into the work.