Securing a new Head of Cloud & Opensource Engineering for a global technology consultancy
Our client, a global technology consultancy, engaged us on a critical search to identify a new Head of Engineering for their Cloud and Open Source practice. The client sought to secure this hire from outside their traditional competitor landscape to bring fresh thinking, drive innovation, and introduce new ways of working. The Head of Engineering needed to double the size of the engineering team within 18 months, possess a strong industry profile, and be actively involved in the Open Source community.
The successful hire was genuinely differentiated and added to the client’s DNA
Following a workshop with the client, we developed a detailed market map to identify technical leadership talent across over 200 B2B/B2C product and technology firms, including PE/VC-backed start-ups and scale-ups. Given the requirement for a confident and experienced public speaker, we also researched over 25 technology and digital conferences across Europe to identify key speakers and industry thought leaders.
Collaborating closely with the client, we crafted personalized messaging to attract and engage potential candidates. As we were targeting outside the client’s traditional competitor landscape, significant market education was necessary. We designed a set of questions to gain valuable insights into the perception of the client and to identify potential barriers.
We provided detailed insights into the perception of the client within the target technical community, revealing low brand recognition and outdated or incorrect opinions about the company. Based on these findings, we made several recommendations to enhance their brand profile and improve engagement.
The successful hire was genuinely differentiated and added to the client’s DNA. They had an entrepreneurial and start-up background, were recognized as an Open Source expert, and were active on the conference circuit and within the Open Source community.
