Head of EU Operations, Global SaaS Organisation
Our client is a Fortune 150 company who acquired two premier SaaS and hardware companies thereby forming the second largest global SaaS and hardware..
The Client
Our client is a Fortune 150 company who acquired two premier SaaS and hardware companies thereby forming the second largest global SaaS and hardware company in the world. With a combined operating base of over 40,000 customers and continued double-digit growth since their inception, they’re not only one of the largest but also one of the fastest growing companies in their marketplace.
With over 400,000 connections globally they are in the top 3 of companies in their space. Their scale enables them to deliver the products that have recently seen tremendous growth.
As an organisation, the group have a very strong cash position and will continue investing in aligned businesses so they plan to grow organically and inorganically.
The Role
Our client approached Collingwood to search for a new Director of EU Operations to oversee a multi-site operation and strategically align, culturally integrate and direct the activities of a multi-functional operations team in pursuit of world-class customer service as measured by safety, quality, delivery, and cost.
Reporting directly to the VP & Chief Service Officer based at the groups HQ in America, this post was a UK business critical position.
About the author
Having started his career in Executive Search in 1998, Doug set up Collingwood in 2005 alongside his wife, Claire Mackay.
Read more >Share
The Soluton
Due to our initial contact being based in America, various in-depth conference calls were hosted to fully map out both the technical and behavioural attributes the incumbent would need to possess. Once the parameters were ascertained, we met with the UK Head of HR to secure the relationship and continue the campaign. It was quickly apparent that given the multi-faceted nature of the role, it required an inspirational leader with a blend of managerial courage, a natural interest in digital technology, someone familiar with acquisitions, a proactive change manager and an individual who drives continuous improvement.
Given our strong network of senior operators within varying SaaS sectors, an initial target list of aligned companies was collated identifying individuals who had experience in both a software and hardware capacity.
Following rigorous screening, interview & assessment, several candidates were shortlisted to meet the Head of HR based in the UK, before 2 candidates were recommended to be final interviewed by the American VP.
The Result
After Collingwood’s two-stage interview process (telephone interview and latterly a face to face in-depth interview), the final shortlisted candidates were presented to the Head of HR together with comprehensive and detailed interview notes.
To add to their own appraisal, our client was aided by their internal behavioural profiling analysis before being interviewed by the Group’s VP via Skype. From this stage, one candidate was invited to the headquarters in America to meet the board and VP in person.
After evaluating the candidate’s performance and crucially their cultural fit for the business, a unanimous decision was made to appoint our candidate.
