Sourcing a Chief Technology Officer for a Defence & Aerospace client
The situation...
Matchtech was engaged as a supplier for the search and placement of a Chief Technology Officer within the defence and aerospace sector – and succeeded in doing exactly that in seven weeks. Normally this is admittedly a short timeframe for an executive hire – but the CTO role was business-critical as was the outlook on the importance of ED&I in the executive function.
What we did...
Following a detailed briefing meeting, where the company’s corporate strategy, values and mission were discussed, our Managing Consultant provided a deep dive into the passive job market. This led to a shortlist of 9 candidates, which was pared down to 3 at interview stage, at which point one final interview was held, with one of the candidates receiving an offer which they accepted.
shortlisted candidates
interviews
offer accepted
Matchtech expertly managed the offer process to ensure the best package and outcome was secured for both the business and the individual – as the candidate had two offers from elsewhere, the mission and impact that this role was a key driver in her decision making.
Perhaps most importantly within this process, the VP Engineering was emphatic about having diversity of thought in their senior team to challenge the status quo in the company. Our successful candidate was a female engineering leader who came from the consumer electronics sector and had no prior experience in defence and security – which meant she was able to bring new ideas, new ways of working, and new approaches to the business.
It’s this attitude that enabled the hire of someone who had not only the experience to work on a diverse and technically complex product range – but also the influence and personality to get buy-in from the board on future product strategy. A win-win in Matchtech’s books.
Exceptional candidate feedback
As testament to the outstanding service Joe provided, see the successful candidate's feedback below:
‘Joe has been a real asset in my search for a new role, helping me to land the perfect job. Joe took the time to understand my strengths and how these align with the role I wanted. Joe was supportive throughout the whole process, preparing me for what to expect at interview and promptly giving me feedback and keeping me updated on where I was in the process. A fantastic recruiter to work with.’
Speak to the expert...
Joe Tomkins leads executive search at Matchtech Defence & Security. He has conducted, led and procured search whilst working for Ultra and Thales in-house global search teams. Joe has an exceptional track record delivering successful searches across Executive, STEM Leadership and Professional Leadership.
For more information on how Joe can support your Executive Search hires, contact him using the details below.
Find out more about our wider sector, skill and service provision on our company website here.