Innovation Head for Diamond-Focused Chemical Producer

The Challenge

Our client needed a “statesman” with a PhD and an MBA to lead commercialization of their innovation team globally. This role was global and required someone with equal amounts of technical excellence and past success commercializing innovation on a global basis.

The Approach

Cross cultural experience with North America and the UK required special research and preparation
The highly technical and commercial requirement made it necessary to access our personal networks in the first stage of research and sourcing. Special attentions was made to keep the search confidential as the materials experts in this area all knew each other.

Statesman like approach to search
Screening and interviewing luminaries is a quite different process. Preparation in depth was required. More importantly we had to have knowledge of the field, but in no way did we act as materials science experts. This allowed us to get to the real person for fit and not get bogged down in technicalities. Much time was spent on personal connections and like hobbies and interests to for a rapport at the right level.

Group leadership skills
From the beginning it was clear that the successful candidate would have to have exceptional team building skills. The client clearly needed someone who could bring all the innovation teams together and extract commercial value form their endeavors. This had to be done while maintaining a high degree of academic excellence within the client innovation teams. Clearly interviewing for leadership was crucial.

The Magellan Difference

• By leveraging our personal contacts in the field were able to get to a short list quickly.
• Candidates were interviewed about the business side globally and did not deflect to technical issues.
• Talking to the candidate form our own personal global interests formed a top down common bond that proved very effective in managing the hiring process.

The Results

Successful placement made
Magellan’s team the leader and worked with the client to ensure integration went smoothly.

Global on-boarding
The project team lead from Magellan worked closely with the client to ensure onboarding went smoothly in both the UK and the US.