Chief Sales Officer
Role: Chief Sales Officer (CSO)
Industry: Specialty Chemicals Manufacturing
Client background
A specialty chemicals manufacturer serving rubber chemicals, additives, agrochemicals and food ingredients needed to fill a critical sales leadership position. Because the search was sensitive and needed full confidentiality, the client came to Dedicated HR Services for discreet headhunting.
The challenge
The specialty chemicals manufacturing market is competitive, and its senior sales leaders are well known across customers and competitors. The client needed to keep a low profile throughout, so the search could not be advertised and every conversation had to stay private. Finding the right CSO under these conditions was an intricate task.
What the role demanded
- Specialised knowledge of rubber chemicals, additives, agrochemicals and food ingredients
- A visionary sales leader able to drive revenue growth and market expansion
- Strict adherence to confidentiality during and after the search
- Credibility with technical buyers as well as commercial leadership
How we ran the search
We ran a confidential, partner led search. The client's identity was withheld from candidates until the final stages, and the brief was shared only with leaders who had passed our first assessment. We mapped sales leaders across specialty chemicals manufacturers, distributors and adjacent process industries, and approached each one directly and in confidence.
What we assessed for
- Revenue growth delivered in comparable specialty chemicals segments
- Strength of customer relationships with tyre, rubber goods and agro customers
- Technical understanding of the product range
- Discretion and judgement suited to a sensitive appointment
Our rigorous assessments vetted each candidate against the client's requirements while safeguarding the anonymity of both sides.
The outcome
Dedicated HR Services placed a highly qualified Chief Sales Officer who surpassed the client's expectations. The client secured a strategic sales leader to drive revenue growth and market expansion, while keeping the search confidential from start to finish.
Why it matters
In specialty chemicals, a public search for a sales head can unsettle customers, distributors and the existing team. A confidential executive search protects the business while reaching leaders who would never answer a job advert.
Read more about our specialty chemicals practice and our sales head recruitment work.
Practice: Leadership hiring for India's specialty chemicals growth.
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