Replaced a failed hire. Right candidate in 4 weeks.

01 — The Challenge

The pressure was high. The first hire had cost them six months and significant pipeline. The board was watching. The CEO needed someone who could hit the ground running — not a candidate who needed six months to ramp. The brief required a Sales Director who had experience in complex logistics or supply chain deals, could manage a small team, and had operated in a company of similar scale.

02 — Our Approach

We ran a post-mortem on the failed hire first — understanding exactly what had gone wrong and why. We redefined the profile based on what the role actually required versus what the job description said. We focused on candidates who had navigated similar transitions: from a structured enterprise environment into an early-stage company where they had to build process as well as pipeline. Every candidate was assessed against a set of competencies derived directly from the failure analysis.

03 — The Outcome

We presented four candidates in 19 days. The client hired their first choice — a Sales Director who had previously built the UK commercial function at a Series B supply chain SaaS. Within six months, the new hire had rebuilt the pipeline, restructured the team, and exceeded their H2 revenue target by 22%.