Head of Human Capital | Data-Centric Industrial Automation Company
After several failed attempts using other executive search firms, our client engaged the services of NGS Global, where we successfully identified and secured an outstanding human capital leader.
Background
Our client, a rapidly growing industrial automation company, help customers identify production issues by providing visibility into production processes, by way of intuitive dashboards, analysis, and scorecards available enterprise-wide, in real-time, from anywhere. They help customers spend less time collecting and analyzing data, and more time using the platform to drive efficiency, identify issues beforehand using AI/ML, and uncover hidden improvement opportunities. With a focus on the manufacturing industry, the firm’s customer portfolio spans paper mills, sugar mills, distilleries, breweries, independent institutions, and mining.
The Need
The client was seeking to hire their first Head of Human Capital, in order to streamline and build their human capital function, as well as work closely with the firm’s leadership group to conceptualize and execute initiatives that attract and retain talent. In addition, there was a need to build organizational capabilities in order to ready it for future growth, not only in India but across markets like the Americas, which the company wanted to enter. This was a key strategic executive role with a significant impact on the organization’s growth and performance. The co-founders of the company wanted a human capital leader who could approach issues from first principles, be hands-on with people challenges and, most importantly, have the ability to connect with staff at all levels of the business.
The client had tried on their own and also used a couple of other executive search firms, but could not identify the right candidate. One of their key shareholders, a leading venture capital fund, recommended us at that point.
Strategy and Approach
Acknowledging the need for a leader who was well versed with a young employee profile (as our client was a new age, technology-led company) and who, preferably, had an understanding of the software, technology services, industrial automation or engineering/design sectors, we built an exhaustive list of companies from these sectors in the local market. We then approached their #1 HR leaders (in the case of a mid-sized company) and #1 and #2 HR leaders (in the case of a large company) to determine interest and suitability, and thereby developed a shortlist of highly relevant and strategically targeted candidates.
We presented six exceptional candidates to the client, out of which one was offered the position. He came from the India offshore center of a large global technology and software engineering services company, and had a high level of capability on the key criteria for the role. He demonstrated that he could effortlessly transition from a large company environment to a rapid growth environment, and had built human capital systems and processes from the ground up.
Our NGS Global Value-Add
• Structured market research based on first principles and partner-led search execution helped us quickly identify the most suitable candidates for the role.
• Helping an organization find an excellent solution where it had previously failed to do so.
• A thorough understanding of the client’s brief ensured that we presented only the most relevant candidates for the client’s consideration.
• Providing strategic inputs on the search strategy based on our market knowledge as we progressed with our search.
Contact Soumitra Agarwal (Project Lead)
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