Background: RSMR was hired by a major U.S. power equipment and systems manufacturer to help the company find an executive to lead its strategic initiative for the company’s smart grid business. Already a well-established and recognizable industry player with a portfolio of existing smart grid products, the company required a leader who would work with the CEO and the executive team to pull together a cohesive strategy, messaging, and unifying voice to champion its efforts to the utility world.
Challenge: Because this was a newly created position with its own unique intricacies, characteristics, and requirements, there was a great deal of uncertainty around exactly what the ideal candidate should look like and where this person would come from. The company had a number of managers internally who were very interested in the role, so we needed to identify someone who was clearly head and shoulders above the internal candidates and would also earn their respect and trust.
Action: RSMR organized an intensive pre-search process that involved meeting with the company’s CEO and other key executives involved in the interview and evaluation process to gain an in-depth understanding of what the client required of this new hire as well as help to center the team on a core statement of purpose. Because there were a host of possible target companies where this person could come from, RSMR conducted an exhaustive search through our client’s top five competitors in the industry while also looking into other possible sources, such as management consulting firms and power industry think tanks. After a thorough sweep of these organizations, RSMR assembled a diverse slate of strong candidates, incorporating client feedback throughout the process and delivering the right candidate ahead of schedule. When it came time to craft an offer, we provided detailed compensation information from the candidate which helped the client structure an attractive and fair compensation package for the finalist.
Resolution: As a direct report to the CEO, the Director has been doing an exceptional job of working deftly across business units and assembling resources to drive the company’s smart grid presence into the market in an impactful way. The CEO has indicated that the Director’s work has already earned him promotional opportunities in the future once his current mandate has been completed.
