Chief commercial officer in a pharmaceutical company to build a department from scratch

The client contacted Kontakt InterSearch Russia to select a candidate for the position of CCO. Prior to that, the company had had no commercial structure, and the new top manager had to build it for themselves and, in particular, organize the sales department and oversee the development of marketing strategy.

At this stage, the company needed to focus on high-margin products, increase the pool of partners, and attract new distributors.

The client did not have an understanding of what a commercial structure was and what kind of person should head it. The candidate coming to this position had to prescribe a KPI for themselves, taking into account the goals set for them by the CEO.

The main challenge was finding a candidate with experience in sales, marketing, and procurement. Typically, the procurement department is not part of the commercial structure, so the manager had to actively interact with it during the execution of joint tasks.

The client was a small company, and it was important to increase its recognition in the market, as well as to develop the personal brand of the head. Candidates got the opportunity to meet with the company's top executives. Consultants identified the strengths of the brand and tried to convey the idea that the company had complete autonomy of processes and projects, and that management was receptive to the opinion of employees.

Each week, the experts contacted the client to report the search progress. Consultants participated in the client's meetings with candidates, which allowed them to discuss each candidate without misinterpretation, and Kontakt InterSearch experts were able to provide objective recommendations on the strengths and risks of each candidate.

In the process, the client's ideas about the functions, place in the company's structure, and cost of the CCO services were adjusted. Finally, if the client had questions that were not directly related to the position, consultants tried to provide complete information, give advice, and even recommend specialists at no charge.

The selected candidate led the commercial department and successfully passed the probationary period. At a meeting with Kontakt InterSearch Russia consultants, the CEO thanked them for the successful cooperation and noted that he felt comfortable working with the new employee.