IT director for a large transport holding company

Kontakt InterSearch Russia was approached by a representative of a transportation holding company with a request to find a new head of the IT unit. The current manager was not handling the operational tasks well and was not prepared to lead the IT transformation at the company. The search for a new director had already been conducted by another consulting company, but there had been no results.

The main task of the top manager was to develop a new IT strategy in accordance with the business objectives of the holding company, create a unified IT landscape and unified architecture, as well as optimize and transform the existing IT processes and systems. In addition, the client demanded a strategically thinking, communicative, and initiative candidate, capable of defending their position by communicating with members of the board of the holding. The search for candidates with such a set of personal qualities, combined with a solid portfolio and work experience in holding structures is an ambitious task, and Kontakt InterSearch Russia consultants successfully coped with it.

The market for IT managers with transformational experience in large holdings is quite narrow. Strict client requirements in the area of personal competencies of a potential leader narrowed it down even more. But there was another difficulty. It was the unwillingness of many candidates to relocate to Central Russia – that is where the company's office was located, and potential managers were mainly residents of Moscow and, less frequently, St. Petersburg. Highlighting the key advantages of the position – diverse tasks, high level of responsibility, and attractive financial conditions – helped attract candidates.

Complete transparency from both Kontakt InterSearch and the client made this project possible. The consultants adjusted the search strategy several times, responding promptly to the hiring party's comments. Apart from that, Kontakt InterSearch experts asked the company to provide internal information: what qualities of candidates the CEO and heads of functional units pay attention to; what kind of managers the top management is used to seeing in terms of achieving key objectives, solving arising problems, and implementing initiatives. This helped to exclude managers with relevant experience, but personality traits that did not fit the corporate culture from the search at the stage of interviews with candidates.

After analyzing the candidate market, the consultants concluded that the financial motivation offered by the company was well below the requirements of the candidates. The experts managed to convince the client to increase the salary and bonuses of the future employee. This was another impetus for the successful completion of the project. The finalist, who was made an offer, suited the company on all criteria. They, in turn, were attracted by the company's new terms.

Now, the IT director continues to work successfully at the company. Since their arrival (a few months later), the holding's IT strategy, architecture, and business-critical systems and processes have been completely overhauled. The increase in financial motivation fully justified itself - this was the conclusion the customer came back with after only a few months of working with the finalist. The customer was very satisfied with this candidate.