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Automation Equipment Supplier - General Manager OEM Sales
With an unstable semiconductor market and previous downsizing activity, the client was losing confidence amongst its existing employees, including the loss of a General Manager and several key team members.
The client was a US based manufacturer of automation equipment for the semiconductor process industry targeting independent and pure play semiconductor foundries and semiconductor equipment vendors. The company had close to 2000 employees and approaching US$500 million in sales revenues with the APAC region accounting for more than 30% of revenues.
With an unstable semiconductor market in FY2001 and FY2002 the client found itself going through a period of employee downsizing and uncertainty of business growth for the coming years. The effect of the restructuring and change in market sentiment caused a loss of confidence amongst the existing employees and the company found itself losing key members to competitors and other industries. This included the loss of the General Manager for OEM Sales and some other valuable team members. The challenge was to not only find a new GM to service equipment vendor customers, but someone who could win back employee confidence and stabilize the sales organization.
Optia Partner’s Technology team interviewed the Japan Country Manager to discover the issues the company faced in terms of a rapid loss of employee confidence and a demotivated sales force. It was determined that a strong, charismatic and experienced General Manager needed to be found quickly to help build and retain employee confidence. Optia Partners proposed devoting 2 team members in a retained search with a view to produce the right candidate within a 4 to 6 week period.
Considering the limited time Optia had to work with, it was decided that the best course of action was to undertake an intensive database search of our existing on-spec candidates and 2nd choice candidates, who had proven sales management experience but may have come from slightly different sectors. Additionally an intensive referral plan was adopted from our existing contacts in the semiconductor industry.
The search produced a larger pool of initial stage candidates than expected so the team adopted an initial phone screening process to determine which candidates were suitably qualified and also genuinely interested. This step enabled the team to qualify 4 candidates who were very close to the mark and a further 2 with strong sales management experience but from slightly different sectors. The candidates were screened in face to face meetings and a final 4 were chosen to introduce to the client.
The chosen candidate came from a Test and Measurement Equipment vendor. He spent the last 9 years as General Manager of Sales and Marketing and sold to similar customers in the semiconductor industry. Although the candidate did not have the exact turnaround experience of transforming a demotivated sales force into a productive one, he did have a proven track record of building sizeable sales teams on 2 occasions in competitive markets. The candidate also came from a reputable firm and possessed strong communications skills and leadership presence. The client felt that his charisma and experience was just what the company needed and offered the General Manager position.