Case Study - Goss

Background

Goss is the world’s leading manufacturer of web offset printing press systems, primarily for newspapers but also for advertising inserts and catalogues. The business employs 4000 people worldwide, approximately 1500 in Europe. Global sales are in the region of $1bn.

The Challenge

Due to the impending retirement of a key Sales Manager for Southern Europe, our brief was to find his replacement. He had successfully held the post for many years, was highly respected and very well connected in the industry. He was therefore a ‘hard act to follow’. Goss required someone with extensive experience of leading teams and sales of high value equipment to the newspaper sector. Based in France, he/she would be multilingual and have lived and worked in more than one country.

The Solution

Because of the specific nature of the role and the sector, a targeted search approach was used, concentrating on companies supplying specialist equipment to the newspaper industry across France, Spain and Italy. The most difficult part of the search was finding candidates with in-depth international experience. There were relatively few candidates who fitted the requirement; consequently great care and professionalism was required in the approach and treatment of each individual.

The Outcome

Following a comprehensive search campaign which took us additionally to South America, we put forward a shortlist of three candidates. We then arranged subsequent client interviews. The candidate appointed had worked as an Area Sales Manager in France, Spain, Italy and Argentina and was multilingual in French, English, Spanish and Italian. She has been in post 2 1/2 years and has recorded significant sales achievements for Goss.

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