The Challenge
An international eCommerce platform provider based in Paris needed a new Chief Technology Officer after their previous CTO left for a competitor. The company was approaching a critical phase — preparing for an IPO — and required strong technology leadership to be in place quickly.
The client originally considered using a recruitment agency but recognised that the sensitivity and confidential urgency of the role demanded a retained headhunting approach. They selected MSC based on the firm’s three unique headhunting guarantees.
Our Approach
The retained search was comprehensive and rigorous:
- Over 100 candidates approached across the European eCommerce sector
- The best 20 candidates screened, then narrowed to 10 for in-person interviews
- A final shortlist of 4 world-class candidates presented with detailed reports
- The entire process completed in 6 weeks — 2 weeks ahead of the guaranteed timeline
The Result
The client hired two candidates from the shortlist — one as CTO and one as VP of Engineering — significantly strengthening their technology leadership ahead of the planned IPO. The dual appointment demonstrated both the depth and quality of MSC’s candidate pipeline.
“We originally considered using a recruitment agency to fill our vacancy, however because of the sensitivity and confidential urgency, we decided to engage a reputable Headhunting firm. MSC Headhunters was by far the most professional and experienced to manage our vacancy. Within weeks we had a shortlist of candidates, weeks later we hired two of them.”
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