Case Studies – Search

One of the best-known free-sheet newspaper businesses was expanding into Southern and Eastern Europe and needed managing directors for Poland, Hungary, Italy and Spain. Research Europe compiled company target lists in these countries covering (i) other newspaper businesses (traditional and free-sheet), (ii) TV broadcasters and (iii) media buying agencies.
We identified potential candidates in general management or senior sales management positions. We screened candidates for interest and suitability and also networked extensively to find additional appropriate candidates.

A TV production and rights business with a catalogue of childrens’ properties needed a commercial director to develop and exploit programming and brands globally. Research Europe identified and screened candidates with the relevant international and childrens’ brands experience in (i) entertainment production companies, (ii) formats companies, (iii) rights owners, (iv) brand management companies, (v) licensing businesses and (vi) broadcasters.

A global content and consumer products business needed a distribution director to manage the sale and distribution of branded TV channels and online content in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). We searched, approached and screened candidates in channel owners across Europe with extensive channel sales and distribution experience on satellite and cable platform in the region. The shortlist included candidates from a range of countries, all of whom had close knowledge of the platform owners in the key CEE markets.

An international broadcaster, post re-structuring, needed a director of central programming to be charged with the acquisition, commissioning and scheduling of programmes in over 30 countries. We targeted and approached (i) candidates with international programming experience from the small number of multi-country broadcasters in Europe, and also identified (ii) candidates with extensive commissioning and acquisition experience from large single-country broadcasters. The shortlist consisted of candidates from the UK, Holland, Germany and Sweden.

A diversified UK media group asked Research Europe to find a new publisher for a declining B2B journal whose brand was tired and had no sense of direction.
Research Europe searched for existing publishers, head of advertising sales and other candidates with relevant commercial and general management experience within (i) other journal publishers and (ii) B2B data businesses.
The successful candidate repositioned the journal’s brand, shifted the business online, diversified commercial activities and significantly increased both revenue and profit – all within two years.

A private equity-owned international online media publisher sought a B2B marketing director to enhance communication and relationships with their suppliers. We searched for senior marketeers with extensive B2B, online and digital marketing experience in the media and general industry. The candidate eventually chosen from our shortlist crucially combined relevant industry expertise with superior B2B marketing and internet business experience.

A venture capital-backed UK online luxury goods retailer sought a chief technology officer to re-engineer their ecommerce platform and scale it up for international business expansion. Research Europe searched, screened and short-listed CTOs, heads of development and lead architects, all of whom had built or modified trading platforms within fast-growth ecommerce businesses.

Case Studies – Insight

A global academic publisher wanted to hire a new managing director for its Health Sciences division. Research Europe identified and profiled potential candidates in other academic publishers, data companies and more general print/online media businesses, all of which helped the client decide whether to commission an executive search.

A leading independent TV production company was planning to hire new key talent across multiple production genres: entertainment, comedy, factual and specialist factual. Research Europe produced a ‘talent map’ of potential candidates across these genres within competitor production companies and UK broadcasters.