Some Case Studies from BVA’s Search Experience
Case 1:
The Challenge: Find the ‘photon in the haystack’ candidate.
Our client is a virtual-holographic computing platform company with 3-D display technology. They needed to recruit the VP Hardware Engineering with multi-disciplinary domain experience that includes optics, materials science, electrical, and mechanical engineering. The company had tried recruiting through referrals for over a year.
BVA completed the search in four months. The successful candidate was located in Xiamen, China where he was working for a Chinese optical lens company. He has 20 experience years in the design of optics for mobile applications, materials science, liquid crystal displays, imaging optics, systems engineering, manufacturing and process engineering. He has published over 19 technical papers covering Optical System Design, Illumination, Electro-optics, Liquid Crystal Materials, Electrical Addressing and Materials Physics. After six months at the company he has been promoted to VP Engineering and the company releases their re-architected product in September.
Client Comment: Board Member “Thanks for taking on the search and even more so for getting the search completed in very good time. It was perhaps not the easiest of searches - HW VPs are never easy to find. Everyone at the company and the board seemed pleased with the final candidate that we signed on yesterday.”
Case 2:
The Challenge: ‘Out of the Box’ candidate.
Our client is a retail analytics software company which had several re-starts. The company was underfunded and needed to bring in a ‘fundable’ CEO with relevant experience. The successful candidate was the CIO & VP of Business Strategy of a retail chain of household products where he was responsible for IT and business strategy development, including strategic planning and IT design, support, and operations. Prior to this, he had a distinguished 22-year career at a leading consulting company where he was a Senior Partner in the Retail Practice. He had also been an active board member of a successful start-up which was acquired by Cisco.
Client Comment: "Since our inception, we have been committed to attracting not just the best talent but the best relevant talent” said the Chief Operating Officer. "… knows the mind of our customer, because he's been one."
Case 3:
The Challenge: An Electrifying find.
Our client is developing voltage switchable dielectric material, a polymer nanocomposite that can change properties. It enables ESD protection across PCB’s and semiconductor packaging. They needed to recruit a VP Business Development who could sell the ‘goop’ to cell phone, semiconductor and PCB manufacturers. The search process helped define the requirements and ultimately the focus of the company. The company met with candidates along a continuum of experience - materials background to simple systems. They hired an individual with extensive experience and contacts in the cell phone industry thus defining their initial customer base. The early success in this market has helped the company raise their B round with increased evaluation.