Client : Planasa, a global leader in the agri-food sector, specialising in breeding
Position: Business Development Manager, Reporting to the EMEA Commercial Director
Location: South Africa
Model: Exclusive - Retained
Challenges:
- Candidate retention
- Time constraints
- Language barrier
The Assignment
Whilst expanding into the South African market, Planasa were seeking to identify and secure a highly specialised Business Development Manager possessing a unique skill set that blended technical acumen with exceptional commercial prowess. This critical hire would play a pivotal role in spearheading the company's entry and development efforts in the targeted region, ensuring a competitive edge and sustainable growth in this emerging market. Recognising the challenges of identifying, engaging, qualifying and securing this critical hire, Planasa started the search for support from a specialist executive search firm with the skills and experience to secure niche key senior talent within the global fresh produce sector. They found LCR International Limited.
The Solution
Prior to starting the search for Planasa (at the time a new client for LCR), we scheduled compressive meetings with the CHRO and senior leadership team to gain a deep understanding of the unique culture of the company, it’s long term vision, required timescales and the critical importance of the role in achieving Planasa’s strategic objective for the region. Throughout the process we maintained open lines of communication with Planasa, providing regular updates and inviting client feedback to ensure alignment and maximise the chances of a successful search outcome.
The Result
LCR employed a tenacious approach to this search to identify individuals with the specialised blend of technical, commercial and product knowledge. Undeterred by the limited candidate pool we cast a wide yet targeted net across the region, leaving no stone unturned in identifying and reaching out to every single potential candidate, Out commitment to exhaust all possibilities ensured that no qualified individual slipped through the net and allowed us to ultimately secure the ideal candidate for this critical role.
Timeline (Client Schedule – 5 months from brief to start date (3.5 months from brief to offer)
Week 1 → Client briefing | Talent Mapping | Potential candidate approaches.
Week 2 → Assessment of potential candidates | Screening interviews.
Week 3 → Initial shortlist presented to Planasa.
Week 4 → First stage interviews.
Week 6 → Second stage interviews and assessments.
Week 7 → Additional candidates from the ongoing and comprehensive search added to the process | CV reviews.
Week 9 → Second round of second stage interviews and assessments. .
Week 12 → Final stage in person interviews with preferred candidates.
Week 14 → Offer of employment extended to the perfect candidate.
