My idea of a great client is a company with an aggressive and professional
culture, or a CEO who wants to create such a culture.
Fortune 500 - Line of Business Executive Roles Leveraging Technology
Corporations want to get more cost reduction and strategic
impact from technology investments.
A new class of corporate executives is evolving today, using the Internet to
transform traditional business functions. These include: VP Supply Chain,
CIO, CFO for IT, VP Strategic Sourcing, VP eBusiness, VP Performance Management,
Chief Customer Officer.
Software
Vendors - Retained Search for "C" Level Executives
Strategic concerns for these companies are the decreasing margins
arising from commoditization of the software marketplace, the excess
capacity of enterprise software in corporate IT departments, subscription
and hosted delivery models, and changing goals regarding liquidity events.
Concerns regarding hiring are finding executives who can adapt
to these changes, leverage these changes in the marketplace, selling
and delivering software. A successful track record is the starting
point. Identifying candidates with the ability to apply those skills
to a changed market is critical.
IT
Consultancies - Retained Search for Senior Executives and Partners
After a decade of incredible growth sparked by
corporations implementing enterprise software applications like SAP and
Peoplesoft, and pursuing Internet initiatives, consultancies are now challenged
by the economic downturn. Corporate customers are buying less, and asking for
higher value from consultants, with far fewer enterprise software
implementations. Additionally, offshore outsourcing of software development and
maintenance is driving down margins. And public markets do not warmly receive
the exit strategy of an IPO for professional services firms.
Concerns regarding hiring are finding
experienced, disciplined, creative executives who can build and operate
profitable consulting firms in the face of these challenges. They must be
businesspeople first, neither pure strategists nor software delivery
executives.
Outsourcers - Retained Search for "C" Level Executives
Outsourcing is a rapidly growing industry, in IT, Call Centers
and Business Process Outsourcing of back office functions. But
outsourcers are challenged by the economic downturn too, and by
decreasing margins due to offshore competition and growing customer
expectations.
Concerns regarding hiring are finding executives who can innovatively
and profitably grow outsourcing businesses. This requires innovative
executives who can both strategize and execute.
