Global Director of PR and Events for a Leading Beverage Company (12-Month FTC)

The Brief: A leading global beverage company with a heritage stretching back to 1862, renowned for its quality, prestige, and innovation, engaged us to find an interim 12-month cover for their Global PR and Events function. The company had incredibly high expectations regarding creativity, innovation, and previous brand experience. Additionally, they wanted a candidate who could embody the brand’s personality.

The Challenge: The primary challenges were:

1. Meeting the high expectations for creativity and brand experience.
2. Finding a candidate who could culturally fit and exude the brand’s personality.
3. Conducting a global search to identify the best talent within a tight timeframe.

Our Approach: To address these challenges, we implemented a thorough and strategic approach:

1. Client Engagement: The search began with an extensive one-on-one briefing with the client to explore key criteria and desired experience. Prior to the meeting, we researched potential target organisations and candidate profiles, which we then discussed with the client to develop a comprehensive search plan.
2. Proactive Headhunting: We combined proactive headhunting, advertising across multiple relevant online platforms, and utilising our extensive network for recommendations and referrals. This multi-faceted approach ensured we reached a wide and diverse pool of candidates.
3. Candidate Screening: Due to the brand’s popularity, there was significant interest in the role. We interviewed a number of candidates from diverse backgrounds and geographic locations, successfully shortlisting the top five candidates for the client to interview.

The Solution: From the interviews conducted by the client, a candidate from the US was successfully appointed to the role. This candidate, who combined the desired background of both agency and in-house experience, was keen to relocate to London, and the client chose to sponsor their relocation.

Client Reaction: The client was thoroughly impressed with our ability to deliver high-quality candidates who met the stringent requirements of the role. The final decision was heavily influenced by personality fit, underscoring the importance of our comprehensive understanding of the client’s needs.

Transferable Learning: This case study highlights the importance of taking time to fully understand the client’s personality and requirements at the beginning of the search. Despite having many qualified candidates, the final decision was personality-based. The specific brief with tight requirements necessitated a global search to ensure success. Our extensive global network enabled us to access and secure the right candidate.