Success Stories
Following are selected examples of search assignments RJI has completed for industry leaders:
General Manager
A London based healthcare information systems company was seeking an individual to lead its business development efforts for a standalone business unit in New York. The General Manager’s key objective was to manage the development and sales growth within the U.S., while ensuring that the U.S. software development teams were used as both an international resource and post-sales U.S. software customization group. The challenge was to identify an individual who has a strong international software background, cognizance of healthcare on a global stage, and the turnaround skills required to further establish its reputation as a recognized major player in this arena. A passive candidate from a competing software house was selected.
Vice President, Operations
A $5 billion medical device manufacturer was seeking an individual to provide overall management and integration of engineering and operations through the company, to establish and implement an integrated advanced technology development business strategy, and an integrated productivity improvement and low cost operations strategy for the company. The challenge was to find a candidate who had experience in a high tech, state-of-the-art manufacturing environment with knowledge of microelectronics, avionics electronics, and semiconductors. An American working in London was selected.
Chief Executive Officer
A venture capital firm involved in myriad start-up operations in the biotechnology industry was seeking a Chief Executive Officer to lead the strategic growth and grass roots build-up of an organization surrounding a new pharmaceutical breakthrough technology. The challenge was to identify an individual who possessed experience in lean, start-up environments, the leadership skills required to effectively lead in the most difficult stage of company growth, with enough scientific background to understand and easily communicate the technology to both the investment banking community as well as scientists at the bench. A general manager from a division of a world leading pharmaceutical company was selected.
Vice President, Business Development
An $800 million consumer products division of a Fortune 500 healthcare client was seeking an individual to provide leadership to a core unit, including coordinating marketing, strategic planning and business development activities across a diverse matrixed organization. This core unit would be responsible for transitioning application of technology from medical product technology into a commercially viable product line in the highly competitive glucose monitoring world. Our challenge was to identify a candidate with international experience in a both consumer products and pharma/device technology/business development. A woman from a multinational conglomerate who was the Director of European Business Development in Brussels, and a graduate of both Harvard and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy was selected.
Vice President, Technology Strategy & Planning
The corporate headquarters of a $3 billion medical device manufacturer recognized the need to add to staff an individual to develop the technology strategy and assist in setting the technology vision for the corporation World Wide. While teaming with the respective business units to develop technology planning processes and leverage technology across the corporation, this individual would be responsible for establishing and leading the technology planning management and decision practices, and ensuring that the various business units bring their technology strategy in line with the corporate vision. Our challenge was to identify and individual whose background included a unique mix of technology, product development and strategic planning, in addition to possessing sufficient experience in the healthcare arena to bring to the position a “big picture” understanding of the medical device arena. A passive candidate from a top manufacturer of medical devices and technology based products was selected.
Vice President, Technology
A $200 million division of a $6 billion medical device manufacturer with a goal of significantly outpacing their main competitor was seeking an individual to lead the Research & Development effort in pursuit of product development cycles that would accomplish this objective. With an eye toward driving down cost through technology, this individual would be responsible for the management of applied research, product development, technology programs and structuring the technology group to respond to market demands through reducing development cycle time. Our challenge was to identify an individual with significant product development skills, an understanding of how to infuse technology into low tech medical devices, and the leadership skills to steer the workforce through a change effort. A passive candidate from a leader in technology based medical devices was selected.
Vice President, Supply Chain Management
A $400 million division of a $4.5 billion consumer products and healthcare company was seeking an individual to revolutionize the supplier chain management procurement process and dramatically increase flow of product from raw all points worldwide to the customer. The challenge was to identify individuals who had implemented JIT, SPC, TQM supplier management processing, negotiated purchasing agreements, and was also capable of setting up and rolling out a supply chain IT infrastructure to be used company-wide. A passive candidate from a leading supplier to the automotive industry was selected.
Vice President, Department of Management Controls
Our client, one of the nation’s premier investment banking firms, was seeking an individual to establish, build, and effectively lead a firm-wide management team to assure continued leadership in global financial markets. The individual would conceive & develop strategies and implement short & long range plans to identify operations weaknesses. Additionally the candidate would be responsible for redesigning/re-engineering processes across the organization in order to make weaknesses core competencies.
Our challenge was to identify a strong, strategic thinker to direct a team of professionals in all areas entailed in investment banking activities. The candidate was to have outstanding leadership skills and demonstrate technical and management abilities in a rapidly changing environment. A candidate from a top Wall Street investment banking firm was selected.
Vice President, Research & New Product Development
Our client, a plastics/chemical division of a $3 billion privately held corporation with a goal of rapid growth into the specialty chemicals market, was seeking a change agent to lead the R&D/Product Development functions into the next millennium. This individual would be responsible for significantly reducing development cycle time and building a product development function with the capability of commercializing ideas to address quickly growing niche markets in the specialty chemicals arena.
Our challenge was to identify an industrially creative individual with vast experience bringing new product to market, a clear understanding of how to shrink product development cycles and the people skills necessary to drive change in an environment that had not experienced market driven R&D. A candidate with over 150 patents was selected from a world leader in specialty chemicals.
Senior Gas Turbine Engineers – Switzerland / U.S.A. (30 Engineers)
Our client, a Swiss-based worldwide leader in electrical power generation equipment, was seeking to expand its United States gas turbine engineering staff. The goal of the project was to identify, select and hire 30 high potential senior mechanical engineers to work both in the U.S. and Switzerland. The Swiss contingent would be spending two to three years in Europe for training purposes and then transferred back to the U.S.
Our challenge was to identify high caliber engineers with eight to ten years experience who met very strict selection criteria and whose personal situation would allow for a European assignment. RJI presented a turn-key proposal which included sourcing, identifying, interviewing, resume preparation, travel planning, on-site client interview coordination and scheduling, and closing negotiations which includes drafting offer letters. Thirty-one new hires resulted from this assignment. The project was to be completed within a six month time frame and using Cycle Time Management techniques, we were able to keep our costs within the specified bid range and finish the project on time.