The position was appointed as part of a succession process. The new CEO was not expected to take over abruptly, but to grow into the responsibility step by step. Initially, the focus was on managing the sales business, including personal sales activities in the upper SME segment. Over time, the person would gradually take responsibility for all business areas of the Swiss company.
The succession had to ensure:
- continuity in leadership and culture
- gradual assumption of responsibility for all business areas
- stability for employees, clients and partners
- expansion of the sales business
- strategic business planning for the Swiss market
- credible reporting to group and board level
- close collaboration with the incumbent CEO during the handover
The Target Profile: Not a Classic Banker, but an Entrepreneur
Functional fit mattered — but the decisive factor was the combination of market understanding, leadership and attitude.
The requirements for the designated CEO were broad. The client was looking for a sales leader with at least 5 years of track record in the leasing or financing industry and a clear focus on the Swiss SME market. At the same time, the role required a solid educational background, good knowledge of applicable laws and regulations in the credit and banking sector, and the ability to build and maintain effective relationships with management, employees and the board.
However, the client was explicitly not looking for a purely banking-oriented profile. What mattered was a personality with entrepreneurial thinking, groundedness, communication strength and results orientation. The person had to be open, trustworthy, fair, team-oriented, client-focused and solution-oriented — a future CEO who assumes responsibility without ego or elbow mentality.
A responsible executive described the expectation as follows:
“It had to be a strong leadership personality who is willing to learn, but definitely not a yes-man.”
This balance was central. The new CEO had to be able to learn from the incumbent CEO while still being strong enough to set his own direction. For the organisation, this was not only about finding a successor, but about choosing someone to whom the company and team could be entrusted in the long term.
The profile required:
- leadership experience in the leasing or financing environment
- sales strength in the upper Swiss SME segment
- understanding of capital goods leasing and financing models
- basic regulatory understanding in credit and banking
- entrepreneurial thinking and action
- ability to contribute to strategic business planning
- communication strength with CEO, team, clients and board
- motivating, empathetic leadership
- strong value orientation and cultural compatibility
The Dual Market Logic: Securing the Existing Business and Enabling New Growth
The successor had to understand the core business while also driving growth in additional segments.
From a functional perspective, two market logics were central. On the one hand, the new CEO had to understand the existing business, particularly the established leasing business with corporate clients. On the other hand, he was expected to support growth in additional financing segments and drive expansion in attractive market areas.
This made the search demanding. Candidates had to be credible in the traditional leasing environment while also bringing enough openness and experience to develop new growth areas. The role was therefore not a pure management position, but a clear leadership and growth mandate.
In addition, the role was visible within the international group. Due to the size and scope of responsibility, the success of the designated CEO would be visible at group level. The person therefore had to be effective locally in the Swiss market while also being able to operate within an international structure.
Particularly important were:
- experience in the Swiss leasing or financing market
- access to the upper SME segment
- understanding of client needs and long-term relationships
- ability to develop market segments with growth potential
- balance between operational sales and strategic leadership
- ability to connect with an international group structure
- willingness to integrate into an existing success culture and further develop it
Cultural Fit as a Central Selection Criterion
The succession had to do more than work on paper — it had to create trust.
Cultural fit carried exceptional weight in this appointment. The client was shaped by trust, reliability, honesty, straightforwardness and high ethical standards. These values not only had to sound convincing in conversation; they had to be credible in the personality of the new CEO.
For the incumbent CEO, the search was personally demanding. He had to find someone who would respect what had been built, take the team along and actively shape the future. The process therefore placed particular emphasis on whether candidates developed genuine enthusiasm for the company’s vision and whether they were able to carry forward an established culture.
A responsible executive summarised the emotional dimension of the succession as follows:
“The topic was emotionally charged. The team wanted to know who would succeed and whether things might change for the worse.”
The task in executive search was therefore not merely to identify suitable CVs. The role had to be positioned to candidates in a way that made the company’s character, values and future perspective tangible. Only then could personalities be attracted who were partly coming from large, well-known companies and had to be inspired by an entrepreneurial CEO succession opportunity in the Swiss market.
The Process: Market Analysis, Positioning and Accelerated Selection
The entire addressable market was systematically screened and the top candidates were actively engaged.
The search process was set up strategically and methodically. First, the relevant market was analysed and filtered. The focus was not only on formal industry experience, but on the question of which personalities could truly fit this succession — professionally, personally and culturally.
The client was presented with 7 top candidates who had serious interest in the role. Already in the first screening, there was a strong fit between the presented profiles and the cultural and personal requirements. From this selection, the 4 strongest candidates were invited to interviews; 3 candidates reached the final interview round.
The process was deliberately accelerated in order not to lose strong candidates. At the same time, the incumbent CEO remained closely involved and conducted conversations with the candidates himself. This allowed the team to assess early on whether, beyond competence and experience, the personal dynamic for the later handover would also work.
The selection process stood out through:
- systematic analysis of the relevant candidate market
- targeted direct approach of suitable personalities
- clear positioning of the company and its vision
- presentation of 7 top candidates
- rapid invitation of the strongest profiles to interviews
- close involvement of the incumbent CEO
- assessment of expertise, enthusiasm and cultural fit
- accelerated securing of the preferred candidate
Result: The Right CEO Successor for a Sensitive Handover
The preferred candidate was secured and the leadership handover was safeguarded.
The designated CEO position was successfully appointed in under 4 months. The shortlist was presented after 5 weeks. The client was able to choose between several strong candidates and found a personality who was convincing both functionally and culturally.
It was particularly valuable that the later preferred candidate already stood out in the first screening. Through targeted positioning of the role and thorough candidate preparation, enthusiasm for the company was created and a demanding succession was successfully secured within a short time.
For the client, the appointment meant more than filling a vacancy. It created security for an orderly handover, continuity within the team and the opportunity to further develop the Swiss business with entrepreneurial leadership.
Concrete client benefits:
- successful appointment of a sensitive CEO succession
- safeguarding of continuity and trust within the company
- appointment of a leader with leasing and financing experience
- strong fit with corporate culture, team and existing leadership logic
- activation of candidates from renowned market environments
- structured and accelerated selection of strong profiles
- foundation for further growth in the Swiss market
- orderly handover from the incumbent CEO to the designated successor
Key KPIs:
- 5 weeks from mandate start to shortlist presentation
- 3 candidates in the final interview round
- Under 4 months mandate duration
What This Mandate Shows
CEO succession is always also cultural work.
- In successions of defining leadership personalities, cultural fit carries exceptional weight.
- A designated CEO must be able to learn without losing his own leadership strength.
- In founder-shaped or owner-led structures, trust can matter as much as functional expertise.
- Strong market positioning can attract candidates who are not actively looking.
- The combination of leasing expertise, SME sales and entrepreneurial thinking is demanding, but can be found through targeted search.
- A structured and fast process increases the chance of successfully securing top candidates.
