A member of the executive management team summarised the starting point as follows:
“In terms of tools and digitalisation, we were not where we wanted to be. In areas such as standards, IT security and collaboration, there was a clear need to catch up.”
This openness was decisive. It made clear that the new CIO role was not intended merely to manage existing structures. Rather, the organisation needed a leader who could address the gaps, set priorities and establish IT as a strong service and transformation function.
The key challenges at the outset:
- significant need for modernisation in tools, digitalisation and collaboration
- need to catch up in IT standards, IT security and governance
- responsibility for the full IT lifecycle, including industrial IT
- integration into an international structure while maintaining high local autonomy
- expectation from top management to drive innovation and optimisation through IT
- need to position IT more strongly as a value-adding service organisation
- demand for a senior leader with high credibility across all levels
The Role: CIO Responsibility, CDO Mindset and Operational Ownership in One Person
The requirements profile combined strategic IT leadership with implementation strength in an industrial environment.
The CIO role was clearly designed for a senior profile. The new role holder was expected to be part of the extended leadership structure and communicate as confidently with top management as with specialists in production. The requirements ranged from strategic IT direction, governance and compliance to operational supplier management and on-premise operations.
A central requirement was the ability to define and implement an IT strategy from both a CIO and CDO perspective. This included the simplification, standardisation and optimisation of value flow processes along standard enterprise application processes, the preparation and implementation of a HANA transformation, the leadership of an SAP Competence Center as well as PMO and release management.
At the same time, leadership and change management were essential. The organisation was not looking for a purely technical leader, but for an experienced CIO who understands a heterogeneous IT environment, can take responsibility for budget and organisation, and can bring people along on the path towards a new level of IT maturity.
A member of the executive management team described the expectation as follows:
“This was clearly a senior role. The new CIO needed extensive experience in leadership and change management and had to be able to take the organisation to the next level.”
The required profile included:
- CIO or Head of IT experience in a heterogeneous environment
- experience in an international structure with full P&L responsibility
- leadership of a local IT organisation with a relevant budget scope
- experience in line and matrix leadership, including managing larger teams
- confident C-level reporting
- strong competence in stakeholder management and IT strategy implementation
- experience with governance, compliance, CISO topics, PMO and release management
- experience with SAP Competence Centers, HANA as an advantage
- ability to transform an IT organisation into a value-adding service organisation
- structured, assertive and empathetic leadership personality with a service mindset
The Preparation: Understand First, Then Search with Precision
The quality of the mandate came from in-depth discussions, clear profile refinement and a process tailored to the organisation.
The mandate began with deliberately thorough preparation. In extensive discussions, the organisation, processes, decision-making paths and the future role of IT in the business were examined closely. This preparation was particularly important because the required profile could not be defined through isolated keywords. It was about the interplay of technology, production, international structure, local autonomy and leadership expectations.
Together, a skill matrix was refined that combined technical requirements with personal attributes. The decisive factor was not only clarifying which systems, processes and transformation topics were relevant, but also which type of personality would fit the organisation.
A member of the executive management team described this early exchange as the basis of the collaboration:
“We had intensive discussions about the organisation, processes and future vision. What mattered was that they understood where we come from, who we are and where we want to go.”
This preparation resulted in a clear process tailored to the organisation and the importance of the CIO role. The search was not treated as a standardised sequence, but aligned with the client’s starting point and decision-making logic.
The preparation focused on:
- clear understanding of the existing IT landscape and its gaps
- positioning of the CIO role in relation to executive management, production and the global structure
- refinement of the skill matrix for expertise, leadership and change management
- definition of a search process suited to the organisation and decision-making committee
- translation of the role into a compelling market positioning
- clarification of how critical capabilities should be assessed in interviews
The Selection Process: Transparency, Momentum and Clear Recommendations
The selection gained quality because profiles were not merely presented, but critically interpreted.
Following the profile refinement, suitable leaders were quickly identified. The client received a selection of 17 CVs, which were discussed in detail. Transparency in the assessment was decisive. Critical points were addressed openly so that no surprises would arise later in the process.
This interpretation went beyond a simple profile presentation. Specific recommendations were provided for the interviews on how to assess certain capabilities, experiences or potential risks. As a result, the decision-making committee gained a better basis for comparable interviews and well-founded assessments.
A member of the executive management team summarised this value as follows:
“Critical points were openly addressed. At the same time, we received clear guidance on how to assess specific skills in the interviews.”
Momentum was also an important factor. Despite the demanding profile, the process could not be allowed to stall. The CIO role was too important for the organisation’s further development to risk unnecessary delays. At the same time, the process had to remain thorough enough to support a sustainable decision.
The process at a glance:
- in-depth kick-off with analysis of the organisation, IT maturity and target picture
- refinement of the CIO profile and relevant skill matrix
- identification of suitable leaders in the market
- presentation and discussion of 17 CVs
- transparent assessment of strengths, critical points and fit
- recommendations on how to assess relevant competencies in interviews
- consistent process management to maintain momentum and decision-making ability
- 6 candidates in the final interview round
- shortlist after 6 weeks
The Decisive Difference: A CIO Who Could Develop Both IT and the Organisation
The appointment was successful because technical experience, leadership maturity and cultural fit came together.
In the end, the CIO role was successfully appointed within the planned timeframe. The selected leader integrated very well into the organisation and contributed to the development of the corporate culture. What mattered most was that the new CIO not only convinced professionally, but was also able to build trust, implement projects and bring IT to a new development stage.
The impact went beyond the appointment itself. In the role, projects were successfully delivered for the group, further strengthening confidence in the CIO’s capabilities. The appointment therefore confirmed the original objective: to win an IT leader who not only ensures operations, but actively drives modernisation, optimisation and digitalisation.
For the client, the process was also valuable because it combined a structured approach, strong listening skills and the ability to recognise and communicate subtle nuances. Especially for a CIO role in an industrial environment, these nuances are decisive: the right person must understand technology, but equally organisation, production, leadership and culture.
Client benefits at a glance:
- successful appointment of a strategically important CIO role
- appointment of an experienced leader for digitalisation and IT transformation
- modernisation of the IT function as a foundation for the next development stage
- strengthening of standards, IT security, governance and collaboration
- improved decision quality through transparent profile assessment
- clearer interview guidance through concrete recommendations for assessing critical skills
- preservation of process momentum despite a demanding search profile
- sustainable contribution to the development of IT, projects and corporate culture
Key KPIs:
- 6 weeks from mandate start to shortlist presentation
- 6 candidates in the final interview round
- Under 5 months mandate duration
What Can Be Learned from This Mandate
A CIO appointment succeeds when technology expertise, transformation capability and organisational understanding are treated with equal importance.
- A modern CIO role must be understood far beyond IT operations; it combines strategy, digitalisation, governance and implementation.
- In industrial environments, connection to operational reality is decisive, especially when IT also includes production and IOT.
- A strong requirements profile only emerges once the organisation, processes, maturity level and future vision are understood.
- Transparent interpretation of critical profile points improves interview quality and reduces surprises.
- Speed and thoroughness are not contradictory when the process is clearly managed and consistently aligned.
- Sustainable CIO appointments are achieved when leadership, empathy, assertiveness and service mindset come together.
