The organisation is lean, technology-driven and internationally active. This made the CTO role highly significant: the person was expected not only to lead technical development, but also to drive innovation, take responsibility for product management and the roadmap, structure development processes and lead and coach the hardware and software team. At the same time, hands-on contribution to development was explicitly part of the role.
The appointment became even more important because the previous CTO had consciously decided to step back from leadership responsibility. Additional departures and absences within the team created noticeable instability. In this situation, the company needed someone who would be taken seriously from a technical perspective, assume leadership responsibility and remain close enough to development work.
The focus was on:
- leadership of innovation and product management
- responsibility from idea generation through to production and lifecycle management
- leadership and coaching of the development team across hardware and software
- hands-on contribution to development
- definition and implementation of structured development processes
- governance within the development department
- contribution to the platform strategy and modularisation
- stabilisation of a key role within an SME setup
The Special Profile: CTO, Developer and Team Leader at the Same Time
The search moved within a very narrow market segment.
The requirements for the new CTO were exceptionally broad. The client was looking for a candidate with a focus on software development, particularly in embedded software solutions in the B2B market, who also had a solid understanding of hardware and electronic components. This combination is rare, as technical careers are often rooted either in hardware or software.
Leadership was another key dimension. The candidate needed experience as a CTO, head of development or development team leader and had to be capable of leading interdisciplinary development teams. At the same time, they could not be too far removed from technical implementation, as the role still required operational development work.
This created a profile that neither a pure manager nor a pure senior engineer could fulfil. The company needed a true engineer with a hands-on mentality, entrepreneurial thinking, pragmatism, strong execution skills and empathetic leadership experience in an SME environment.
A member of the executive management team summarised the initial concern as follows:
“We knew we needed someone who could genuinely contribute to development while also covering team leadership, product portfolio and strategy.”
The decisive combination consisted of:
- university of applied sciences degree in computer science, electrical engineering or a related discipline
- focus on software development
- strong experience with embedded software solutions in the B2B market
- understanding of hardware, electronic components and software solutions
- several years of leadership experience as CTO, head of development or development team leader
- experience in product innovation
- understanding of modern development methods and their sustainable implementation
- hands-on mentality and enthusiasm for technical challenges
- motivating, empathetic leadership in an SME environment
Market Reality: Few Suitable Profiles, High Barriers to Change
The candidate market was not only narrow from a technical perspective, but also personally demanding.
It was clear from the beginning that the relevant market would be small. Profiles with both technical depth and leadership experience are rare; even rarer are personalities who still want to develop hands-on while also taking responsibility for strategy, processes and team leadership.
During the process, another challenge became visible: many potential candidates were in a life phase with a heightened need for security. This led to an above-average drop-off rate. For an SME that competes internationally but does not offer the structures of a large corporation, it was therefore especially important to build trust carefully.
The search strategy responded with two targeted measures. First, close contact with candidates was maintained in order to address questions and concerns about changing roles at an early stage. Second, the search continued in parallel so that the candidate pipeline remained stable despite withdrawals.
The market therefore required:
- direct and targeted approach rather than passive search
- convincing positioning of the SME opportunity
- clear communication of stability, innovation strength and growth prospects
- continuous expansion of the pipeline
- careful support for candidates with a higher need for security
- realistic assessment of willingness to change and availability
The Process as Relief for a Lean Leadership Team
The search was organised in a way that allowed the client to make decisions quickly without being operationally overloaded.
For the company, candidate quality was not the only decisive factor; process management was equally important. As a lean SME, the client did not have extensive internal resources for a complex search. The process was therefore structured so that the leadership team only became heavily involved once prequalified and assessed profiles were available.
Within 60 days, 62 potential candidates were identified, directly approached and evaluated. From this broad base, an initial shortlist was created and presented in a compact, comparable format. The profiles included clear information on education, professional experience, location, salary expectations and availability. The presentation was supplemented by a standardised assessment based on interviews already conducted.
This preparation was a significant added value: the client could compare profiles efficiently without having to carry out the entire market mapping itself.
The process quality was reflected in:
- direct approach and assessment of 62 candidates in the first phase
- compact and comparable profile presentation
- prequalification through interviews already conducted
- structured assessment of fit
- transparent preparation of the internal pre-selection
- invitation of 7 candidates to first in-person interviews
Interviews and Case Studies: Making Technical Depth and Leadership Behaviour Visible
The final decision was not intended to rely on interview impressions alone.
After the pre-selection, in-person interviews followed, which were clearly prepared and moderated. Interview guidelines, agendas and individual briefings were provided in advance. Before each interview, there was a short alignment in which previous impressions were shared and observation priorities for the respective candidate were defined.
After each interview, a debriefing took place; at the end of the day, a structured summary followed. This ensured that impressions were captured and properly assessed. For the second round, case studies were also used to evaluate both the technical and personal capabilities of the three strongest candidates in greater depth.
The format consisted of two parts: a technical case for preparation and a leadership case that was handed out shortly before the meeting, deliberately under time pressure. The leadership case in particular showed how candidates handled sensitive leadership situations, how structured their thinking was under pressure and how clearly they communicated.
A member of the executive management team described the insight gained as follows:
“It was impressive to see how differently the candidates reacted under pressure.”
The deeper selection process assessed:
- technical competence and development understanding
- handling of complex technical questions
- leadership behaviour in challenging situations
- ability to structure thoughts under time pressure
- communication strength and clarity of expression
- personal fit with the SME environment
- ability to combine technical and interpersonal requirements
Result: A Key Position with High Impact Successfully Appointed
The company gained decision-making confidence in a role that the market hardly provides.
The CTO position was successfully appointed within 2.5 months of effective project duration. 21 days passed from project start to the first shortlist presentation. In total, 62 candidates were directly approached and assessed in the first phase; 7 candidates were invited to the first interview.
For the client, the collaboration was particularly valuable because it relieved the team throughout the process while also creating decision-making confidence. The combination of close candidate management, structured pre-selection, moderated interviews and practical case studies helped the company make the right decision not only technically, but also personally.
Concrete client benefits:
- successful appointment of a business-critical CTO role
- access to a very narrow market segment for technical leaders
- clear positioning of a demanding SME role in the candidate market
- stabilisation of a key position after internal changes and a leadership transition
- structured relief for a lean leadership team
- higher decision-making confidence through interviews, debriefings and case studies
- better assessment of technical depth, leadership capability and cultural fit
- appointment of a leader for innovation, product roadmap and development processes
Key KPIs:
- 21 days from project start to first shortlist presentation
- 62 candidates directly approached and assessed in the first phase
- 7 candidates invited to the first interview
- 2.5 months effective duration until contract signing
What This Mandate Shows
In technology-driven SMEs, a CTO appointment often determines product capability, team stability and further growth.
- CTO roles in SMEs are often broader than classic management positions.
- The combination of technical depth, leadership and hands-on contribution is rare.
- Cultural fit is especially important for key roles in small organisations.
- A structured process relieves the leadership team while increasing decision quality.
- Case studies help assess technical competence and leadership behaviour in a realistic way.
- In narrow markets, the search must continue consistently so that the selection remains stable despite drop-offs.
