A member of the responsible digital transformation area summarised the starting point as follows:
“We did not only want to sell machines, but to think services more strongly into the offer — a comprehensive package that creates real value for the customer along the entire journey.”
This created a role that went far beyond classic marketing, digital or project management responsibilities. The Digital Client Journey and Experience Manager was expected to define, lead and coordinate the digital customer and partner experience along the value chain — from presales to post-sales and service management.
The starting point was shaped by:
- the ambition to redesign the digital customer and partner experience
- an international organisation with a Swiss headquarters and global service network
- growth industries with high expectations regarding digital services
- the connection of mechanical engineering, software development, automation, IoT and Industry 4.0
- the need to understand customer and partner requirements within an omnichannel strategy
- the task of making digital services visible and usable along the strategy
- a role intended to build an internal digital agency
The Real Challenge Was Defining the Role
Before the right personality could be found, it first had to become clear what problem the role was meant to solve.
At the beginning, the general direction was clear: the company was looking for a leader for customer experience and the digital customer journey. Yet the precise shape of the role was still open. Should the focus be more on web development? Was stronger analytical capability and data understanding required? How close did the role need to be to marketing? And how strongly would the person need to connect technology, product management and international sales structures?
This lack of clarity meant that initial profiles were not yet precise enough. The decisive step was therefore to take a deliberate step back and clarify the role together: Where does the organisation stand today? Which digital objectives is it pursuing? Which capabilities are actually available in the market? And which competencies are indispensable for the next development phase?
A member of the project team summarised this clarification phase as follows:
“The most difficult part was agreeing on the profile. We knew we wanted to strengthen customer experience, but we did not yet know exactly which tasks and qualifications would be decisive.”
This early role clarification became the central success factor. The person being sought had to do more than understand digital customer journeys. They had to gather knowledge, coordinate, visualise and develop digital services from it. They needed to translate between C-level, technology, marketing, sales, product management and development — while also driving the development of an internal digital agency.
The clarification focused primarily on:
- the distinction between customer experience, marketing, web, data analytics and digital service
- the competencies needed to build an internal digital agency
- the need for a person acting as coordinator and communicator
- the interfaces with C-level, technology, sales & marketing, product management and development
- the requirements for governance, platforms, systems and data management
- the necessary experience in matrix organisations and with external service providers
- the fit with an industrial environment involving mechanical engineering, automation, robotics, software development and IoT
From Uncertainty to a Robust Target Profile
The process helped the client not only describe the role, but understand it strategically.
In an intensive workshop, the key qualifications and attributes for this new type of role were developed. Example profiles were used to make possible role variations visible and to make the discussion more concrete. This helped the project team better understand which profile types existed in the market and which of them matched the organisation’s objectives.
This step was particularly important because the role had to connect several worlds. The required profile included experience in the digitalisation of the client and partner journey, ideally with an industrial background or agency experience with industrial clients. At the same time, the person had to lead project teams in matrix organisations, manage external providers and communicate confidently at all levels — from C-level to production.
A member of the digital transformation area described the approach as structured while still adaptable:
“The approach was clear, but not rigid. We were able to work together on the assignment and shape it so that it truly reflected our requirements.”
In the end, a profile emerged that combined professional experience, communication strength and implementation capability. The person needed to define the digital customer and partner experience, establish processes and governance across platforms and systems, address data consistency, data quality and data compliance, and manage external partners in the context of digital client and partner experience.
The target profile combined:
- at least 5 years of experience in digitalising client and partner journey & experience
- agency experience with industrial clients or experience in a comparable industrial role
- leadership of project teams in matrix organisations
- management of several departments and external service providers
- confidence in dealing with C-level, specialist functions and production
- interest in mechanical engineering, automation, robotics, software development, IoT and Industry 4.0
- ability to translate customer and partner requirements into digital services
- experience with processes, governance, platforms, systems and data management
Positioning the Role: Between Strategy, Customer Experience and Implementation
The opportunity was made visible as a chance to build an internal digital agency and create international impact.
To approach suitable professionals, the role had to be translated into a compelling opportunity. The client offered a strong environment: an internationally active Swiss industrial company, a leading market position in its segment, high innovative strength in mechanical engineering and software solutions, and a modern working environment with global reach.
The position was particularly attractive because it was not limited to an isolated digital function. The Digital Client Journey and Experience Manager was expected to build an internal digital agency — from definition and strategy development to alignment at C-level and international collaboration with sales & marketing, product management and development. Over time, this also included the recruitment of the person’s own team.
At the same time, the role offered clear customer impact: bringing together the best of technology, service, product knowledge and customer perspective, making it visible along the value chain and thereby improving the experience from first contact to digital consulting, omnichannel interaction and service calls.
The role was positioned through the following aspects:
- building an internal digital agency
- defining, leading and coordinating the digital customer and partner experience
- impact along the entire value chain from presales to post-sales and service management
- close collaboration with C-level, technology, marketing, product management and development
- international collaboration with sales and marketing organisations
- shaping omnichannel approaches in an industrial environment
- responsibility for governance, data quality and platform consistency
- modern Swiss corporate environment with international reach
Selection Process: Structure, Flexibility and Market Understanding
The quality of the process lay in providing orientation without losing the necessary openness.
Once the profile had been refined, the search could be conducted with much greater precision. Suitable professionals needed to bring not only digital experience, but also a fit with the industrial context, the culture and the organisation’s interface logic. The conversations showed that qualifications alone were not enough: what mattered was whether a person could credibly bridge strategy, technology, marketing and operational implementation.
The process remained clearly structured while leaving enough room for adjustments. Possible delay risks were communicated early, expectations were aligned carefully and the individual phases were managed transparently. This created confidence on the client side — even in a search where the target profile was not fully defined at the outset.
The shift in market perspective was particularly valuable. Suitable professionals did not only have to be assessed; they also had to be won over for the role. A member of the project team described this insight as follows:
“Many strong personalities are not actively looking. We had to learn to make our role and our company attractive — not just to select.”
The process at a glance:
- initial market sounding and alignment with the still-open role logic
- intensive workshop to refine the profile and clarify the role
- use of example profiles to make the target picture more concrete
- targeted direct approach to suitable professionals
- assessment of qualifications, cultural fit and motivation
- transparent communication regarding process phases and possible delays
- structured interviews focused on role, interfaces and implementation capability
- 4 candidates in the final interview round
- shortlist after 3 weeks
Result: A Successful Appointment for a New Digital Customer Experience
The organisation gained a personality who makes digital services visible and brings internal strengths together.
The position was successfully appointed within 4.5 months. For the client, the result was not only the appointment of a demanding digital role, but also an important step in further developing the customer and partner experience.
The collaboration was experienced as structured, individualised and highly suitable. The decisive factor was that the process was not rigid, but reflected the organisation’s actual requirements and translated them into the search. In the end, not only the process fit, but also the person who was appointed.
A member of the digital transformation area summarised the result as follows:
“The process fit, the collaboration fit and in the end the appointed person fit as well. We were guided confidently through the phases and were able to appoint the role successfully.”
This filled a function with strong internal and external impact: it connects customer and partner needs with digital services, translates requirements into actionable concepts and creates structures for a consistent digital experience across platforms, systems and touchpoints.
Concrete client benefits:
- successful appointment of a new Digital Client Journey and Experience Manager role
- clarification and refinement of an initially open role profile
- appointment of a personality for digital customer and partner experience along the value chain
- stronger connection between C-level, technology, marketing, sales, product management and development
- foundation for building an internal digital agency
- stronger basis for omnichannel strategy, governance and data management
- selection with strong professional and cultural fit
- confident process management despite initial profile uncertainty
Key KPIs:
- 3 weeks from mandate start to shortlist presentation
- 4 candidates in the final interview round
- 4.5 months mandate duration
What This Mandate Shows
New digital roles can only be appointed successfully when mandate, interfaces and market profile are clarified together.
- For new digital functions, role clarification is often the most important part of the search process.
- A robust profile emerges when responsibilities, interfaces, technologies and company objectives are made concrete together.
- The strongest profiles combine digital expertise with communication strength and industrial understanding.
- In matrix organisations, the ability to gather knowledge, translate it and turn it into digital services is essential.
- Executive search for new roles also means helping the client understand the market.
- Suitable professionals must not only be assessed, but won over for the task, the environment and the development perspective.
