Euromoney: How Stepping Outside Traditional Markets Found The Perfect Global Sales Director

Euromoney needed a Global Sales Director for the events arm of their international business. It was a pivotal role, driving forward sales through a new hybrid online/in-person model via teams in London and New York. Green Park’s experts analysed the job profile and advised the client to broaden the search and look outside the events industry to identify the best possible selection of talent. Euromoney agreed – and found their perfect candidate in Professional Services.

Green Park commissioned to find a Global Sales Director for events

• Analysis of job profile revealed candidates likely to be found outside of client’s sector
• Rigorous search project analysed individuals from diverse vertical markets and backgrounds
• A six name, diverse shortlist delivered, with an excellent final candidate selected
• New recruit found outside the events industry – who is now a catalyst for progress

 

The Challenge

Euromoney is a global financial publication with multiple revenue streams. Among these is a thriving events business, which quickly switched from physical to digital events as the pandemic grew. When Covid finally retreated and in-person events began to return, Euromoney decided to recruit a Global Sales Director to drive the events portfolio and increase revenue through its teams based in London and New York. The successful candidate would bring all Euromoney’s events brands under one umbrella and maximise the yield from a large, global Sales team. It was a critical, strategic role.

The Project

Euromoney was expecting to find their new Global Sales Director within the events, hospitality, leisure or other obvious markets – but our team saw other exciting possibilities. Analysing the job specification, Green Park’s experts realised that the role required the ability to build relationships and communities; skills that are often found in areas such as professional services.

Green Park’s executive search team set out a case for looking further afield at professional services firms and other vertical markets. Although the client had envisaged a more traditional search, they were persuaded by the team’s reasoning, which proposed that talent from outside the events sector could have transferable skills and bring valuable experience.

The Results

Over the next few weeks, the team explored the events industry, but also several other vertical markets, including professional services. The result was a strong, six name shortlist that was 50% diverse and 50% female. Of these, two candidates came from outside the client’s vertical market.

Euromoney were pleased with the quality of the shortlist and found the hiring decision a difficult one. The chosen candidate came from outside the events industry: a successful professional at a major management consulting firm. Crucially, she brought valuable lived experience backed up with analytics – expertise that could be transferred to the events market. Furthermore, the candidate was a catalyst for Euromoney, opening the door to diversification thanks to her experience in a hitherto-untapped market. The candidate’s dual UK/US nationality also made her the ideal candidate to lead teams on both sides of the Atlantic. A credible and unifying influence spurring growth and progress, the candidate took up her post in spring 2022.

Following the success of this project, the client has created a new role and asked Green Park to conduct another search.  

“Working with Green Park and Paul Bullock I feel confident of a thorough and professional job which will deliver me a diverse candidate list and crucially… the right person for the job. Paul Bullock is a pleasure to work with, combining professionalism with tenacity and a great sense of humour!”

Ros Irving - CEO FPS Events & Group Operations | Euromoney

Take the next step: find out more about the work of Green Park’s Executive Search Practice