The management should have a clear focus on sales and be familiar with the European culture and way of thinking. Knowledge of the German language is not essential. The target company list includes companies in the USA and Canada in the fields of mechanical engineering, plant construction and automotive suppliers that have their roots in Europe. In addition, companies from the chemical and optics sectors that sell in the same area are also included. When commissioned, the list will comprise around 120 companies. Candidates from the first and second management levels in the area of sales are identified. The ideal candidate has at least ten years of management experience and five years of experience with American culture.

After a few weeks and well over 200 initial phone calls, a shortlist of 10 interesting candidates is created. The majority of the candidates are local sales engineers from various European and German companies.

After preliminary telephone interviews, face-to-face interviews are arranged and conducted with six candidates in Chicago.

After returning to Germany, the consultants discuss the results of the initial interviews with the client's managing partner and vote in favor of presenting a total of four candidates. Two of the six candidates were not convincing in the initial interviews. The company owner travels to a trade fair in the USA another six weeks later and conducts the selection interviews at the same time as the current job holder.

In the end, a Regional Sales Manager from a well-known and listed German mechanical engineering group was chosen. The candidate has been working in the USA for 15 years and has been leading a team of six sales and application engineers in a business unit for several years.

The greater personnel responsibility and the additional strategic design opportunities are his main motivations for changing jobs.

Another three months later, the candidate starts his new job and the project is completed.