Our Industries

The dynamic industrial sector in Germany is facing significant challenges due to intensified international competition: Industry 4.0, artificial intelligence, energy management, and decarbonization are shaping the agendas at the decision-maker level. Advancing digitalization, in particular, often entails restructuring.

Many industrial companies are responding by adapting their structures and processes and striving for cultural change. This often leads to personnel decisions.

Due to our longstanding industry expertise, we know the requirements for top executives.

HEADSAHEAD specializes in the search and placement of highly qualified top executives as well as supervisory and advisory board members in the following industry sectors:

• Automotive industry, automotive supply industry, automotive trade
• Mechanical and plant engineering, components and electrical industry
• Transportation and intralogistics
• Industrial services

Let us talk about how we can advise you in your Executive Search.

Exemplary references:

• Chairman of the advisory board, family-owned mechanical engineering company
• Supervisory board member, technology holding company
• Managing Director, vehicle construction
• Chief Development Officer, large family-owned company
• CEO, plant engineering company in the context of company succession
• CEO, steel industry, family-owned company
• Board member, listed automotive supplier
• CFO, automotive trading group
• CIO, electrical industry company
• Board Member HR, component manufacturer in mechanical engineering
• Technical Managing Director, intralogistics group
• Managing Director, transport logistics family business
• COO, listed mechanical engineering group
• Head of M&A, corporate finance investment holding
• CFO, construction company
• Managing Director, mechanical engineering company
• Managing Director of Sales, wind turbine manufacturer

In recent years, globalization, technological progress, and digitalization have led to an unprecedented interlocking of goods, capital, and labour markets. The global economy is undergoing a paradigm shift from an industrial society to a knowledge society – and to ever more intense, fierce, and global competition for resources, capital, innovation, and ultimately market leadership. Despite the slowdown in economic growth in Europe and global crises, companies are investing more and more in technology products and services. The main growth driver here is the cloud sector.

Although the focus and the greatest momentum of this upheaval is undoubtedly to be found in Asia, Europe and Germany can also benefit from this development.

Let us talk about how we can advise you in your Executive Search.

Exemplary references:

• CEO, hardware manufacturer
• Chief Marketing Officer, international technology group
• Managing Director IT&Digital, family-owned company in the consumer goods industry
• SVP Global Sales, electronics manufacturer
• Chief Sales Officer, software industry
• Managing Director, international hardware and software wholesaler
• CFO, service provider, telco and media industry
• CDO, international consumer goods group
• CSO Germany, global imaging and print group
• Head of Legal, computer hardware supplier
• Head of Business Development, Payment and Online Commerce

Consumer Goods:

Extremely heterogeneous consumer behavior and constantly growing challenges for brick-and-mortar retailers: companies in the consumer goods sector are faced with extraordinarily complex tasks. Added to this are online marketing and sales, which place the highest demands on FMCG manufacturers. Managers who can steer and develop the relevant organizations with industry experience, professional expertise, empathy for employees, and innovative strength are essential in these areas.

HEADSAHEAD is mandated by well-known business partners from the B2C sector. We have longstanding industry-related leadership and consulting expertise and support our clients from the food and non-food segment in filling top-management positions in all functional areas.

Let us talk about how we can advise you in your Executive Search.

Exemplary references:

• CFO, cosmetics company
• General Sales Manager national and international, manufacturer of fragrance and care products
• Head of Sales, personal care and detergent manufacturer
• Brand Director, luxury products
• Marketing Director, hair care products
• Head of IT, food manufacturer
• Head of Branch, food manufacturer
• Head of HR, food manufacturer
• Head of Production, international direct sales

Retail:

The retail industry is facing major upheavals and changes across all sectors. In the midst of this dynamic, it is not only the market side that has to deal with how online and brick-and-mortar business can be meaningfully dovetailed. The underlying processes are also changing, from purchasing to logistics. Now more than ever, management needs to understand the business and processes and be open to the opportunities presented by change.

HEADSAHEAD helps you to find the right candidates for the challenges of your individual company situation and thus provide the decisive impetus for successfully shaping change. We know retail from the “inside” and fill management and supervisory board positions in all functional areas.

Let us talk about how we can advise you in your Executive Search.

Exemplary references:

• CEO, CFO chain store company
• CEO, international FMCG direct sales company
• CFO, pan-European fashion discounter
• CFO/CTO, listed online retailer
• Purchasing Manager, market-leading German food retailer
• Managing Director Sales/Merchandise, drugstore chain
• Head of Sales, Head of Logistics Germany, international food retail discounter
• Head of IT, international direct supplier
• Managing Director Logistics, furniture chain store
• Head of Marketing, European direct sales
• Supervisory Board, LEH chain store

Hardly any other sector of the economy has boomed as much as the real estate industry in recent years. Considering the turnaround in interest rates and the rise in construction costs, the sector is currently facing major challenges and undergoing change. In Germany’s traditionally medium-sized property sector, corporate structures have emerged in recent years that have played a key role in the professionalization of the entire industry. The property business is as local as the investors and players are international. Ultimately, knowledge of the regional markets and the management’s expertise in construction and project development will continue to be decisive for success.

Our team has been supporting the entire spectrum of the industry in filling top-management positions for many years: Real estate investors and asset/property managers, mortgage bond banks, project development companies, large construction companies, and international architectural firms in various property segments.

Let us talk about how we can advise you in your Executive Search.

Exemplary references:

• Chief Executive Officer, Landesbank
• Board Member Corporate Clients, Landesbank
• Board Member for Corporate Clients, Major Savings Bank
• Supervisory Board Member, Regional Bank
• Managing Director, Family Office
• Head of Investment Management, Multi Family Office
• Managing Director Service KVG, Fund Company
• Head of Group Strategy, Landesbank
• Head of M&A, Private Bank
• Head of Compliance, Financial Institution
• Head of Risk Management, Savings Bank

Exemplary references:

• CEO, private equity project development company
• CFO, real estate project development company, family office
• Board member, construction company, family business
• Managing Director, international architecture firm
• Head of Real Estate Financing, mortgage bond bank
• Head of Real Estate Asset Management Europe, asset manager, bank
• Head of Corporate Real Estate, retail group
• Head of Real Estate M&A, asset manager, insurance company

Banking

To comprehensively identify the requirements for top executives in the banking sector, a deep understanding of the change processes in this sector is essential. The German banking sector has gone through a phase of major restructuring and consolidation. Business models have been significantly streamlined, risks have been minimized, and efficiency increased. This structural change is accelerating in the face of increasing digitalization and continued intensive regulatory requirements. Increasing concentration is taking place in the public banking sector—at Landesbanken and savings banks, but also at Volksbanken and Raiffeisenbanken.

The desire of the more traditional sector for a modern corporate culture and credible products on the one hand and new competitors with innovative business models on the other require a high level of creativity from management. Banks are increasingly seeking proximity to their customers and, after years of restraint, are once again strengthening their market presence in a targeted manner.

Let us talk about how we can advise you in your Executive Search.

Exemplary references:

• Chief Sales Officer, Public Insurance Company
• Chief Financial Officer/Capital Market, Medium-sized Insurance Company
• Head of Capital Investment, Pension Fund
• Board Member, Regulated Online Insurance Company
• Managing Director IT, Statutory Health Insurance Company
• Head of Motor Insurance, Regional Insurance Group
• Head of Broker and Exclusive Sales, Medium-sized Insurance Group

Should our healthcare system be safeguarded as “systemically relevant” against strong market economy constraints? Or should it make a profit instead of just covering costs? This question arises more acutely in times of crisis. There is probably no clear answer to it—although the weighting has changed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The crisis has made it very clear that the healthcare system primarily serves the well-being of people and therefore society as a whole.

The industry is facing major challenges: demographic change, the need for digitalization, and—particularly urgent—the lack of highly qualified and motivated managers in various areas. In addition to medicine and nursing, this also affects management positions in staff functions as well as research, development, and production.

We at HEADSAHEAD not only know the special characteristics of the healthcare market, but we also speak its language. Our consultants support institutions such as university clinics, municipal and regional hospitals, private specialist and rehabilitation clinics, social institutions in the care sector, associations as well as laboratory chains and larger institutions in the private practice sector. We are your sparring partner when it comes to finding the right candidate who will enrich and advance your company in the long term.

Let us talk about how we can advise you in your Executive Search.

Exemplary references:

Strong service orientation, increased demands for transparency and diversity, as well as increasing economic constraints, present the public sector with immense challenges. In addition, the strong wind of competition is blowing. Today, professional public administration requires a performance-oriented organizational structure and, at the same time, a team-oriented, motivating understanding of leadership. In addition to excellent management skills, the right feel for the special decision-making and communication mechanisms in politics and administration is crucial for success.

HEADSAHEAD supports public institutions and facilities as well as associations, clubs, chambers, foundations, trade fair companies, universities, and research institutions in taking on these challenges. We have many years of experience and an excellent network at federal, state, and local levels to attract and sustainably retain high-performing managers for public institutions and non-profit organizations.

In light of the increasing regulation, the business community’s need for close exchange with politicians and administration in Berlin and Brussels is growing too. We have tried and proven expertise here in staffing public affairs, supervisory, and compliance positions for organizations.

Let us talk about how we can advise you in your Executive Search.

Exemplary references:

• Chairman of the supervisory board, nationwide waste disposal company
• Managing director, federal association
• President, university and/or higher education institution
• Chancellor, university and/or higher education institution
• President, sports governing body
• CEO, Chamber of Industry and Commerce
• CEO, employers’ association
• Executive board, foundation
• Managing director, social welfare organization
• Managing director, airport company and/or trade fair organization
• Managing director, public transport company
• Managing director, utilities and transport company