Case Study Construction

Executive Search

Construction

Customer Experience Director

Brief

Our client, a FTSE 250 plc, had suffered sustained and severe adverse press coverage.

In addition to operational performance problems, the business had also issued a profits warning and accepted the resignation of its Chief Executive.

Against this backdrop the COO instructed us to identify a Customer Experience Director who would be a transformative force within the business and ideally set new standards for the sector as a whole.

The nature of the engagement of this company and its people with its customers had not changed in decades and become increasingly adversarial.

This appointment was to reverse that – and quickly.

Approach

We had worked with this client before, so knew and understood the people and background to the circumstances.

Working closely with the COO and the HRD, we began our research immediately and did not restrict ourselves just to this and related sectors.

If this was to be a genuine change in direction for the client then we would need to secure the very best for them.

So, our targeting process began with a review of the rankings of UK businesses with the best reputations for service.

At the top of this list: 1. British Airways; 2. Virgin Atlantic; 3. Boots; 4. John Lewis.

Outcomes

With only a short period of time we had identified, contacted and introduced the CXD of Virgin Atlantic, who had previously worked in very senior role in Customer Services with BA.

• On our recommendation the client met and swiftly made an offer, without hesitation
• The candidate was absolutely delighted to join a plc in a sector ripe for change and to find a role which would utilise her skills and experience to the full
• Within only a matter of weeks, the successful candidate was promoted from reporting to the COO to reporting direct to the CEO, and is now on the Executive Board
• As a woman, the appointee has proved to be a ground-breaking female influence in a previously male-dominated industry and a role model for all our client’s staff and managers
• Friisberg has since been confirmed as the preferred supplier of executive search to this plc