General Manager - Leading International Healthcare Business

Client Profile
The client was a subsidiary of a major global healthcare business operating in the optical sector. In most markets the company was a market leader, however in France the company was a distant 3rd & barely profitable. For historical reasons the French BU was located in a part of France not conducive with top talent attraction

Client Requirement
The client wanted to recruit a General Manager with a strong competitive streak, highly entrepreneurial & with relevant brand building experience. An appreciation of the healthcare market & channel complexities in France was essential, as was a track record of building & galvanising winning teams

Our Approach & Methodology
We built a list of GMs & high potentials in the French market with a focus on Pharmacy & OTC – an adjacent sector to Optical. The location proved to be a challenge as expected but nonetheless we were able to produce a diverse shortlist of qualified candidates

Outcome
The client appointed a high potential with a blue chip background who originated from this region of France. The candidate subsequently went on to develop the French business successfully & was subsequently promoted into a European role