$12M in New Revenue from a Single Engineering Leadership Hire
One Leadership Hire.
$12M in New Revenue.
Nine Months.
After a previous firm spent 180+ days with zero results, Bespoke placed a Director of Engineering & Business Development using a targeted competitor headhunting strategy. The hire closed $12M in new client deals, recovered a critical at-risk account, and restructured the engineering department — all within the first nine months.
A Leadership Gap That Was
Costing Real Revenue
The client was relying on an Engineering Project Manager to lead a department that required high-level strategic oversight and business development drive. The lack of a dual-threat leader meant the Integration side of the business had no primary driver for new contracts.
A previous agency spent six months on the search with zero results, leaving the role vacant and the team rudderless. The engagement had consumed time, budget, and organizational patience — with nothing to show for it.
The absence of senior-level attention had caused a relationship with a major existing client to deteriorate significantly — representing not just a revenue risk but a reputational one that needed urgent stabilisation.
The role demanded someone who could operate at the intersection of engineering credibility and business development instinct — a rare profile that standard recruiting approaches consistently fail to surface from active candidate pools.
Competitor Mapping.
High-Touch Outreach.
Trading Up.
We implemented a targeted, competitor-focused headhunting strategy. Rather than relying on active applicants, we mapped the local and sector-specific landscape to identify high-performers at similar integration firms. Using direct calls, SMS, and personalised storytelling, every outreach was built around the life-changing nature of this leadership opportunity — not a job description.
We identified and approached high-performers at comparable integration firms who were not actively looking — candidates that no job posting would ever reach and no passive pipeline would surface.
Every outreach led with the significance of the role — framing it as a career-defining leadership opportunity, not a vacancy. This approach cut through where generic recruitment messaging never could.
When the initial front-runner accepted a counter-offer, we immediately pivoted — securing a superior candidate by meticulously addressing his objections and building the deep trust needed to ensure long-term alignment.
The Catalyst,
Not Just the Candidate.
"We don't just find candidates. We find the catalysts for your next phase of growth."
In the $50M to $100M revenue bracket, the wrong leadership causes stagnation — but the right leader is a force multiplier. This engagement demonstrates Bespoke Placement Group's ability to identify and land passive talent that does more than fill a seat. When a previous firm failed for 180 days, we delivered a hire who generated $12M in nine months. That is the difference between transactional recruiting and a true talent partner.
