ScenarioOur client is an international top tier bank, with a corporate banking unit in Germany. They wanted to develop a retailing banking presence in the country and create a completely new business line in direct banking.To start up this new area of the business, the client required an expert in German retail banking. Hands-on experience of the direct banking market in conjunction with strong product knowledge and the track record of building and developing a business from scratch were also prerequisites. The right mix of technical expertise and leadership competence was essential to identify.SolutionGiven the required track record, candidates should come from another direct bank to bring a good knowledge and deep insight of the direct banking market in Germany. The perfect candidate needed to be an authentic and charismatic leader, to become the face of the direct banking business in public, develop the best market entry strategy and at the same time, build, staff and motivate the new team which was also being recruited by Page Group.The mandate requirements led us to propose the classic identify and direct search approach within the German market. The selection and screening of candidates was undertaken by Page Executive. A short list of five profiles was presented to the board and HR, and various national and international interview rounds commenced.OutcomeThe recruitment process, from identification of the candidate in the market until he signed his contract, took two months. The successful contender was the client’s preferred choice from the beginning. Due to very close cooperation and frequent communication with the client, the process took place very quickly. Today, the direct banking business is constantly growing and rapidly gaining market share.
