A global leader in the pet food palatant industry, headquartered in the West, sought to expand its position in the Asian marketplace. After establishing an office in China, the company had been relying on other executives and managers, while it searched for its first general manager. The ideal candidate needed a combination of skills and abilities — including experience in managing business operations in China and proficiency in Mandarin. Just as significant, the firm needed an executive who knew how to succeed as a Western company in the Asia-Pacific marketplace.
To find the unique candidate, the organization at first tasked its human resources consulting firm, also based in China, to conduct the search. After a year’s worth of effort, however, that firm had come up with almost no viable candidates. The company then turned to Kincannon & Reed — and within 30 days, they had 12 viable candidates from which to choose. Keys to the success of our search were our deep familiarity with the international food products industry (and in particular, the nuances of the diverse Asian marketplace) and the significant skills of our research team.
