Sales Leadership Search

Sales Directors, VPs and Country Managers for technology vendors in DACH and the Nordics

The wrong sales leader costs more than a missed quarter. The team follows the leader, and so does the pipeline. I run confidential searches for Sales Directors, Heads of Sales, Regional VPs, VPs of Sales and Country Managers at cybersecurity, AI, software and infrastructure vendors.

I have done the job myself. I built the European sales presence of five US technology vendors as one of the first people on the ground, and I built and led EMEA sales teams of up to around 140 people. My first retained search as a headhunter was a Managing Director and a VP for a Japanese enterprise storage vendor in Germany.

Discuss your hiring needs
Roles I fill
Country Manager / General Manager DACH

Often the first senior hire in the region, responsible for revenue and for building the local team.

Sales Director / Head of Sales

Leads a team of Account Executives and owns the number for a country or segment.

Regional VP / VP Sales

Leads several countries or all of EMEA and works closely with headquarters.

Head of Presales / Sales Engineering

Leads the technical sales team.

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What I look for in a sales leader

A track record in a comparable sales motion

Deal size, sales cycle and growth stage close to yours. Success at a market leader does not always carry over to a scale-up, and the same is true the other way round.

Hiring and team building

Who they hired, who they let go, and how many of their people followed them to the next company.

Forecast discipline

How they build a forecast and defend it in front of headquarters.

Fit with your company and headquarters

Above all for US and other international vendors: how the candidate works with a remote headquarters and local customers at the same time.

Typical situations
First leader in the region

Market entry in Germany, Austria, Switzerland or the Nordics.

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Replacing a leader confidentially

The search runs discreetly while the current leader is still in place.

Scaling the team

From a handful of sellers to an organisation with first-line managers.

How the search runs
1

Briefing

We define the role, the mandate from headquarters and what success looks like after twelve months.

2

Direct approach

I approach proven leaders confidentially, without naming your company until you agree.

3

Assessment

I interview every candidate myself and look at the track record behind the numbers before you see a name.

4

Shortlist and interviews

You meet a small number of leaders who fit. I prepare both sides for every interview, including meetings with headquarters.

5

Offer and start

I support the offer, the negotiation and the resignation up to the start date. Every placement carries a written 6-month replacement guarantee.

Questions companies ask
Can the search stay confidential while our current leader is still in place?
Yes. I approach candidates without naming your company until there is mutual interest and you agree. Confidential direct outreach is how I run every search.
Should our first hire in DACH be a Country Manager or a senior Account Executive?
In most market entries a senior, hands-on seller who can build the team later is the better first hire. A manager without a team to manage slows you down. The exception is market entry by acquisition or at scale. The First Sales Hire in DACH page covers this in detail.
Do you recruit sales leaders for the Nordics as well?
Yes. I cover Germany, Austria and Switzerland as well as Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland. I grew up in Sweden and have lived in Munich since 1986.
What happens if the new leader leaves early?
Every placement carries a written 6-month replacement guarantee. In 19 years I have needed six replacements across more than 280 placements.
How is the search fee structured?
Retained, with a fee agreed in writing before the search starts. The details are on the Engagement Models page.

Looking for a sales leader?

Discuss your hiring needs
30-minute call · Confidential · No obligation