Bradson Consulting Counsels CIO Search for $500 Million Manufacturer
Situation
A global supplier of hydraulic lift-truck attachments with annual revenues of more than $500 million recognized the need to make a change at the leadership level within its IT organization. In a very mature and self-aware fashion, senior leadership understood that their direction may have contributed to an environment in which the former CIO had not demonstrated the kind of strategic guidance needed at the company. Nevertheless, the company went out in search of a more visionary IT leader.
Challenge
To begin, the company needed to assess its organizational readiness for such a change. For a long-time, closely knit leadership team, this was a complex task to manage; many organizations are reluctant to look within in this manner. In addition, the company sought to ascertain where the prior CIO leadership fell short, from an internal perspective as well as from a comparative external perspective to the rest of the industry.
Solution
The most effective way for an organization to look within for such an intricate task is to leverage top-level expertise from the outside. Bradson Consulting was called upon to lead the project, based on its depth of experience in organizational management. Bradson confidentially interviewed all senior leadership at the company as well as leaders at all levels of the IT organization to determine the primary factors that led to the current state.
During this initial engagement, Bradson provided key insights into the company’s organizational dynamics, assessed the strengths and weaknesses of IT organization personnel, and provided insight and guidance to find the right match for the company’s next CIO. These insights helped the company determine the most important skills and expertise to complement strengths already in place, and also for success within the larger organizational dynamic.
Results
Following this engagement, Bradson provided counsel to the company to assist in the search for a new IT leader. This guidance resulted in the company’s hiring of a well-known and well-regarded CIO from the local business community. The company now has in place a visionary IT leader with a management skillset that fits well with both company leadership and the IT group.
The Bradson Difference
Bradson consultants, representing decades of upper-level management expertise and unparalleled experience with Fortune 500 firms, provided superior guidance in helping the company find the right fit at CIO.