Placing an EMEA Marketing Director for a $10B EdTech Scale-Up in 55 Days
[A US-based manufacturing leader in fibre-reinforced urethane products had built a strong footprint across marine, automotive, and construction sectors - but needed a seasoned European Sales Manager to lead its next phase of regional growth. The role required not just sales experience, but deep sector knowledge in composite materials and the ability to hit the ground running in a new market.]
The Challenge
A fast-growing US-based EdTech company - backed by $434M in funding and valued at up to $10B — was expanding into Europe and needed its first senior in-region marketing leader. The role was effectively a 'Mini-CMO': responsible for building and owning the entire European marketing strategy. The hire needed to be strategic, hands-on, and able to operate with autonomy in a high-growth, high-ambiguity environment.
The Client
[A US-based manufacturing leader in fibre-reinforced urethane products had built a strong footprint across marine, automotive, and construction sectors.]
Headquarters
San Francisco, California
Employees
500+
Funding
$434M across 7 rounds (latest: Series F)
Investors
Spark Capital, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
Valuation
Up to $10B
Our Approach
Optima Search | Europe & America structured a four-stage process built around precision — not volume.
1,800 profiles sourced and reviewed - narrowed to candidates with minimum 3-year tenure for stability.
47 candidates engaged in conversations; 7 fully screened and presented to the client.
Ongoing advisory dialogue throughout - refining expectations, managing market realities, and aligning the brief as insights emerged.
172 candidates (10%) directly approached through targeted outreach.
13 interviews conducted over four rounds with senior global stakeholders.
The Results
Gagandeep S. was successfully placed as the company's first European Marketing Director - establishing a senior marketing presence in the region and laying the foundation for scalable growth across EMEA.
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