Hunter.io Chief Executive Officer Case Study

Hunter’s co-founders partnered with Oakstone International on a retained basis to appoint a US-based CEO capable of leading both product and revenue in a high-growth, PLG-driven business. Oakstone conducted a global executive search, targeting 200+ profiles, actively engaging 75 leaders, and progressing 14 finalists, securing a hands-on, technically fluent CEO aligned to Hunter’s culture and expansion plans, concluding the hire within three months, with onboarding scheduled five months from search launch.

Background

Search Background

Requirements

The Challenge

The Result

---

Background

Hunter provides online data to create connections between professionals. It lists all the email addresses of a company publicly available on the web and enables its users to find the email addresses of anyone from the first name, last name, and company website.

Search Background

• Co-founders approached Oakstone to lead the search for an experienced CEO to drive expansion for the business (the business being a highly successful PLG-driven global company led by the two co-founders)

• Quickly established that the level of the role required a retrained agreement to be implemented (due to the complexity and seniority of the hire)

Requirements

• Due to the nature of the business, Hunter required a hands-on product and technically minded CEO who could bring not just commercial leadership but also a product roadmap.

• Start-Up/Scale-Up mentality

• Hands-on leader

• Culturally adaptable and able to maximise an already successful business

• Hunter.io’s workforce was primarily based in Europe. However, future plans involved growth in the US, and the founders wanted their new CEO to be based in the USA.

• Experience leading product and revenue for a PLG-driven business model

The Challenge

• Unknown brand in the US

• Rare breadth of skills-requirement (product + technical + commercial leadership don’t usually combine in one executive leader

• Global remit, with an ability to work across multiple timezones

• Fast-paced business, with a leader required to move at the same pace

The Results

• Over 200 profiles were targeted, with approx. 75 actively “engaged”, and a further 20 were introduced to Hunter.

• 14 progressed through 1st interview stage (considering the founders were hiring their direct replacement, they needed deep market coverage of different profile options)

• Successfully concluded the process with candidate start-date scheduled approx. 5 months after commencement of the search (hiring decision made after 3 months)