Tealium SVP & GM EMEA Case Study

Tealium partnered with Oakstone International on a retained search to replace its departing SVP & GM EMEA. Working alongside Tealium’s CRO, CPO, and internal recruitment team, Oakstone delivered a targeted shortlist from a limited MarTech talent pool, interviewing 9 candidates and completing the hire within five weeks. Oakstone has gone on to support over 50 GTM and leadership hires within the organisation.

Company Background

Search Background

Requirements

The Challenge

The Results

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Company Background

• Tealium was founded in 2008 by Ali Behnam and Mike Anderson

• HQ in San Diego, US

• Total Funding $263.9M

• Specialising in Customer Data Platforms (Martech SaaS)

Search Background

• Oakstone had previously worked closely with the existing SVP and GM EMEA to hire 50 people within EMEA. This individual was leaving the organisation and needed to be replaced.

• Oakstone worked with Tealium’s Chief Revenue Officer, Chief People Officer, and Senior Internal Recruiter to find the right person for the role.

• A retained agreement saw the Oakstone team work alongside the internal recruitment team to evaluate all candidates, working closely together to shortlist the right people.

Requirements

• Tealium sought a focused sales leader who understood an Ideal Customer Profile GTM.

• The ideal candidate still needed to focus on winning net new logos but place greater emphasis on expanding existing key accounts that fit the ICP.

• This hire would need experience leading a sales team and having influenced multiple functions in a matrix environment.

• This hire would need to shift the strategy from accelerated start-up growth to more stable growth and profitability.

The Challenge

• Target companies were limited as few MarTech SaaS vendors have reached Tealium’s existing size in EMEA.

• Finding someone who could run sales and be a GM with an increased focus on profitability was a requirement that presented a minimal group of candidates.

The Results

• 5 weeks from the search to the signing of contracts.

• Interviewed nine people.

• Tealium hired Rob Coyne, previous EMEA lead for Hootsuite and Kenshoo and CRO at Thunderhead.

Explore Oakstone’s Relationship with Tealium

• Why is the talent pool for SVP & GM EMEA roles so limited in MarTech?

  MarTech is a competitive but narrow leadership market in EMEA. Few companies reach meaningful scale, meaning fewer executives have held true GM-level roles with both commercial ownership and operational responsibility.

• Why do companies use retained search for GM and SVP-level hires?

  Retained search is often chosen because these roles require:

  • Confidentiality

  • Precision and proactive headhunting

  • Alignment between board, CRO, and People teams

  • Access to passive, high-performing candidates

  It is best suited for business-critical leadership hires.

• How can Oakstone help companies hiring a GM or SVP Sales leader in EMEA?

  Oakstone International specialises in senior GTM and regional leadership search across SaaS and MarTech. We help companies identify executives who can:

  • Scale EMEA revenue sustainably

  • Lead multi-country sales organisations

  • Expand strategic ICP accounts

  • Align with HQ and global teams

  • Build profitable, repeatable growth models