How Oakstone International Helped Ultimo Appoint a President, North America Ahead of US Expansion

23 Oct

Ultimo President, North America Case Study

Oakstone International partnered with Ultimo to appoint a President, North America, a critical executive leadership hire ahead of the company's planned expansion. Following successful commercial appointments in Germany, Ultimo engaged Oakstone to identify a senior leader capable of scaling its North American operation. With highly specific requirements spanning manufacturing and industrial markets, private equity experience and data-driven sales leadership, Oakstone conducted a targeted executive search, securing an executive who stood out across every key assessment criterion.

Company Background

Ultimo is a global software company specialising in Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) solutions. Its software helps organisations manage, maintain and optimise their physical assets, including machinery, equipment, infrastructure and facilities.

Ultimo's cloud-based EAM platform enables businesses to improve operational efficiency, reduce equipment downtime, control maintenance costs and extend the lifespan of critical assets.

The company primarily serves asset-intensive industries, including manufacturing, utilities, logistics, healthcare and infrastructure.

Search Background

Oakstone International's relationship with Ultimo began in early 2026, when the company's CEO engaged Oakstone to support commercial recruitment in Germany. Following the successful delivery of those appointments, the CEO approached Oakstone again to support a strategically important hire in North America. With ambitious plans to accelerate regional growth, Ultimo needed an experienced executive capable of strengthening commercial performance and developing a scalable sales organisation.

As a European-headquartered business, North America had become a mission-critical market for Ultimo, making the appointment of a President, North America a key priority.

Requirements

Ultimo required an executive who combined relevant industry knowledge with the operational discipline and leadership experience needed to scale a commercial organisation.

The successful candidate needed to demonstrate:

Industry expertise: Experience selling enterprise technology into manufacturing and industrial markets.
Senior leadership: Previous second-line management experience, enabling them to lead a larger organisation as the region expanded.
Commercial execution: A structured, process-driven approach to scaling sales operations.
Private equity experience: Familiarity with the accountability, reporting and performance expectations of PE-backed businesses.
Data-driven leadership: Proven ability to manage commercial performance through metrics, forecasting and structured reporting.

Although the immediate position involved direct regional leadership, Ultimo wanted someone capable of taking on greater responsibility as its North American operation developed.

Oakstone's Approach and Solution

Oakstone developed a targeted search strategy focused on organisations recognised for strong sales execution, commercial processes and performance management. Particular attention was given to executives operating within private equity-backed technology businesses, where data-driven decision-making and reporting discipline are essential. The search also prioritised candidates with experience in manufacturing and industrial markets, ensuring alignment with Ultimo's customers and commercial environment.

Given the specificity of the requirements, Oakstone invested considerable time in identifying, approaching and qualifying suitable executives. Beyond assessing career histories and commercial achievements, Oakstone conducted additional background validation and discreet referencing before introducing candidates to Ultimo. This ensured the business received a shortlist of executives whose experience, capabilities and suitability had already been carefully assessed.

Challenges

The primary challenge was identifying candidates who met Ultimo's requirements across industry experience, leadership capability and commercial execution. Finding executives who also possessed private equity experience and a highly data-driven approach significantly narrowed the talent pool. Additionally, previous changes in North American leadership meant some candidates wanted reassurance around Ultimo's long-term commitment to the region.

Oakstone therefore focused on communicating the company's growth ambitions, planned investment and the increased ownership available to the incoming executive. The objective was to attract someone who recognised the opportunity to play a central role in scaling Ultimo's North American business.

Search Results

Oakstone successfully secured Ultimo's preferred candidate for President, North America. Following a detailed search and qualification process, Oakstone presented a strong shortlist, with two candidates progressing to the second interview stage. Ultimo recognised early in the process that one executive represented an exceptional match.

The successful candidate demonstrated the complete combination of industry knowledge, commercial performance, leadership capability and private equity experience required for the appointment. His personality and approach to commercial execution also aligned closely with Ultimo's expectations. Once the preferred candidate was identified, Oakstone worked closely with both parties to manage the final stages and secure the appointment.

The result was a senior commercial leader equipped to strengthen Ultimo's North American operations and support its planned expansion in 2027.

The appointment further strengthened Oakstone's relationship with Ultimo, building on its earlier success delivering commercial talent in Europe and demonstrating its ability to support executive hiring across international markets.