References

Industry-leading and innovative
businesses rely on Active Search to bring in exceptional talent.

They value our cooperative and quality approach to top talent recruitment. Through integrity and performance, we are proud to foster enduring and productive relationships that stand the test of time. Our valued clients, whom we may reveal publicly, include:

Clients who loved what we did

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Extantia Capital has had the pleasure of working with Leonidas and the Active Search team over the past few years. Not only have they helped us fill two key positions within our fund (Head of Marketing and Head of ESG), but they have also advised several of our climate tech portfolio companies on senior level hires. We have been impressed with Leonidas' professionalism, authenticity and understanding of the importance of relationships. We look forward to continuing our partnership.
Yair ReemPartner Extantia Capital

“

would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to you and your team for the exceptional service and professionalism in assisting us to secure our VP Commercial and first strategic hire in Europe. Your deep understanding of our needs and the market, combined with your collaborative approach helped us navigate through the recruitment process with ease.
Talmon MarcoCEO at H2pro

“

We are delighted to have worked with Leonidas and the Active Search team to help with the hiring of two key positions within our leadership team (CCO and VP Engineering). Your deep understanding of our needs, combined with your commitment and valuable insights, significantly eased the typically arduous process of executive recruitment. The quality of candidates presented, and the seamless coordination of interviews were impressive and precisely what we needed during this pivotal moment for our company.
Martin SchichtelCEO at Kraftblock

Thankful candidates
speak on our behalf

“

From the day Leonidas reached out to me, we built not just rapport, but more importantly we built trust. Leonidas was looking for the right fit, not trying to “sell me” on a position. He worked on understanding my goals and needs. This is not something I saw often, and I felt we were a team. Leonidas ran a very transparent process. The open and frequent communication between us made me comfortable that I was making the right decision.
Ignacio BincazChief Commercial Officer at Advanced Ionics

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Working with Leo and Active Search as a candidate in the recruitment process was a very comfortable experience. From the pitching of the company to the final onboarding, there was always a constant and transparent communication. Leo managed an agile process balancing me and the client considering the complexity of being a startup with several shareholders.
José Antonio de las Heras AlonsoCEO at Fertighy

Some of the recent placements that we are proud of include.

PPA Originator

Super Energy Major, UK

CEO

Low-Carbon Fertiliser Start-Up, Spain

Sales Director EMEA

Carbon Ratings Start-Up, UK

Head of Growth & Strategy

Direct Air Capture Start-Up, Luxembourg

CCO

Electrolysis Start-Up, Germany

CFO

Energy Storage Start-Up, The Netherlands

Head of ESG

Climate Tech Investment Fund, Germany

Project Developer

Renewable Developer, Spain

VP Engineering

Thermal Energy Storage Start-Up, Germany

Case studies

Executive Search

The challenge

Through a venture capital partner, we were referred and engaged to search for a CCO for a key portfolio company. Our client, an electrolysis start-up, was seeking to hire their first commercial employee upon € 40+ Million Series B round. This was a key hire for our client to start building an order book of commercial projects.

The solution

Our team held an intake session with the CEO and key investors to understand organizational growth plans and business needs.

Next, the Active Search team assisted in developing the job description and providing external insights to define the scope.

We then kicked off the search to map the global market for senior commercial talent. We focused on identifying candidates with experience in complex sales/bidding for capital goods and service agreements in energy, process, chemical, or steel industries.

The outcome

A shortlist of 6 candidates with experience at key competitors or relevant expertise in the Green Hydrogen Industry was presented.

The timeline from longlist to shortlist was 4 weeks. Active Search and the client collaboratively conducted interviews to select the candidate.

The client ended up hiring a CCO in Germany. 6 months later, the Active Search Team helped build the rest of the commercial organization across Europe and North America.

Talent mapping

The challenge

Early 2024, a leading Energy company was seeking to identify Commercial talent across different renewable markets for its European business. The client had historically struggled to find suitable candidates through traditional recruitment methods.

The client recognized that the talent pool was both limited and in high demand, with intense market competition. They decided to secure specialist talent mapping services to identify relevant talent across the Energy, Utilities, Project Development, and Industrial sectors. We were tasked with examining key geographical markets across Europe. This ensured all qualified candidates were identified and presented in a comprehensive talent map.

The solution

The Active Search team conducted an in-depth on/offline research to create a comprehensive talent mapping. We used Talent insight tools to understand the size of the talent pool, key employers and attrition. AI Sourcing tools were used to cover a wide range of data sources and uncover lateral talent.

We also conducted deep online research to identify candidates via events, company websites, directories etc. We supplemented our online mapping with phone research. This confirmed each individual’s current role and verified job titles.

In addition to the talent map, we conducted a talent pool analysis. The report outlined key insights such as talent hubs, top employers, seniority levels, gender distribution, career backgrounds, specialized qualifications, and potential availability.

Our analysis revealed a gap between the experience required for the role and the actual availability of candidates. This insight enabled our client to adjust their candidate benchmarks accordingly.

The outcome

Within 3 weeks, Active Search Partners identified over 320 candidate leads relevant to the skill set.

All identified candidates were categorized based on profile strength, helping the client prioritize candidates for the next phase. This talent mapping effort led to 11 assessments and 6 successful hires.

The project delivered a strong return on investment for the client and effectively identified specialized, hard-to-locate skills.

Building high level teams

The challenge

Our client, a Thermal Energy Storage start-up, sought to strengthen their leadership team. They aimed to hire a COO, VP Engineering, and CCO after their €20+ Million Series B in 2023. Based on the new investment our client was ready to expand their business globally and deliver their technology at scale. Active Search was retained to support the CEO and key Investors in structuring and hiring the new leadership team.

The solution

The Active Search team organized an intake session with the CEO and key investors. The goal was to understand the organizational growth plans, company culture, and align on the required individual and team profiles.

Next, the Active Search team developed a resourcing strategy. They briefed key stakeholders on the process, roles, and responsibilities to ensure successful project delivery.

Leveraging our energy storage market expertise, we began the search by scouting within our network. For each role, we generated a long list of candidates with relevant experience, expertise, and a strong “start-up” cultural fit.

The outcome

The assignment was completed, and we presented a final shortlist of 3 candidates per role. Each candidate was qualified through behavioral and functional assessments, in collaboration with the CEO and key board members.

We supported the CEO throughout the recruitment process, including job offer negotiations, and successfully secured all candidates within budget.

Industry-leading and innovative
businesses rely on Active Search to bring in exceptional talent.

Clients who loved what we did

Thankful candidates
speak on our behalf