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

“

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
“

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
“

Matias guided me through the entire recruitment process with a great balance of professionalism and genuine care. Communication was always clear, timely, and transparent, which made a real difference. He took the time to understand both my background and what I was looking for, and approached the process in a very thoughtful and well-structured way. I truly valued his reliability and the way he managed each step with consistency and attention to detail. The opportunity I ultimately chose at Sunfire turned out to be a strong fit, and I’m very glad to have gone through this process with his support. I would gladly recommend working with Active Partners.

Paula CorominasSales Contract Manager at Sunfire

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

CTO

E-Fuels, Germany

CEO

Low-Carbon Fertiliser Start-Up, Spain

Sales Director EMEA

Carbon Ratings Start-Up, UK

VP Growth & Strategy

Direct Air Capture Start-Up, Luxembourg

CCO

Electrolysis Start-Up, Germany

CFO

Energy Storage Start-Up, The Netherlands

Board Member

Sustainable Battery Materials, Estonia

Engineering Project Manager

Industrial Energy Efficiency, The Netherlands

Head of Supply Chain

Green Hydrogen Developer, Germany

Managing Director

Biofuels, Italy

Case studies

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.

Building commercial teams

The challenge

One of Europe’s leading electrolyzer manufacturers was scaling fast, entering new markets and delivering multiple projects simultaneously. To keep pace, they needed to build out an entire commercial function from the ground up.

Active Search was retained to support three senior leaders (VP Sales, VP Business Development, and Director of Proposal Management) in structuring and hiring across four distinct commercial profiles: Snr Sales Managers, Proposal Managers, Business Development Managers, and Sales Contract Managers

The solution

We began with a structured intake session across all three stakeholders, aligning on organizational growth plans, company culture, and the specific individual and team profiles needed for each role.

From there, we developed a tailored resourcing strategy and briefed each stakeholder on process, responsibilities, and timelines to ensure smooth project delivery across all four streams in parallel.

To maintain alignment and momentum, we ran weekly progress sessions with the different internal stakeholders, reviewing challenges and opportunities and ensuring a smooth, well-coordinated process throughout.

Drawing on our deep expertise in the electrolyzers and green hydrogen market, we activated our network immediately, building a longlist for each role that balanced technical relevance, commercial track record, and the entrepreneurial mindset required for a fast-scaling environment.

The outcome

The full assignment was completed successfully. For each role, we presented a shortlist of 5 qualified candidates, each assessed through both behavioral and functional evaluations, conducted in close collaboration with the VPs and Directors.

The result: a cohesive commercial team built with the structure, expertise, and cultural fit to support the client’s next phase of growth in the green hydrogen market.