Bussines cases

Choosing the right leader for a greenfield project

People can enjoy a beer in almost any country in the world. It’s one of the most consumed beverages worldwide, and comes in different flavours, aromas and colours. The beer market is highly competitive and brewing companies try to provide both a wide variety and high quality, with the aim of entering new markets.

In doing so, brands work hard on their expansion plans, setting up breweries in strategic regions in order to be closer to their consumers. They invest in new production plants, talent recruitment, as well as in innovation when it comes to product development.

That is how one of the largest family businesses in the beer industry decided to open up a new brewery plant in Latin America. This new endeavor brought about important challenges for the business as, at the time, the company didn’t have presence in the region through either offices or plants. Talengo became their strategic ally in their new expansion process.

Objective

Select a bilingual Operations Director with experience in Greenfield projects, as well as in production and plant management from scratch

Project

Search for candidates who met the requirements established by the brand within the region. The candidates needed to have experience in Greenfield projects and in the beer industry, as well as in setting up and managing production plants from scratch. They would be able to relocate or live abroad- which also meant having experience in adapting to other cultures different from their own.

Results

Not only was the Operations Director selected- whose position is named brewmaster, but also the profile for who would be that person’s right hand. This would allow the company to make some progress in their consolidation plan for the market, while expanding into new ones within the region.

The talent selection was successful primarily because the search was highly refined, as the guidelines provided by our client highlighted key aspects that weren’t easy to find in one person. The market research had to be really thorough but, thanks to Talengo’s capacity and experience in working in international projects, the analysis was completed successfully.

Industry

Beer

Location

Latin America

Definition and stages:

Thanks to the designed plan and the subsequent development of each of its stages, after conducting interviews and a detailed professional assessment, a candidate who met all the requirements predefined was finally selected

At Talengo we also increase the odds of a successful hire by accompanying our clients during the job offer stage, a sensitive aspect for both parties, as it needs to be tackled correctly in order to meet both clients’ and candidates’ expectations. It’s necessary to be specific about the conditions regarding the candidate’s relocation expenses related to issues such as moving, travel and accommodation or housing, among others. Our consulting role is key to ensure all conditions are both clear and suitable for both parties.

Likewise, we often conduct follow-up processes during the first six months after the candidate’s placement in order to ensure both parties are adapting well to each other’s ways of working.

The research and assessment process allowed us to find a candidate with the right experience, skills and abilities in key aspects such as leadership, knowledge on production plants, logistics and supply chain. The candidate also matched the requirement to be bilingual and with a high adaptability, as they had lived in different countries during their professional career.