Mid-Market · Family Businesses · Hidden Champions
Executive search for mid-sized companies and hidden champions.
Leadership appointments in the German Mittelstand follow their own logic. The role of a managing director or CFO is often broader, the proximity to owners greater and the cultural influence of a single leader more direct than in highly specialised corporate structures.
That is why it is not enough to win a well-known name from a larger company. What matters is whether the person thinks entrepreneurially, takes responsibility, is effective with more limited resources and fits the ownership and decision-making culture.
The real task begins before the search
Many mis-hires do not arise during candidate selection, but already in the role profile. Historical job descriptions often do not reflect the company’s next phase. Growth, internationalisation, digitalisation, succession or transformation fundamentally change the mandate of a leadership position.
Before approaching the market, I therefore clarify which results the person actually has to deliver in the next two to three years, which decisions they should take themselves and what the interface with shareholders, the advisory board and the leadership team looks like.
Typical search mandates in mid-sized companies
- CEO and managing director
- CFO and commercial managing director
- COO and operational management
- Sales and growth responsibility at top management level
- Succession in family businesses
- Leadership in transformation and internationalisation phases
- Board and advisory board appointments
Hidden champions do not need a standard process
Hidden champions are often more international, more technologically specialised and more demanding in their niches than their public profile suggests. Candidates must therefore not only master the function but credibly understand the business model, technology, customer structure and international scope.
The direct approach has to convey this distinctiveness. Executives who are not actively looking in particular do not move because of a generic job profile. They need to understand why the task, the company and the next stage of development are relevant.
Taking ownership structure and expectations and governance into account
In family businesses and owner-led structures, the formal role is only part of reality. The quality of an appointment also depends on whether expectations between owners, management and, where applicable, the advisory or supervisory board have been clarified.
For succession topics, a combination of CEO Succession, Board Advisory and executive search can therefore make sense. This does not make the search more complicated – it makes it more precise.
Personally led – from briefing to decision
I lead mandates myself. Market definition, approach, candidate interviews and advice to the decision-makers stay in one hand. In mid-sized companies in particular, this continuity is important, because role requirements and cultural nuances are hard to preserve across several internal handovers.
The shortlist should not be a collection of available CVs, but a rigorous selection of leaders who fit the specific task.
Frequently asked questions
Is corporate experience an advantage for a mid-market role?
It can be an advantage, but it is not a mark of quality in itself. What matters is whether a leader can also work effectively in more direct structures, with greater personal responsibility and less organisational support.
How important is industry knowledge?
That depends on the business model and the role. In technically complex or regulated markets it can be central. In other situations, demonstrable transformation, growth or leadership experience carries more weight.
Do you also support confidential successions?
Yes. In managing director or CEO succession in particular, a controlled flow of information is often a prerequisite for a successful search.