Initial situation
Our client is a multinational group active in the fields of automotive components and industry and was restructuring its automotive division. In this context it wished to establish an overarching global key account management team as a central function in its organizational matrix in order to enhance the division's competitive edge. To this end, it set out to create 17 new positions to support and develop OEM and tier-1 customers and fill them internally. The group had already identified 34 corresponding candidates from different country companies. The success of the newly created unit and specifically its successful integration in the matrix was judged to depend critically on a combination of both specialist and general competencies.

Objective
As part of the restructuring, the group Board expected strong support in finding the right persons for the various positions. The emphasis was on judging the quality of the candidates regarding their respective suitability as global key account managers and recommendations for specific individual personal development measures.

Methodology

• Identifying cross-over competencies of relevance to the positions and mission critical – together with the group management members responsible
• Devising and conducting a total of 34 individual management assessments in Darmstadt, Yokohama, Shanghai and Detroit
• Establishing the candidates' key individual strengths and weaknesses in light of the competencies required and issuing individual selection, account and development recommendations for each person
• Discerning supporting and constraining environmental factors as regards the restructuring initiated and deriving the corresponding recommendations for implementation
• Determining overarching development measures for the new global key account management team
• Engaging in extensive discussions with the group management members responsible on the findings

Results
The key result of the process described: far greater scope for action by the group's decision-makers, which in turn ensures the suitable candidates are appointed. Moreover, our client now has a clear sense of the personal, collective and environment-related opportunities and risks in the newly created unit and can thus take a far more methodical approach to structuring and integrating the global key account management. Not least, there was real added value for all candidates in the process, as irrespective of the appointment made they received important individual recommendations on personal development requirements for their future careers.