Industry
Media & Advertising
Location
Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia
Number of Employees
200+ employees
CLIENT OVERVIEW
Our client is a Singapore-headquartered parent-tech company that has grown from a parenting-content business into a broader ecosystem spanning digital media, online communities, consumer insights, advertising, e-commerce, direct-to-consumer products, and offline retail.
The company operates several consumer brands focused on supporting parents and families across Southeast Asia.
CHALLENGE
The client engaged Avomind to hire a Head of Commercial responsible for Indonesia and Vietnam. The objective was to find a high-potential leader who could contribute to regional strategy while remaining closely involved in day-to-day commercial execution.
This was not a conventional senior commercial search. The ideal candidate needed to combine consulting or similarly analytical experience with startup exposure, commercial understanding, marketing knowledge, international experience, and strong leadership potential, all within a maximum of five years of professional experience.
The client also placed significant importance on academic performance and early achievements. Target candidates were expected to have attended leading universities, earned strong grades, taken on leadership roles, and demonstrated meaningful extracurricular accomplishments.
International exposure was essential for a role covering two distinct Southeast Asian markets. Candidates needed experience studying abroad, participating in an international exchange programme, or working in a cross-border environment.
At the same time, the successful candidate had to move comfortably between strategy and execution. The role covered digital and performance marketing, e-commerce, brand strategy, budgeting, forecasting, pricing, P&L management, and overall commercial performance. Finding this breadth of capability in someone with a relatively short professional track record significantly narrowed the available talent pool.
SOLUTION
Avomind developed a highly targeted search strategy based on the complete candidate profile rather than conventional job titles or years of experience.
We mapped candidates across consulting, commercial, marketing, and analytical functions, assessing them against a combination of academic achievement, international exposure, startup experience, leadership potential, and commercial capability. This allowed us to identify candidates whose previous titles might not immediately suggest readiness for the position, but whose experience demonstrated the learning agility and structured thinking the role required.
Because the client limited total professional experience to five years, we looked beyond traditional indicators of seniority. Evidence of leadership could come from university organisations, consulting engagements, startup responsibilities, team initiatives, or ownership of business-critical projects.
Candidates from startups and other fast-growing businesses were prioritised because they were more likely to be comfortable with ambiguity, rapid decision-making, broad responsibilities, and limited organisational structure. International education and cross-market experience were also used as important screening criteria.
Our assessment went beyond functional marketing or sales expertise. We examined whether candidates could connect commercial decisions to financial performance through budgeting, forecasting, pricing, contribution margins, ROI, and P&L management. Just as importantly, candidates needed to show that they could translate high-level business objectives into practical actions across two different markets.
OUTCOME
Avomind’s targeted approach enabled the client to appoint a high-potential commercial leader whose capabilities extended beyond a conventional functional profile.
The successful candidate brought together analytical thinking, commercial awareness, international exposure, and the entrepreneurial mindset required in a fast-moving business. Despite having fewer than five years of professional experience, the candidate demonstrated the maturity and leadership potential needed to manage a complex remit spanning Indonesia and Vietnam.
The appointment gave the client more than an immediate functional hire. It brought in an emerging leader capable of collaborating closely with the CEO and Chief Commercial Officer, taking ownership across markets and functions, and developing into broader commercial, brand, and market leadership responsibilities as the business continues to grow.