Introduction
When a fast-growing fintech client’s CTO was unexpectedly headhunted by a competitor, the CEO’s first instinct was to find someone just like him, fast. He was respected, trusted by the board and had built the platform the business ran on.
But the company was preparing to expand internationally. Instead of a like-for-like replacement, this was a chance to hire the leader the next chapter needed.
How AI and the human touch filled the role in 4 weeks
We started by rewriting the brief around the growth plan: a CTO who had scaled a regulated fintech platform across multiple regions and could lead distributed teams.
AI gave us reach
Within days it mapped technology leaders across fintech and payments in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. It surfaced passive candidates who had genuinely led international expansion, and it took the admin off our consultants’ plates.
People made the call.
We went deeper than a standard screening call, asking candidates how their platform decisions survived new markets, how they kept culture intact across time zones, and what would make them turn the role down. Those honest conversations ruled out some strong CVs and uncovered the right person: a quieter candidate who had led a payments business into several new regions and wasn’t actively looking.
The position was filled within 4 weeks. The new CTO brought real global experience, regulatory depth and a proven record of scaling teams, turning the expansion plan into a roadmap with a credible owner.
Conclusion
AI tells you who is out there. The human touch tells you who is right. Used together, they turned an unexpected resignation into a stronger leadership hire in just 4 weeks.
Facing a sudden leadership gap, or planning growth that needs a different kind of leader?
Get in touch today and let’s find your next exceptional hire.