Brunswick Marine, the manufacturer of the world’s best-selling outboard motor and a leading range of leisure boats, approached us to help fill key leadership roles across Europe. The positions required not only specific technical and commercial expertise but also fluency in multiple languages. Our challenge was to identify professionals with the right skillset and linguistic capabilities to drive the business forward.

Our first executive search for Brunswick was to recruit a VP of Supply Chain based in Belgium. The role demanded someone with experience managing large, complex supply chain operations, handling thousands of products, from finished goods to replacement parts, delivered through dealers and master distributors, all within a unionised environment. Additionally, the candidate needed to be fluent in both French and English, as French was the language of the EMEA distribution centre, while English was used for corporate reporting.

To meet these criteria, we utilised our extensive network and expertise in multilingual recruitment. By leveraging our knowledge of various markets, we effectively connected with candidates who not only possessed the requisite skills but also fit culturally within Brunswick’s diverse work environment. We approached 70 candidates across Europe, with initial outreach conducted in French by a researcher fluent in the language, ensuring accurate communication from the start. Follow-up interviews were held in English to confirm their proficiency in both languages.

We developed a shortlist of five highly qualified candidates, including a “benchmark candidate” identified early in the process. After comprehensive interviews, the benchmark candidate was appointed, with a second-choice candidate as a backup.

Brunswick was so impressed by the efficiency and success of the VP search that they continued to partner with us for several other key hires. We have since filled roles across Germany, Switzerland, and Italy, ensuring each candidate possessed the required language skills and expertise to succeed in their roles, such as Country Managers and senior leadership positions. If your business require exceptional talent with specific skill sets and multilingual capabilities, we’re here to help. Contact us today to discuss how we can support your recruitment needs across Europe and beyond. You can book a discovery session by completing the contact form below or by emailing us at hello@quarsh.com