How Our Executive Search Firm in Kenya Delivered a ‘Unicorn’ Hire Against All Odds
How Our Executive Search Firm in Kenya Delivered a ‘Unicorn’ Hire Against All Odds
At By Appointment Africa, we’re often approached for complex placements — but this one stood out. A client needed what we call a unicorn: a senior hire with rare technical expertise, cross-cultural fluency, leadership agility, and the right personality. All within a tight budget and specific location.
The Challenge: Hire an Executive with a Rare Mix of Skills
A multinational expanding its footprint in East Africa approached our executive search firm in Kenya with a high-stakes brief:
- Senior leadership oversight across four African markets
- Deep operational, financial, and digital transformation experience
- Gravitas to manage legacy stakeholders and dynamism to inspire a young team
- Preference for a Nairobi-based candidate — but limited relocation flexibility
- And finally — a salary range that didn’t match the market expectations
Step 1: Reframing the Brief to Focus on What Really Matters
We began by digging deeper into what the client actually needed versus what was simply preferred:
- Non-negotiables: experience in regulated sectors, stakeholder confidence, values alignment
- Negotiables: geography (with hybrid flexibility), and salary (if strategic value could be demonstrated)
- This allowed us to search more creatively — without compromising on fit.
Step 2: Sourcing Executive Talent Across Africa
Our retained search team activated over 20 premium platforms and our proprietary database. We:
- Mapped over 70 mid-to-senior executives across East, West, and Southern Africa
- Engaged passive talent through discreet outreach and referrals
- Used Workplace Insights and Criteria Corp assessments to measure not just skills — but strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, and team fit
💡 Learn more about our Candidate Profiling tools →
Step 3: Shortlisting for Personality & Culture Fit
Out of dozens of technically qualified profiles, only a few aligned with the client’s culture and leadership needs. One standout — let’s call her Z — had:
- A track record in turnaround strategy across fintech and telecom
- Trilingual skills and deep regional awareness
- Proven experience managing complex, cross-border teams
She lived in Kigali, requested a higher package, and came from a different sector. But everything else aligned.
Step 4: Advocacy and Value Framing
We knew she was the one — and we helped the client see it too.
We delivered:
- A full candidate report including psychometric analysis and leadership evaluation
- Salary benchmarking data to support the ask
- Cultural fit analysis based on client values and team dynamics
- Interview preparation for both sides — helping the board understand what to prioritise
The Outcome: A Transformational Hire
Z accepted the offer, relocated to Nairobi, and started within six weeks. Within three months:
- Internal stakeholder satisfaction improved
- Team turnover reduced
- The company launched two regional pilots ahead of schedule
“She’s brought cohesion and clarity. We didn’t just hire a manager — we found a leader.” — Client feedback
Why Our Executive Search Process Works
We’re not a CV-clearing house. At By Appointment Africa, we combine strategic insight, advanced assessments, and cultural intelligence to deliver long-term hires — not short-term fixes.
If you're struggling to fill a critical leadership role, especially one that seems impossible, let us help you find your unicorn.