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Chief medical officer search, biopharma start-up China

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Posting date: 18/03/2020

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Chief medical officer search, biopharma start-up China

Case study

The overview

We supported our partner, a biopharmaceutical start-up company with around 20 employees, in their search for a new chief medical officer (CMO).

The challenge

A critical factor in the search for their CMO was the tight timelines – the company needed someone in place urgently. The company’s operational office was in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, where there was a candidate short market. We had spoken to several CMO, medical director and medical VP level candidates nearby and none of them were physically based in Hangzhou City.

The solution

We connected with a strong medical VP candidate who was educated overseas with a doctorate degree and had practical experience of what our partner required. After several smooth interview processes, the candidate hesitated to accept the role, not because of the job opportunity itself but because of the location again. The candidate had also been offered a CEO role in his hometown. This hesitation was only natural, but we did everything possible to further engage the candidate. The initial offer struck the candidate with flexibility of home-based working. However, after a few days of consideration, the candidate decided to decline the offer proposal, simply because of the location. We continued to provide our own expertise and knowledge from a neutral point. Our partner’s CEO however, was so keen for this individual to join, that they adjusted the offer up and greatly showed all of their commitment to and confidence in the candidate.

The outcome

The candidate accepted the opportunity to join the company as CMO and has recently settled down in the city of Hangzhou for the new chapter of their career. We are proud to have helped facilitate this excellent new hire for the business.

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