The Brief
A speciality chemicals manufacturer in Saudi Arabia engaged us to recruit a Sales Manager to take ownership of a strategically important territory. The business supplied niche formulations into industrial and downstream manufacturing environments, where long sales cycles, technical credibility, and relationship-led decision making were critical.
Previous recruitment efforts had failed to deliver candidates with the depth of product knowledge and commercial maturity required. Many applicants lacked experience selling speciality formulations, while others struggled to operate effectively in markets where trust, resilience, and autonomy are essential. With sales performance plateauing and key accounts requiring renewed focus, the client needed a commercially astute leader who could stabilise existing relationships while driving future growth.
The Process
We began with an in-depth briefing to fully understand the product portfolio, target sectors, and the behavioural traits required for success in this role. Given the complexity of the market and the seniority of customer stakeholders, we incorporated candidate behavioural assessments to evaluate decision-making style, adaptability, and approach to long-term relationship building.
Our search focused on candidates already selling speciality chemicals, additives, or ingredients into industrial manufacturers and OEMs. Through targeted market mapping and discreet headhunting, we engaged high-calibre professionals who were not actively looking but had the technical credibility and commercial track record the client required.
A shortlist was delivered within four weeks, with interviews, behavioural feedback, and offer management completed inside six weeks.
The Result
The client appointed a Sales Manager with strong technical knowledge of speciality chemicals and a proven history of managing complex customer relationships. The successful candidate quickly re-engaged dormant accounts, strengthened distributor partnerships, and began rebuilding sales momentum within the first few months.
What the Client Had to Say
“Mase understood the technical complexity of our products and the type of individual needed to succeed in this market. The behavioural assessment gave us real confidence in our decision, and the hire has already had a positive impact on key customer relationships.”
