Business case
Head of Internal Communication
Industrial products
SCENARIO
Our Client, a large private industrial Group with over 50 years of heritage and headquarters in Italy, had recently secured backing from a leading international Private Equity firm.
As the Italian market leader in their sector, the company operates across 60+ countries in a high-growth market with an estimated +7% CAGR over the next four years, leveraging best-in-class technologies.
CHALLENGE
Following the PE acquisition, the company embarked on a transformational journey to unlock its next growth phase through both organic expansion and strategic acquisitions. This ambitious equity story required upgrading the entire organization to compete at the highest level while managing comprehensive transformation across all functions.
The newly created Head of Internal Communication role, reporting directly to the Chief HR Officer, was pivotal to this evolution. The position was designed to:
- Lead the development and execution of integrated internal and external communication strategies
- Align organizational messaging and drive thought leadership initiatives
Critical priorities included:
- Establishing internal communication as a strategic, consistent function aligned with corporate values and capable of engaging employees at all levels throughout the cultural transformation
- Contributing to external communication development to support business evolution in line with strategic objectives
STRATEGY
Our mandate focused on identifying exceptional communication leaders from structured organizations with proven track records in strategic communication planning, content creation, and cross-media execution—professionals ready to take ownership of this mission-critical role.
Through comprehensive market mapping and intelligence gathering, we identified a strong pool of qualified candidates. While some profiles were ultimately excluded due to geographic constraints (the role was based in North-east Italy), several emerged as highly aligned and immediately deployable.
This outcome was particularly impressive given the market’s predominance of candidates with either pure external communication focus or broad 360° communication backgrounds, who typically view internal-focused roles as career limitations rather than strategic opportunities.
RESULTS
The resulting short list was particularly appreciated by the client who faced the enviable challenge of choosing between two exceptionally strong finalists. The selected candidate brought a unique combination of:
- Proven expertise in building internal communication functions from the ground up
- Strategic vision and hands-on execution capabilities
- Cultural fit with the energy, enthusiasm, and resilience required to drive this transformational initiative
The successful placement positioned the company to effectively navigate its growth trajectory while maintaining organizational alignment and engagement throughout the transition.
