The Client

Swan is a provider of embedded finance and banking solutions. The company helps its clients integrate financial features into digital products and platforms.

To further expand its sales operations, Swan was looking for an experienced professional in Berlin to join as a Senior Account Executive in a hybrid working model.

The Challenge

The position had already been sought unsuccessfully for more than three months. The relevant talent market was small and the requirement profile accordingly demanding.

The search was not for a traditional sales personality, but for a profile with a rare combination of:

• Experience in consultative selling

• Proximity to the fintech and financial services industry

• Success in enterprise sales

• Confidence in selling a complex product requiring explanation

• The ability to build new business and develop demanding clients in an advisory capacity

It was precisely this combination that made the search difficult: many candidates brought either strong enterprise sales experience or industry knowledge — but only a few combined both with the necessary consultative sales approach.

Our Approach

We knew that this search would not be solved through a broad standard outreach. The key was direct access to our specialized network and a precise understanding of which profiles could actually be relevant for Swan.

We focused the search on individuals who had already proven that they could sell complex products requiring explanation at the enterprise level. In doing so, we continuously calibrated the profile together with Swan, focusing on candidates with genuine proximity to fintech and relevant consultative sales experience.

Equally crucial was the collaboration with Swan — particularly with Florian Liar. The short decision-making paths and high level of commitment made the process exceptionally efficient:

• Feedback on candidates within a maximum of 24 hours

• Weekly 15-minute check-ins

• Binding weekly recaps

• Clear alignment on requirements, priorities and next steps

This kept the search moving at all times. Feedback was not collected only after several days, but processed directly. This allowed us to quickly sharpen our outreach and introduce exclusively matching profiles to Swan.

The Results

After more than three months of unsuccessful search, the position was successfully filled within four weeks.

• 1 Senior Account Executive

• 8 candidates presented

• 7 interviews until the final decision

• Location: Berlin

• Working model: Hybrid

The hired candidate impressed with consultative sales experience, fintech proximity, and experience with enterprise deals.

With this hire, Swan strengthens its sales capacity, creates additional opportunities for building new business, and supports the further expansion of the sales team.

What made the difference

This placement shows that speed in recruitment does not have to come at the expense of quality. It happens when three things come together:

1. A clearly calibrated requirement profile instead of an overloaded wishlist

2. Direct access to the right talent in a small market

3. Consistent collaboration with short feedback and decision-making paths

Swan and Florian Liar were a crucial part of this success. Quick feedback, regular check-ins, and binding recaps created a process in which everyone involved knew exactly where they stood and what would happen next at all times.

This is what makes recruitment fun — and exactly how a successful partnership between a company and a search partner should work.