The Client
Adamson & Partners was retained in April 2014 by one of the world’s leading Pharmaceutical companies to assist with the recruitment of a senior IP professional to head its patent function in Shanghai, China.
The Role
Our client was seeking to recruit an experienced US Patent Attorney or European Patent Attorney with technical expertise in medicinal chemistry and a successful track record in a global pharmaceutical company. Candidates were also required to be fluent in Mandarin Chinese, possess some knowledge of local Chinese patent laws, and have the personal qualities to influence internal and external stakeholders in a variety of functions and locations. The successful candidate’s immediate task would be to establish themselves as the leader on all patent matters in China. As our client’s facility in Shanghai was a ‘greenfield’ site, entrepreneurial spirit and leadership skills were both seen as critical requirements in helping develop the scope and size of the IP function.
Our Approach
Our search was global in focus and covered not only local talent in China, but also qualified individuals who have emigrated from China. There is a significant Chinese population who have the benefit of being educated under the international standard and have gained experience working in multinational corporations. Some of these talents have been waiting for the right opportunity to return to their home country. Our challenge was to identify and engage with this talent pool, and to motivate the right individuals to consider this exciting opportunity. Over the course of the search assignment, nearly 300 qualified candidates across China, South East Asia, US and Europe were contacted. Through our meticulous interview and screening process, we were able to present a refined shortlist of 7 candidates to lour client within 5 weeks, all of whom met the above criteria and had the personal qualities to rise to the challenge of this unique role. Our client conducted extensive worldwide interviews with three of the most attractive candidates, before offering the role to its preferred candidate who accepted the position in August.
Adamson & Partners was instrumental in aligning and managing candidates’ salary expectations throughout the recruitment campaign; providing statistics and resourceful materials to educate candidates regarding the differentials between working in China and where the candidates were based; as well as facilitating both the client and the chosen candidate during the offer negotiation process in order to ensure a smooth and successful outcome. Thanks to Adamson & Partners’ global knowledge and local Chinese market insight, this highly challenging search assignment concluded with our client successfully appointing the best candidate the market has to offer.
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