Case Study: Building a Business Division from Concept to Reality

The Challenge

A major Italian insurance group approached KiTalent with an ambitious vision rather than a defined role. They sought to create synergies between their insurance business and property management services for condominiums but had no established strategy, specific products, or clear position requirements”just a concept and the need for leadership that could transform this vision into a viable business unit.

The challenge presented several unique complexities:

• No established blueprint or business model to guide the search.
• Undefined leadership requirements beyond general entrepreneurial ability.
• Limited internal expertise in the target sectors.
• Pressure to identify market opportunities quickly to maintain competitive advantage.
• Need for leadership that could both develop strategy and execute implementation.

Our Approach

Recognizing that this required both talent acquisition and strategic market analysis, we developed an integrated approach:

1. Comprehensive Market Research

We conducted a thorough analysis of eight distinct market segments with potential synergies to insurance services, including:

• Property management services (see also Real Estate & Construction)
• Real estate fintech platforms
• Home security and automation (see Industrial Automation)
• Utility management services
• Home appliance insurance and maintenance
• Smart building technologies
• Condominium management software
• Community service platforms

Through this research, we identified two sectors with particular promise: value-added services in utilities and appliance insurance/maintenance.

2. Expert Knowledge Gathering

Our team conducted over 100 structured interviews with senior professionals across these sectors to:

• Identify emerging market trends and opportunities
• Understand common business model challenges
• Recognize key success factors and necessary leadership competencies
• Map potential acquisition targets that might accelerate market entry

3. Leadership Profile Development

Based on our market intelligence, we created a customized leadership profile focusing on:

• Entrepreneurial experience in adjacent sectors
• Demonstrated success in launching new business units
• Cross-functional expertise spanning operations and business development (see our Functional Verticals)
• Change management capabilities for organizational integration

4. Targeted Search Strategy

With a clearly defined opportunity landscape and leadership profile, we implemented a focused search strategy targeting:

• Executives with experience bridging property services and financial products
• Leaders who had successfully launched similar ventures
• Entrepreneurial talent with both strategic vision and operational execution skills
• Professionals from our identified high-potential sectors

The Results

Within four months, we identified and placed an executive who successfully:

• Transformed the initial concept into a defined business model with clear revenue streams.
• Built an internal technician network for claims handling, reducing operational costs by 42% compared to outsourced alternatives.
• Led the acquisition of a regional condominium management franchise that provided immediate market access.
• Integrated insurance offerings throughout the acquired network, creating cross-selling opportunities.
• Developed a home services division that generated ‚¬5.2M in revenue within 18 months.
• Achieved profitability 14 months ahead of initial projections.

Key Insights

This case demonstrates several important principles in executive search for transformational roles:

• Traditional job specifications often fall short when building entirely new business units.
• Market research must precede talent identification for concept-stage ventures.
• The right leadership can dramatically accelerate business model development.
• Cross-sector expertise often proves more valuable than industry-specific experience for innovative initiatives.