Tostmann – The Executive Finder supports companies in German-speaking countries in selecting and recruiting individuals for top management positions, as well as in orchestrated succession planning and for supervisory and advisory boards. Growth, change, and succession planning are becoming increasingly important in transformation programs.

The composition of supervisory boards is becoming more significant and is being closely monitored by regulatory authorities. Supervisory boards are evolving from mere control bodies to strategic sparring partners. The growing importance of strategically capable bodies is paramount, and with it, the need for supervisory board members possessing their own expertise in transformation, strategy, and IT.

Guiding principles

Appointments to management positions, executive boards, supervisory boards, and supervisory mandates are among the most far-reaching personnel decisions a company makes. Accordingly, the demands on a careful analysis of the immediate environment, a deep understanding of the role to be filled, sound market knowledge, and professional judgment in the selection process are extremely high.

The central question is always what qualifications a personality should possess in order to be effective in a specific environment and to create sustainable added value – professionally, strategically and culturally.

• C-level functions (e.g. CEO, CFO, CRO, COO, CHRO, CIO/CTO) in banks, financial service providers and finance-related companies
• Management positions and managing director roles in regulated entities and investment structures
• Management positions in overall bank management and in key cross-functional areas (e.g. compliance, audit)
• Leadership roles with an increasing focus on advanced digitalization in a broader sense (processes, products, new business models, API-enabled systems/service platforms, digital communication, AI, digital ecosystems)
• Functions in the areas of data management, data analytics, AI and cyber security

Specifically, this means:

• Not every ideal candidate is a good fit for every company.
• Competence can only be partially attributed to the individual – this is often underestimated.
• Competence within an organization is largely a question of the fit between an individual and the organizational system.
• Therefore, competencies are not only attributed to the individual, but are always considered in conjunction with the system in which they are to operate.
• People are more or less successful in different systems and under different conditions; this depends not only on their own skills, but also strongly on their interaction with their environment.

The goal is to find the best possible fit between the individual and the organizational system – professionally, personally, and with regard to the upcoming challenges.