Success Doesn’t Always Translate

Success Doesn’t Always Translate

They crushed it at a top competitor.
They scaled sales. Built a brand. Drove market share.

So it’s a sure thing, right?

Not exactly.

In executive search, past success only matters if it translates into a new context — your product, your team, your stage, your market, your CEO.

We’ve seen it happen too many times in Life Sciences:
The big name gets hired…
And growth expectations are not met.

Here’s why so many searches miss the mark — even when the resume looks perfect.

Here’s Why It Happens

Every success story is situational.

• Maybe they had strong product-market fit
• Maybe their pricing or reimbursement model gave them a big edge
• Maybe their commercial strategy came from the top — and they executed it well
• Maybe the culture allowed for speed and autonomy they won’t get in your organization

None of that means they’re not talented.
But it means you can’t assume it will work again.

What to Do Instead

Start by defining what success looks like in your company.
Then evaluate the candidate against that.

Ask:

• What commercial infrastructure will they need to build?
• Have they done that before — or just inherited it?
• Will their leadership style fit with your executive team?
• Can they collaborate across functions — or did they operate in a silo?

This is how you shift from résumé evaluation to real-world fit.

That’s why we recommend building a Success Profile before the search begins.

What We’ve Learned

At Alder Brooks, we help CEOs and Investors dig deeper than where a candidate’s been.

We define what the business needs — and evaluate whether a leader’s Genotype (traits, drivers, and leadership style) will work in your environment.

Because success doesn’t move with the logo.
It only works when it fits your business.