Embracing the opportunity for change: SnapDragon case study.

The Company.

SnapDragon is an award-winning brand protection specialist that helps businesses worldwide protect their intellectual property online. Head Dragon, Rachel Jones experienced her own product being counterfeited and established the business to help others. It has now grown to 30 people, of 15 nationalities, working with clients all over the world.

The challenge faced.

When we first spoke to SnapDragon, they were looking for a like-for-like replacement to their wonderful, but soon to be retiring, Finance Manager. He was working 2.5 days per week, managing a part-time Finance Assistant and assisting the 2-day per month Finance Director.

iMultiply’s unique input.

Very much a values and mission-driven business, it was clear that a key priority of the business was to find the right cultural fit in recruiting the Head of Finance, to replace the long valued and much appreciated retiring incumbent. For any business, but especially a growing start-up business such as SnapDragon, losing someone even to retirement can have a significant impact and a challenge to replace.

As we got to know the business, we started to see that there might also be an additional opportunity to bring additional skills and experience to the leadership team.

We also appreciated that any successful candidate would also need what other recruitment firms might call “softer skills”, but for SnapDragon (like for ourselves at iMultiply) were actually crucial criteria. Things such as having worldly experience, who had travelled and experienced life well beyond the Edinburgh city bypass, and who was professional but also very personable – and slot well into the diverse existing team.

The outcome.

Our consultant Peter spoke not only to his existing network of finance professionals but also sought others, from a much wider context, trying to identify the perfect potential ‘Dragon’  – even if they weren’t currently ‘in the market’ for a new job.

Through this wider approach, Peter found Lynda, who was considering her next career move. With her most recent role as Head of Finance and Procurement in the renewables sector, Lynda was looking for an organisation that was providing something valuable for society, with a social conscience and an ethical approach. So it was fortuitous when Peter first mentioned SnapDragon to Lynda, she realised she had met Rachel a year or so earlier, forming a positive impression, so that was a good start!

How SnapDragon felt.

“iMultiply understood what we needed, in terms of financial expertise, but also managed to probe a bit deeper into what additional skills might help to change my working days (or rather evenings) for the better!

All the candidates offered were delightful and of the highest calibre.

“I would definitely return to use iMultiply as we grow the finance team and recommend their approach. I must have first met Kirsty well over ten years ago when I was seriously impressed by her idea of focusing, entirely, on financial recruitment whether full time or part-time. Part-time Dragons play a key role within the business: they bring the skills we need at a price we can afford. As such, it made complete sense to use iMultiply’s expertise to find Lynda. And we haven’t looked back!.”

Rachel Jones, Founder & Head Dragon, SnapDragon.

About Peter

Peter covers the Senior Finance recruitment market within Industry and Commerce across East Central Scotland. Having spent almost 30 years working in various Accountancy and Finance roles, Peter recently joined iMultiply as a career changer. Having previously been both an employer and a candidate, Peter has a solid understanding of the challenges faced by candidates and employers alike, leaving him well placed to identify and consider the availability of talent within this area.