Executive search in Sydney for tech companies
Scalerr recruits senior commercial leaders and board members for tech companies in Sydney. An overseas company opening Australia may need an ANZ general manager; a Sydney founder handing over a proven sales process may need a VP of Sales instead.
Who will own the Australian business when head office is asleep?
If a prospect asks for different contract terms, can the person in Sydney decide, or do they have to wait until the next morning? That question separates a country manager’s job from a senior seller’s. For an overseas tech company, the brief should say what the ANZ general manager controls and what still belongs to headquarters. For a Sydney scale-up, start with the decisions the founder is ready to give away.
| Seat | Scope | When it fits | Reports to | First-year brief to test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANZ general manager | Local operation, customers and partners | An overseas company establishing Australia and New Zealand | Regional MD or CEO | Open named accounts and agree which decisions the local team can make. |
| VP Sales | Salespeople, forecast and sales execution | A Sydney scale-up with a sales process its reps can repeat | Founder or CRO | Take over coaching and forecasting so deals can close without the founder. |
| CRO | Revenue across acquisition and existing accounts | The business needs one owner across commercial functions | CEO | Set common revenue goals and settle who owns the handover from sales to customer success. |
Use the table to agree a reporting line with the board before interviewing. If the vacancy is for an individual seller, the brief belongs with Sydney sales recruitment. Scalerr also runs retained searches for CMOs, managing directors and non-executive directors. For a country leadership brief, see country manager executive search.
Hiring an ANZ general manager from overseas
Wix built in Australia, and Scalerr advised its Australian GM. At Forter, Scalerr placed the ANZ regional director. Those are different starting points. If you already have a GM, the useful hire might be the commercial specialist they lack. If you have nobody accountable for ANZ, ask a candidate how they would work with your overseas team to open accounts and make a local hiring decision.
Scalerr was founded in Sydney. Our Australian market entry work includes deciding whether Sydney or Melbourne should lead. Separate that decision from the title you offer: where your customers work matters more than where you planned to put the desk.
Handing sales over at a Sydney scale-up
Ask a sales rep to describe a deal they closed without the founder. If they can point to a route another rep could follow, a VP Sales has something to build on. If customers only buy after speaking to the founder, ask whether you need a hands-on seller to work out why before hiring a manager. The guide to when to hire a VP of Sales walks through that decision.
A CRO is a different appointment. If acquisition looks healthy but customers leave after handover, giving a VP Sales a larger title will not give them authority over retention. Decide whether the new leader will own that part of the business. See when to hire a CRO or compare Scalerr’s recruitment services. For a permanent appointment, see CRO executive search.
What you agree before we approach a candidate
We scope the role with you, review compensation benchmarks and agree the longlist. The senior recruiter who takes the brief runs the search discreetly. Tell them who at the board can discuss a replacement and which information can be shared at first contact. After the offer, we follow up through the guarantee period.
People also ask about Sydney headhunters
What are the top 10 executive search firms in Australia? A national ranking cannot tell you who has appointed an Australian country leader for a tech business like yours. Ask shortlisted firms to describe one such assignment and what the local hire was authorised to do.
Who are the big 5 executive search firms? That label refers to global executive search firms. For a Sydney appointment, look at the local partner’s work: hiring the first sales leader at a founder-led company is quite different from replacing an established corporate executive.
How much do executive search firms charge? Scalerr does not publish a fee schedule. Ask what the quoted fee is based on, when each payment falls due and which expenses sit outside it; the recruitment fee guide explains how to compare proposals.
What are some reputable headhunters in Sydney? Ask to speak to the person who would run your search and for evidence of comparable work. Scalerr’s published ANZ assignments include Forter’s regional director and senior hiring for Assembly.
For a leadership hire based in Singapore, see executive search in Singapore.