Building a senior delivery team for an eGovernment programme in Oman: a targeted Middle East search for two critical leadership roles at the start of an Estonian technology company’s expansion into the region.
2 critical leadership hires
8 senior candidates shortlisted
57 days to an accepted offer
The Challenge
Askend, an Estonian technology company with strong experience in eGovernment systems, was preparing to deliver a complex multi-year digital transformation programme in Oman. The next challenge was to build the delivery team and hire two senior executives who would lead the programme on-site.
These were not standard senior IT positions. Both leaders needed to be highly experienced, strongly client-facing and able to operate on the ground in Oman, working in close partnership with the government client.
The challenge was further amplified by the fact that this was Askend’s first major programme in the Middle East. No local business presence or delivery team existed to build on, making the quality and cultural fit of these first senior hires critical to the programme’s success and Askend’s future ambitions in the region.
The Recruitment Strategy
I approached the assignment as a targeted regional market-mapping exercise, rather than a broad candidate search.
The first step was to identify the strongest technology companies and system integrators across key Middle Eastern markets — UAE, Oman, Qatar, and other GCC markets — where candidates with the right combination of programme scale, custom software delivery and regional client experience were most likely to be found.
From there, I focused on specific companies and talent pools and approached relevant senior professionals through targeted headhunting.
During screening, particular attention was paid not only to job titles and company backgrounds, but to the actual scope and complexity of programmes candidates had delivered. This was especially important in distinguishing genuine custom software delivery experience from candidates whose background was primarily in product or enterprise system implementation.
Cultural fit was another key part of the assessment. The successful candidates needed to be credible and effective with a senior government client in Oman while also fitting naturally into an international delivery organisation.
The Results
2 critical leadership hires
8 senior candidates shortlisted
57 days to an accepted offer
Both critical leadership positions were successfully filled. Across the two searches, 8 senior candidates were shortlisted, with the first shortlist delivered within one week and the first executive accepting the offer within 57 days.
The resulting leadership team gave Askend the senior on-the-ground capability needed to deliver the programme, manage the client relationship and establish the foundations for its expansion into the Middle East market.
Client Feedback
“What I valued most was Heleen’s ability to quickly understand not just the roles, but the wider business context of our expansion into the Middle East. She was very strong in mapping the market, identifying the right senior profiles and challenging us when the market showed that our initial assumptions needed adjustment.
Her biggest value was acting as a true recruitment partner, combining local market insight, a highly targeted search and a strong understanding of cultural and organisational fit.“
I would recommend her to companies looking for critical senior hires in a new or unfamiliar market, where simply finding candidates is not enough.
Vitali Korniltsev, Founding Partner and Chief Growth Officer at Askend
Key Takeaways
#1 The bigger the market, the more focused your search strategy needs to be.
A broad geography does not mean you should search broadly. In a large and fragmented region like the Middle East, effective executive search starts with mapping the market — identifying the right industries, companies and talent pools, and approaching highly relevant candidates through targeted headhunting rather than relying on inbound applications.
#2 Entering a new market means understanding the local employment landscape from day one.
When hiring internationally, compensation is rarely just about base salary. Local legislation, market practices and candidate expectations can significantly shape the overall package. In Oman and the wider Middle East, factors such as health insurance, family-related benefits, travel arrangements and other benefits can be critical to making an offer competitive.
#3 The strongest hires are built on partnership, not just execution.
A successful international search requires close collaboration between the recruitment partner and the client. Speed of decision-making, clear communication and the willingness to challenge or adjust the initial brief can make a significant difference. In a competitive local market, clients also need to be prepared to adapt the value proposition and overall package when the talent market provides new information.
Complex international hiring takes more than access to talent — it takes market knowledge, a targeted search, rigorous assessment and a true partnership with the client.
Heleen Anderson, Independent Recruiter & Headhunter in Technology
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