We know the best minds for the digital transformation of your organisation.

NELEX AG is an executive search firm specialising in the placement of leadership positions in IT, software, digitalisation and innovative technologies.

Our core focus areas include IT systems houses, managed service providers as well as SaaS and cloud providers. In addition, we have been filling sales and finance positions across industries in the German mid-market for over 20 years.

The quality of our work is independently confirmed. WirtschaftsWoche has recognised us for six consecutive years as best executive search firm in the categories IT, Digitalisation and Professional Services. In addition, brand eins ranks us among the 16 best executive search firms in Germany nationwide, with the highest rating. These awards underline the high standards and agile approach that NELEX brings to placements at executive level.

C-Level & Executive Management

The core of our work lies in filling positions at C-level and executive management level. We also place roles at the second and third leadership tier, in particular SVP, VP, Director and Head of positions.

Typical C-level placements include CFO, CISO, CSO, COO and classic Managing Director roles.

We bring our high standards of strategic fit and selection quality to both portfolio companies and owner managed mid-market businesses with growth potential, particularly in situations where succession planning at shareholder or management level is becoming increasingly important.

Private Equity & Family Offices

We support investment firms in the personnel development of their portfolio companies. The focus is on C-level placements in the areas mentioned above, where speed and operational execution are decisive.

Our network includes management profiles with proven buy and build, M&A, PMI and exit experience. Through the many mandates we have successfully completed, we have developed deep expertise in the specific personnel requirements of PE-backed structures and deliver profiles that fit both the company and the investment strategy of your firm.

Placements in the PE environment are often time critical, which is why our processes are designed for maximum speed and quality. Thanks to our continuous market engagement, we also draw on senior managers from active processes and fill key positions with precision in the shortest possible time.

Management Consulting & Professional Services

The consulting and professional services space is one of our core areas. We support national and international consulting firms in filling demanding leadership positions, in particular at the level of (Senior) Partner, (Managing) Director and Principal. Our clients include international strategy consultancies, IT management consultancies and specialised boutique firms.

Our content strength lies in functional focus areas of high strategic relevance, particularly CIO Advisory, Supply Chain, Digital Manufacturing and further transformation and performance topics.

We also handle mandates in industry specific consulting fields, above all Public Sector, Manufacturing and Healthcare and Pharma. We know the particularities of these markets as well as the requirements for the personalities and teams that create lasting impact within them.

A further focus is supporting team moves. Transitions of entire departments or established units are managed with the utmost discretion and a deep understanding of the dynamics of the consulting business.

NELEX AG has been recognised by WirtschaftsWoche as best executive search firm in the category Professional Services. In addition, business magazine brand eins, which holds particular authority in the consulting industry, rates us at the highest level in executive search.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence is fundamentally transforming organisations and with them the demands placed on leaders. NELEX AG has been active in this segment early and has already successfully completed numerous placements in the AI space.

Our focus is on candidates with a first class AI track record who are able to strategically introduce, scale and embed AI or AI products sustainably into day to day operations.

This includes profiles that approach AI technologies from a go-to-market and product perspective and translate them into measurable, value creating outcomes. We also address rare candidates who act as the interface between management and technology and translate complex subject matter into sound decision making foundations.

Typical positions include Chief AI Officer, Director AI and AI Senior Architect.

As a firm, we lead by example when it comes to AI. We work in an AI-optimised way across our entire process chain, bring our own expertise to the table and continuously build a strong network in one of the most dynamic and important segments of our time.

Sales in the Systems House Market

Sales personalities with proven scaling experience are hard to find. The NELEX team has 20 years of experience in identifying and placing the right sales candidates, filling sales positions at all levels from Account Manager and Sales Director through to Chief Sales Officer.

Our proven qualification expertise allows us to reliably identify the hunter personalities that are in high demand across the market. We have particular strength in the IT systems house market, among managed service and cloud providers as well as in the SaaS environment. We have known these markets and their dynamics first hand for years.

We know what it takes in the direct sales of complex IT and software solutions.

Whether it is building a sales organisation from scratch, realigning an existing sales structure or adding operational firepower at regional level: we place quickly and with precision in an environment where suitable candidates are usually not actively looking.

Cyber Security & IT-Security

Cyber and IT security are among the core areas of NELEX AG. We fill leadership positions across the entire security landscape, from cloud security and identity and access management through backend security and hardware security to OT security and critical infrastructure. We work both for leading technology providers and manufacturers as well as for end user organisations seeking first class security leaders, from CISO to Head of Cybersecurity.

Demand for experienced security leaders is growing while suitable profiles are becoming increasingly scarce. What organisations are looking for are personalities who combine technical depth with strategic vision: leaders who can build and develop security organisations and represent them at board level.

With longstanding market presence, a deep network within the security community and a clear understanding of the requirements of security critical environments, we handle even complex and time sensitive mandates with discretion, structure and reliability.

Diagnostics — 360° eProfiling of Candidates

Beyond identifying the right talent, NELEX can optionally complement your recruitment process with a 360° eProfiling assessment. This approach delivers an even more precise match between your requirements and the candidate's qualifications.

For this, NELEX has partnered with Profiles International, a globally active provider in this field. In a 90-minute online assessment, mental abilities, behavioural characteristics and professional interests are evaluated and compared against the defined requirements profile. The process also highlights specific topics that should be explored further in the interview in relation to the position requirements. Candidates who reach the final stage of the process complete this aptitude assessment in addition to the standard qualification process. The results provide you with an excellent additional basis for making the right decision on your ideal candidate.

ProfileXT® is the technologically most advanced system available for measuring human potential and generating reliable predictions of workplace success.

Certified clients of ProfileXT include Vorwerk & Co. KG, Körber AG, ERGO Versicherung AG, ABB Management Services, Caramba Holding GmbH, Albert Berner Deutschland GmbH, Gestra AG, Chemetall GmbH, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, ista Deutschland GmbH, Medipak Systems AG and many more.