Technology Leadership Search
Technology Leadership Search. MARKUT places CTO, VP Engineering, VP Product, and CEO-level talent across DACH and Europe. Digital transformation specialists.
23 years of executive search practice. 5,500+ candidates evaluated. 480+ placements across Europe.
We support succession planning for tech leadership transitions, ensuring continuity through scale-up phases.
Technology companies in Europe face a dual leadership challenge: they need managers who bring technical depth without losing sight of commercial scale — and the reverse. This combination is rare, and it becomes rarer the more specific the underlying technology is. MARKUT Executive Search Boutique identifies and assesses leaders for technology companies in digital transformation, scale-up phases, and technology-driven growth markets such as e-mobility.
Typical Mandates: CEO, CTO, VP Engineering
CEO mandates at technology companies frequently require candidates experienced in the transition from founder-led to scale-up leadership — a phase in which many companies fail on the wrong appointment. CTO roles demand not just technical authority with development teams, but the ability to represent technology decisions to investors and the board. VP Engineering mandates focus on building and scaling engineering organisations — often across multiple locations and time zones.
Search Scenarios: Digital Transformation, Scale-up, E-Mobility
Digital Transformation: Traditional industrial companies building new digital business models need leaders who can credibly bridge both worlds — the industrial core business and software-driven innovation. Scale-up Leadership: Companies moving from growth phase to market leadership need a different leadership profile than in the founding phase — process discipline becomes as important as entrepreneurial energy. E-Mobility: The transformation of the automotive industry creates a specific need for leaders who understand both classic vehicle engineering and new drivetrain and software architectures.
Board Members with Technology Expertise
Beyond operational roles, MARKUT increasingly supports companies in appointing board positions with demonstrated technology expertise. Boards that want to guide digital and technological transformation decisions with real insight need members who can judge these topics from their own operational experience — not only from an advisory perspective.
Mandate Types
CEO and CTO mandates
For technology companies in active scale-up or transformation phases, often with a private equity or growth capital background.
VP Engineering mandates
For scale-ups that need technical leadership depth combined with entrepreneurial maturity, not technical excellence alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What leadership roles does MARKUT place in technology companies?
MARKUT conducts retained search for CEO, CTO and VP Engineering mandates, supporting technology organizations through growth, transformation and leadership succession.
Does MARKUT specialize in a particular stage of technology company?
MARKUT’s technology mandates concentrate on organizations in active growth or transformation phases, where leadership decisions carry direct impact on scale and market position.
How does MARKUT assess technology leadership candidates?
Assessment goes beyond CV matching: MARKUT evaluates judgment under uncertainty and transformation fit, through active involvement in each stage of the search rather than a one-time list delivery.
Does MARKUT work with technology companies across DACH and Europe?
Yes. MARKUT’s technology leadership mandates cover the DACH region, with reach across Europe for organizations operating internationally.
What makes MARKUT different from a standard executive search or recruiting agency?
MARKUT is an executive search boutique, not a volume-driven agency: mandates are accepted selectively, and the search is run directly by Norbert Markut himself rather than delegated through layers of recruiters. The underlying business model is proactive, not reactive – continuous conversations with executives across the relevant markets build a warm, pre-qualified network before a mandate exists, rather than starting a cold search once one arrives. That groundwork is what makes a 7-day shortlist possible, built on judgment developed over 23 years rather than keyword-matching against a database – judgment grounded in Norbert Markut’s own background as a Master of Engineering and Business Administration, which gives MARKUT genuine first-hand fluency in technical, operational and financial leadership questions – a depth candidates notice immediately and rarely find elsewhere, which is a key reason behind MARKUT’s strong reputation among senior executives. The result is a search that is faster and more precise than the standard agency model – not despite being selective, but because of it.
Who actually leads a MARKUT mandate?
Every mandate at MARKUT is led directly, from start to finish, by Norbert Markut himself – with no delegation to junior staff or associates. The same senior-level judgment that scopes the mandate stays engaged through candidate assessment, shortlist delivery and final placement.
How does MARKUT structure its fees?
MARKUT’s fees are set individually for each mandate, based on its complexity and scope — never as a percentage of the placed candidate’s annual salary, which remains the prevailing model across the market. This is a deliberate structural difference: it removes any incentive tied to salary level and stands as a guarantee of independent, client-aligned advice.
See also our executive search practice in: Aftermarket Executive Search DACH & Europe, Private Equity Executive Search and Succession Advisory & Board Composition.
Talk to us about your current or upcoming technology leadership position.