Company Name

OpTech Automotive

Search Job Title

Sales Leader

Client Profile

Founded in San Antonio in 1986, OpTech Technologies is a third-generation, minority-owned company providing supply chain management, distribution, warehousing, technology, and other business solutions to private-sector and government clients. As part of its continued growth, the company established a dedicated automotive logistics business focused on providing warehousing and related services to automotive OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and adjacent industries.

Role Objectives & Challenges

OpTech engaged SCM Talent Group to recruit the first dedicated sales leader for its growing automotive logistics business - OpTech Automotive. Historically, much of the company's growth had come through established relationships and repeat business. The new leader would be responsible for developing a more proactive business development strategy, building a pipeline of large opportunities, securing new automotive customers, and eventually building a sales organization around the function.

Because the position was new, defining the role itself became an important part of the search. SCM Talent Group worked with the client to evaluate the appropriate title, seniority, responsibilities, and candidate profile. What initially resembled a sales management position ultimately required a more senior leader capable of working directly with executive leadership, creating a business development function from the ground up, and independently pursuing complex logistics contracts.

The candidate profile presented another challenge. OpTech needed someone with the commercial leadership experience to build a new function, the entrepreneurial mindset to operate with limited existing infrastructure, and enough automotive exposure to understand the industry's customers and sales cycles. The role was also remote with extensive travel, further narrowing an already specialized candidate market.

Our Approach to Solve the Search

SCM Talent Group served as both executive search partner and talent market advisor throughout the engagement. The search evolved through several targeted strategies. Rather than continuing to pursue a candidate profile that the market was not producing, our team used candidate feedback and interviews to help the client refine its priorities and determine which requirements were essential and where greater flexibility could expand the available talent pool.

The initial approach focused on candidates combining automotive experience, sales leadership, and an entrepreneurial background. While several candidates possessed much of that experience, the available talent did not consistently provide the leadership level required for the role. SCM Talent Group then evaluated more established sales executives from larger automotive organizations. Those candidates offered industry depth and leadership experience, but the search demonstrated the importance of finding someone accustomed to building with fewer resources rather than stepping into an established commercial organization. That market intelligence led to a third strategy: broaden the industry parameters while prioritizing logistics sales leadership, entrepreneurial experience, organizational scale, and the ability to build a sales function. Automotive experience remained valuable, but it was no longer treated as the defining criterion. This recalibration produced two strong finalists.

The resulting national search was highly targeted. SCM Talent Group evaluated approximately 800 to 1,000 potential profiles, narrowing the market to roughly 25 to 30 viable prospects and ultimately presenting a focused slate of approximately six candidates.

The Hire & Results

OpTech Automotive ultimately selected a candidate identified through the recalibrated search strategy. The successful hire brought senior sales leadership experience within a smaller organization, experience operating in entrepreneurial environments, relevant exposure to the automotive sector, and the flexibility to accommodate the position's significant travel requirements. Beyond making the placement, the engagement demonstrated the value of an executive search partner operating as a talent advisor throughout an evolving search. By testing the initial profile against the market, sharing candidate intelligence, adjusting the search strategy, and helping refine the level and scope of the position, SCM Talent Group helped OpTech move from a broad concept for its first dedicated automotive sales leader to a clearly defined executive hire. The new Vice President of Sales now has the mandate to establish a repeatable business development process, expand relationships with automotive and adjacent customers, pursue large-scale logistics opportunities, and build the foundation for a larger sales organization as the business continues to grow.