The Search

Following investment by Luminate Capital Partners, Axonify made the decision to drive business growth by leveraging a product innovation model. As a result of this decision, the SVP Product Management became the champion for a net-new hire, a VP Product Innovation. 

This newly created role would be responsible for standing up an innovation lab and leading the transformation of Axonify’s business from a single product experience to a broader set of capabilities across the platform.

 

The Client 

Axonify is the proven frontline enablement solution that gives employees everything they need to learn, connect and get things done to drive to next-level CX, higher sales, improved workplace safety and lower turnover.

With an industry-leading 83% engagement rate, Axonify enables over 3.5 million frontline workers in 160-plus countries, in over 250 companies including Lowe’s, Kroger, Walmart and Citizens Bank.

Founded in 2011, Axonify is headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario Canada. For more information, visit axonify.com.

 

Search Requirements 

The persona of product leader we were engaged to find was someone with an “Innovation DNA.” This included:

• Experience leading a product management organization focused on new product introductions
• A leader who thrives in nascent and undefined situations, approaching work with a high degree of personal drive, curiosity, and creativity
• Able to identify and qualify product opportunities and evaluate concepts from the PoV of the larger product strategy and commercial viability

Additionally, we were seeking:

• A product leader whose experiences were rooted in delivering value of B2B SaaS solutions for large enterprise and mid-market customers
• Previous experience as a product org leader and a member of an ELT working with a Board and stakeholders
• A product leader who could mentor others and embrace a culture of learning and development

 

The Hire

• An experienced product leader whose persona combined innovation product management, standing up a 0-1 line of business, P&L responsibility, and reporting to a Board
• Considered a subject matter expert in education and learning product experiences
• 20+ years of experience in the education and learning category, including content, publishing, B2C & B2B SaaS platforms, marketplace products, and mobile apps
• 10 years of product management experience with a focus on standing up net-new products
• Leadership of teams as large as 24 while reporting to Board level stakeholders or a CEO
• A champion of the product craft and its best practices
• Led innovation frameworks as a model to identify opportunities and growth opportunities

"Partnering with Heidi and the team at Martyn Bassett Associates has been a positive experience because of their commitment to being a partner, understanding our business, and sourcing high caliber talent. Truly a collaborative team who knows the tech space!

–– Andrea Vrbanac, VP, People & Culture

Want to Talk About Our Recruitment Services or a Current Opportunity?



When hiring our first CPO, we were looking to branch out beyond our network. The Martyn Bassett Associates team was able to source candidates that we were wanting, but unable to get on our own. We were presented with a wide range of fantastic candidates.

Robert Chen
Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer, Almi

What I love about working with this team is they’re there to help. I have weird requests, they jump on the phone and we figure it out. I need someone in a hurry, they hustle. I maybe need someone ages from now, they keep an eye out. I have a question about a salary, or am unsure about how to approach something – they know. We’ve used them for a few years, and we’ve had nothing but great experience working together. Wish I had found them a few years sooner.

Alan Smith
Co-Founder/CEO, Strategyzer

We were impressed with both the speed and the high-calibre of candidates we had to choose from. Martyn Bassett Associates really listen to what you’re looking for and the entire process is very smooth and stress-free.

Roger Barlow
CEO & Co-Founder, Diversys

The entire Martyn Bassett team was easy to work with and we were able to quickly develop an open and transparent partnership. Leveraging their strong expertise and extensive talent network, they helped us find the technology sales leaders and management services experts we needed.

Erin McLean
SVP, Marketing & Human Resources, Herjavec Group

A true value-adding partner in identifying talent. The team at Martyn Bassett Associates were quick to zero-in on our requirements and rigorous in pre-qualifying candidates for consideration. They are focused and fast! Their expertise and experience added value throughout the process and resulted in an outstanding final outcome for Roadpost. This is a team that will strive to exceed expectations.

Kim Layne
VP Marketing, Roadpost