For large and medium-sized companies, filling c-suite roles can be time-consuming and challenging, but leaving those roles open for too long can put their companies in a bind. Leadership is a critical component for successful businesses, no matter what industry they operate in. For Sevada Baghdyan, a business development expert, sourcing the right top-level leaders for businesses in Armenia has been his focus since 2020 when he opened Relevant.
Relevant is an executive search and consulting company that spends time with its clients to understand how the right leaders can help advance their business goals and propel the organization forward. Since every organization has different needs, there is no such thing as "one-size-fits-all" in these roles. Some might require a leader who specializes in cost-cutting measures and restructuring while others might be looking for someone that can guide the organization through a digital transformation. Whatever the business goals are, Sevada and his team at Relevant structure their search with those specific requirements in mind.
Prior to opening Relevant, Sevada was the CEO and co-founder of Menu, a food delivery ecommerce startup in the UK that expanded operations into 4 different countries. With those expansions and shifting business priorities, Sevada had to adjust his own leadership style and strategic approach. This experience not only opened his eyes to what it truly takes to run a company but also to how adaptable leaders must be in these roles. With first-hand exposure to the importance of leadership, Sevada set out to help other companies find the right executives for their needs.
Since its inception, Relevant has seen a 70% return customer rate, signaling an impressive level of customer loyalty and overall satisfaction with Relevant's services. This is especially indicative in the executive sourcing arena for two reasons: first, these roles are often filled with internal resources, reducing the amount of sourcing support sought in general; second, the positions usually see a long runway once filled, meaning that executives stay in these roles for a long period of time.
From start to finish, Relevant offers sourcing and consulting services to ensure its clients hire candidates that fit perfectly into their company culture and strategic vision. With senior executives, the recruitment process doesn't follow the standard cadence that many other hiring processes do, putting more pressure on Relevant to get it right every single time. So confident in his team's ability to source quality talent, Sevada offers a time period guarantee; if the sourced employee resigns during a certain time period, Relevant will provide another candidate for no fee.
Expanding to international markets has been Sevada's focus for some time now, and after three years of hard work, that vision is starting to come to fruition. Not only does he want to connect talented leaders in Armenia with international organizations, but he wants to bring talent from other countries to work in Armenia as well.
Going from a sales manager to working in internal audit at the Star Supermarket chain, Sevada's early career helped him to understand the ins and outs of running a business. As his capabilities advanced and he became an effective leader, his own talents helped him spot other leaders that could succeed across a variety of industries. Now, he's a critical resource for businesses in Armenia and beyond who are looking to boost the success of their organizations by filling open leadership roles with the perfect candidates.
