Strategic CSO — Energy transformation & growth (India)

Position overview

Gladwin International Leadership Advisors is representing a confidential organisation in Energy & Natural Resources on a senior CSO leadership mandate anchored in India. The remit explicitly spans Continental Europe, Middle East, Africa.

This is a strategic transformation mandate at CXO level — equal parts operating leadership, change orchestration, and investor / board narrative ownership.

Success here is less about charisma in town halls and more about judgment in investment committees and talent decisions.

Context you will inherit

• Market & sector: ESG and sustainability reporting — as energy companies become targets for investor scrutiny on climate transition plans, CSO and sustainability leadership is increasingly critical
• Geographic spine: Primary hub India with explicit corridor responsibility across Continental Europe, Middle East, Africa.
• Organisation stage: Working capital, liquidity, and funding mix are under scrutiny alongside headline revenue growth.
• Stakeholders: Stakeholders span board or regional executive committee, global functional heads, JV partners, and strategic account buyers.
• Secondary lens: Energy transition leadership — finding executives who can credibly lead both the traditional energy business and new clean energy build-out simultaneously

The mandate (12–24 month arc)

1. Advantage diagnosis: Separate structural advantage from cyclical tailwinds — be honest in board conversations.
2. Capability building: Decide what must be owned vs. partnered — avoid strategy that assumes impossible skills overnight.
3. War gaming: Regular exercises on competitor responses to our major moves.
4. Capital markets story: Align external narrative with internal strategy choices — no gap for activists to exploit.
5. Regulatory foresight: Early warning on rule changes that reshape economics of the sector.
6. Integration thesis: On deals, clarity on sources of value — revenue, cost, capability — with named owners.

Responsibilities (representative)

• Facilitate corporate strategy process — options, choices, and capital implications.
• Run strategic initiative PMO across the enterprise or region.
• Build M&A theme development and early diligences with corp dev.
• Deliver competitive and market intelligence to the executive committee.
• Support board strategy discussions with crisp materials and scenarios.

Leadership profile

• Strategy craft: Experience framing corporate choices with analytical rigour and executive alignment.
• Communication: Executive presence in English; additional languages valued where market-relevant.
• Judgment: High signal-to-noise under pressure; ethical clarity; willingness to halt initiatives that break risk appetite.
• Education: Strong undergraduate grounding; MBA / advanced degree / professional qualification common at this level.
• Geographic muscle: Comfort operating from India with regular engagement across Continental Europe, Middle East.

Team & culture

Expect some fatigue from prior change programmes. Your success depends on simpler priorities, fewer initiatives, and leaders who model accountability. Culture is how decisions get made when spreadsheets disagree — you set that tone.

Success measures (examples)

• Growth quality: Mix of recurring revenue, new logos, and cross-sell — not volume for its own sake.
• Productivity: Unit cost, automation savings, or throughput improvements with audited baselines.
• Customer: NPS / CSAT where tracked; contract renewals; reference-ability in strategic accounts.
• Franchise: Clean compliance record; reputation stability in industry and government forums.

First 90 days (orientation arc)

• Days 1–30: Listening tour — customers, regulators (as appropriate), top team 1:1s, and unfiltered view of numbers; pause major reorganisation.
• Days 30–60: Publish a short memo on priorities, non-goals, and decision rights; align executive committee on three enterprise bets.
• Days 60–90: Lock operating cadence; fill or upgrade one to two critical seats; deliver one visible win (customer, cost, or culture).
• Commission a pragmatic view of data, cyber, and automation posture; sponsor one bounded pilot with ROI hypothesis.
• Establish escalation discipline with matrix partners — fewer meetings, clearer decision logs.

Stakeholder map (illustrative)

• Internal: CEO or regional president, CFO, risk / legal, CHRO, CIO or CDO, business GMs, internal audit.
• External: Strategic accounts, channel partners, industry associations, regulators (where material).
• Owners: PE operating partners, promoter office, or public investors — pace and clarity matter as much as vision.

Travel & mobility

Role requires face-to-face presence in the primary hub with regular regional travel; remote-only not viable.

Compensation

Market-aligned CSO remuneration in Energy & Natural Resources with performance linkage; sign-on and relocation considered for exceptional fits.

Application status

This mandate is no longer accepting new applications. The search progressed through Q4 2025 and closed for submissions in February 2026. We retain this posting for transparency on the type of leadership work we carry in Energy & Natural Resources and India. For similar active mandates, browse open roles or submit a general profile through executive search inquiry.

Reference: energy-natural-resources · CSO · India · Gladwin International Leadership Advisors