Nigel Wright Group supported Advalight with the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer to lead the company through its next stage of international growth. The assignment focused on finding a CEO with global MedTech experience, strong commercial scaling capability, and the ability to lead a Danish-headquartered business from its home base while building a stronger platform for commercialisation.
Building Leadership for the Next Stage of Growth
Advalight is a Danish-headquartered med-tech company operating in the global medical aesthetics market. The business specialises in innovative, energy-based laser devices designed to deliver consistent and predictable clinical outcomes.
The company had already established an international footprint, with products distributed across multiple markets. Backed by proven technology, strong research and development capabilities, and a dedicated team of around 40 employees, Advalight entered a scale-up phase with clear ambitions to accelerate global growth and commercialisation.
That shift created a leadership need. Advalight wanted to strengthen its position as an innovator in aesthetic medicine while building the commercial capability required to scale internationally.
The Challenge: Finding a CEO for International Scale-Up
Advalight needed a Chief Executive Officer who could help the business move from a technology-driven organisation to a commercially scaled global company. Success depended on appointing a leader who could combine sector knowledge with hands-on execution.
The brief called for a CEO able to:
- drive international expansion
- build a high-performing, scalable commercial organisation
- strengthen distributor-led business models and partnerships
- bring global MedTech experience
- improve commercial execution during a scale-up phase
- work effectively in an entrepreneurial, hands-on environment
Several factors increased the complexity of the search. Relevant leadership profiles were limited within Denmark, which reduced the size of the local talent pool. At the same time, Advalight needed someone who matched the company’s culture, heritage, and collaborative working environment, not simply a candidate with the right functional experience on paper.
This was therefore both an executive search and a leadership fit assignment. Advalight required a CEO who could support commercial growth without losing the qualities that had shaped the business to date.
The Solution: A Targeted Executive Search Strategy
Nigel Wright Group designed and delivered a targeted executive search process for the CEO appointment. Rather than limiting the search to the Danish MedTech industry, the team broadened its scope to encompass additional industries, as well as Danish leaders residing abroad, with the objective of encouraging their return.
The search strategy widened the talent pool in a deliberate way. Alongside traditional MedTech candidates, Nigel Wright included consumer-centric and commercially driven profiles from adjacent sectors. That approach helped introduce fresh perspectives on customer experience, commercialisation, and growth, while keeping the search aligned to the realities of Advalight’s market and stage of development.
A close understanding of Advalight’s culture shaped the process from the outset. Leadership fit was especially important because the company needed a CEO who could lead in a scale-up setting, work closely with the existing team, and balance innovation with commercial discipline.
Nigel Wright Group also maintained close collaboration with Advalight’s key stakeholders throughout the assignment, including:
- the Chairman
- a Strategic Advisor
- the CFO
- the EVP Global Sales
That stakeholder engagement helped create alignment around the brief, the assessment criteria, and the type of leader most likely to succeed in the role. As a result, the process remained focused on both capability and long-term fit.
The Appointment
The search resulted in the appointment of Ole Stoklund as Chief Executive Officer.
He brought more than 25 years of global MedTech leadership experience to the role, alongside a proven track record in scaling international businesses and distribution platforms. His background includes experience with Medtronic, Globus Medical, Synaptive Medical, and GetSet Surgical, where he served as CEO.
Importantly, the successful candidate was a high-calibre Danish executive based internationally in Switzerland and motivated to relocate to lead the business from Advalight’s headquarters in Denmark. That outcome addressed one of the core challenges in the search: attracting an internationally relevant leader back to the Danish market.
Key Outcomes
- Appointed Ole Stoklund as CEO of Advalight
- Secured a leader with 25+ years of global MedTech experience
- Strengthened Advalight’s commercial leadership capability
- Added expertise in scaling international businesses and distribution platforms
- Supported Advalight’s ambition to accelerate global expansion and commercialisation
- Delivered a CEO with a hands-on, entrepreneurial leadership style
- Achieved strong alignment between the leadership profile and Advalight’s culture and heritage
- Brought broader consumer-oriented and commercial perspectives into the search process
- Successfully attracted and relocated a highly relevant international candidate to Denmark
The Outcome: Stronger Leadership for Global Expansion
The appointment gave Advalight a CEO with the experience required to lead the company through its next phase of growth. Commercial leadership was strengthened through a profile with deep knowledge of global MedTech markets, international go-to-market structures, and distributor-led business models.
Equally important, the outcome matched the company’s strategic direction. Advalight needed a leader who could help scale the business internationally while protecting the strengths already built through technology, research and development, and team collaboration.
The process also added value beyond the final appointment. By broadening the search to include commercially driven leaders from adjacent sectors, Nigel Wright introduced wider perspectives on customer experience and commercialisation. That improved the quality of the discussion around leadership requirements and helped ensure the selected CEO was not only technically credible, but also well suited to the realities of scaling the business.
With Ole Stoklund in place, Advalight is better positioned to accelerate international expansion, build stronger commercial partnerships, and balance innovation with practical commercial execution.
Why Nigel Wright Group Was Relevant to This Assignment
This project required more than a standard CEO recruitment process. Advalight needed executive search support that could combine a targeted international reach, leadership assessment, stakeholder management, and sensitivity to culture.
Nigel Wright Group delivered value by:
- designing an international CEO search beyond the Danish market
- identifying candidates from both MedTech and adjacent commercial sectors
- understanding the importance of culture and leadership fit in a scale-up environment
- managing a multi-stakeholder process with senior decision-makers
- securing an internationally based Danish candidate willing to relocate and lead from headquarters
For businesses in MedTech, healthcare, and other growth-stage sectors, that combination is often critical when recruiting senior leaders.
Testimonial from Chair
"As Advalight enters an important scale-up phase with strong international growth ambitions, it was essential for us to appoint a CEO with proven commercial and leadership capabilities. In partnership with Iben Rasmussen, we conducted a focused international search, resulting in the appointment of Ole Stoklund, who has relocated to Denmark to take on the role. Ole brings extensive global MedTech experience and a strong track record in market expansion and scaling international businesses. We are confident he is well-positioned to lead Advalight into its next phase of growth." Nis Alstruo, Non-Executive Director
Frequently Asked Questions
How do executive search firms recruit CEOs for specialist sectors?
Executive search firms recruit CEOs by defining the leadership brief, mapping relevant markets, approaching suitable candidates, and assessing experience, capability, and fit. In specialist sectors such as MedTech, that process often extends across international markets because the most relevant talent may not be available locally. For Advalight, Nigel Wright Group used an international search strategy to identify a CEO with global MedTech expertise and commercial scaling experience.
Why would a scale-up company hire a new CEO?
A scale-up company may hire a new CEO when it needs stronger leadership to support growth, commercialisation, or international expansion. The role becomes especially important when a business is moving from technical strength to broader commercial scale. In Advalight’s case, Nigel Wright Group supported the appointment of a CEO to strengthen commercial leadership and help the company accelerate global growth.
What experience should a CEO have during international expansion?
A CEO leading international expansion usually needs experience in scaling businesses, building commercial organisations, and managing go-to-market models across multiple markets. Distribution partnerships, market entry planning, and strong execution are often central to success. For this assignment, Nigel Wright Group focused on candidates with global MedTech backgrounds and proven experience in international growth and distribution-led business models.
Why is cultural fit important in a CEO search?
Cultural fit matters because senior leaders influence how a business operates, grows, and makes decisions. In a scale-up environment, a mismatch between leadership style and company culture can slow execution and weaken alignment across the organisation. Nigel Wright Group placed strong emphasis on Advalight’s heritage, collaborative environment, and entrepreneurial character when assessing CEO candidates.
Can companies recruit senior leaders from adjacent industries?
Yes, companies often consider leaders from adjacent industries when they need broader commercial thinking or new perspectives on growth. That approach can be useful when the market for direct sector matches is limited or when the business wants to strengthen customer experience and commercial capability. In this CEO search, Nigel Wright Group expanded the talent pool to include consumer-centric and commercially driven profiles beyond core MedTech.
What is a distributor-led business model?
A distributor-led business model relies on external commercial partners to bring products to market across different regions or countries. That model requires strong leadership in partnership development, commercial execution, and international coordination. Nigel Wright Group took this requirement into account when identifying CEO candidates for Advalight, as the company needed a leader able to strengthen distributor-led growth.
Speak to Nigel Wright Group
If your business is preparing for international growth, commercial scale-up, or a critical senior appointment, Nigel Wright Group can support executive search and leadership recruitment across specialist markets.