Case Studies

“Having worked with Patrick to fill our EMEA Director of Tax role, I wholeheartedly recommend him. He was the only person who could offer us a range of candidates across geographies. He brought us candidates that 100% matched our job spec, but the most interesting candidates were those who didn’t who Patrick thought would be a strong fit for our team and the role. He was a true partner and we could not be more delighted with our new hire.”

“Filling a senior role (EMEA Tax Director, Direct Taxes) in our Netherlands team was challenging due to the mixed skill set required. Having worked with Patrick before, I trusted his deep understanding of the tax market and his extensive network. He quickly grasped the role’s technical tax aspects and tailored candidates to our needs. Patrick’s clear communication and collaborative approach stood out. He helped refine the job specifications, leveraged his network to compile a strong candidate list and kept us informed throughout the process. His expertise, proactive attitude, and seamless process enabled us to fill the position efficiently with a top candidate. I highly recommend.”

“Having previously supported our regional tax team in the Netherlands, we engaged Sal Partners to source our new Managing Director, European Taxes. Patrick’s connections within the Dutch tax community. His expertise in aligning candidate qualities with our needs exceeded my expectations. I especially appreciated Patrick’s professionalism and respect for all candidates. The communication was excellent, and the process was an open, positive experience.”

“Sal Partners had previously supported our Amsterdam team with several hires; we subsequently required their support for a key hire (Senior Manager, Tax Reporting) for our Eindhoven team. Patrick did a great job. I was especially pleased with the “how” Patrick worked. His communication was very clear and transparent, which created trust quickly. For me, trust is critical in these partnerships. Also, on the “what”, I was impressed that after all our prior unsuccessful internal efforts, he came quickly with a great candidate. Patrick’s ability to use his network and see an opening for a potential match was vital in this search. I am confident that this hire will be a success.”

“Based on very positive earlier experiences working with Patrick on high profile Tax roles in the Netherlands, I was clear that I wanted to work with Patrick again on our search for a Head of Tax Operations & Technology. Strengths of Patrick include the following: (1) Patrick actively thinks with the client and contributes to improving and refining the job description and search criteria to the client’s needs (2) He uses his strong network within the European Tax world to longlist only relevant candidates, which is challenging for Tax Ops / Tax Tech roles as this is a developing market. (3) He uses a thorough approach leveraging a competency framework to support the identification of the strongest candidates (4) He ensures that the client (including Tax and HR) and all candidates leave the process with a positive experience. His aftercare is exceptional in that sense. (5) Communication with the client on relevant developments is strong and warmly received. Sal Partners has once again delivered to help us find a great candidate.”

“I have known Patrick for many years, even prior to him launching Sal Partners. He immediately struck me as a different head-hunter who cares about his clients’ trajectories and ambitions. He is not into transactional hiring; instead, he is focused on the long-term. I would recommend anyone in tax to work with Patrick.”

“As a candidate, I had the pleasure of working with Patrick. Patrick is one of the most dedicated, hardworking, and honest recruitment professionals I have met and stands out from the (regular) recruitment crowd. Patrick is amazingly focused and energetic in ensuring the best result and tireless in pursuing the highest level of customer service. What makes him unique is his genuine interest in people, supporting them, challenging them and making them successful. He always maintained a professional composure and readily went the extra mile to deliver. I’ve since enjoyed working with Patrick several times as we built the Upfield function in the Netherlands, Australia & Mexico – the process was refreshing. The strength of Patrick’s network, his diligent research process, his strong communication skills and his motivation to deliver were all evident. I have no hesitation in recommending the services of Sal Partners, and I will certainly call them again if the need arises.”