Our partnership with 15below, automated communications software for the travel industry, began in late 2023. The business engaged 3Search to support with the recruitment of two strategic commercial hires as part of their growth journey.
Operating in a highly specialist SaaS environment, the business needed experienced sales professionals who could navigate long sales cycles, operate consultatively, and represent the brand in international markets.
15below is a software development business operating in the travel sector. Founded in 2000, they create systems and workflows that help airlines, rail, and travel companies stay connected with their passengers.
As the company continued to grow following an acquisition, the commercial team needed to expand to maintain momentum and reach ambitious growth targets. Working within such a high-value, low-volume sales environment, the company needed to engage specialist sales professionals.
With a small internal talent team and a very specific brief, 15below needed external support from a specialist sales recruiter who truly understood SaaS sales, enterprise buying journeys, and the importance of cultural alignment.
The initial hire was a Business Development Manager (EMEA) - a growth role focused on new business acquisition across Europe. The successful candidate needed to be:
Following continued growth and an acquisition, 15below then asked us to support a second hire — an Account Executive based in Portugal. This hire needed experience across SDR and AE roles in SaaS, ideally with exposure to AI and start-up environments.
3Search specialist sales recruiter, Frank Young, supported both searches, prioritising speed while maintaining a high bar for quality.
Frank worked closely with the hiring team, leveraging his deep understanding of the SaaS sales market to identify and engage relevant candidates quickly. Throughout the process, we maintained constant communication, with regular calls and video check-ins to keep alignment tight and momentum high.
Our focus was on:
15below successfully hired both a Business Development Manager (EMEA) and an Account Executive in Portugal, strengthening their commercial capability across Europe.
While it is still early days, both hires are already contributing positively and helping the business move closer to its growth objectives.
15below successfully hired both a Business Development Manager (EMEA) and an Account Executive in Portugal, strengthening their commercial capability across Europe. While it is still early days, both hires are already contributing positively and helping the business move closer to its growth objectives.
Candidate Thought Count: 2
I had a very positive recruitment experience with Frank. He was transparent from the start, approachable throughout, and proactive at every stage. The process was smooth and completed in around four weeks. Five months in, the role is absolutely meeting expectations and I’m very happy I made the move.Business Development Manager, EMEA
Frank was incredibly attentive and took the time to really understand what I was looking for. The feedback after each stage was thoughtful and genuinely helped me improve. Thanks to his support, I felt confident and well prepared — and ultimately landed the role I wanted. I couldn’t recommend Frank and the 3Search team more highly.Account Executive
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