Building Technology Capability from the Ground Up
The Organization
Columbus REALTORS® is a professional trade association serving 9,500 members across Central Ohio. CEO Brent Swander’s priority was to keep the organization ahead of industry change, particularly as technology expectations increased for internal operations and member services.
Context and Opportunity
When Columbus REALTORS® created the Senior Director of Technology role, there was no existing function, no predecessor, and no clear template to follow. This wasn’t a backfill—it was a build.
The expectation was straightforward on paper but complex in practice: modernize internal infrastructure while expanding the technology products and services offered to members. At the same time, the MLS landscape was shifting, adding urgency to getting the hire right.
Just as important, this person had to operate as part of a senior leadership team—someone who could communicate clearly with nontechnical stakeholders, bring others along in decision-making, and contribute to a culture of collaboration and candid challenge.
Before the search could begin, the real work was clarifying what success actually looked like.
Key Challenges of the Search
- Brand-new role with no job description or historical reference point
- Dual responsibility: internal infrastructure and external member-facing technology
- Required both technical depth and the ability to communicate across a nontechnical organization
- Evolving industry dynamics, including changes in the MLS landscape
- Cultural alignment mattered as much as technical capability
How We Approached the Search
- We defined the role before we searched for it.
In situations like this, most organizations move too quickly to sourcing candidates before they’ve fully aligned on what they actually need. That’s where mistakes tend to happen.
We facilitated a working session with the CEO to clarify outcomes, key accountabilities, and what success would look like 12–24 months into the role. That discussion became the foundation for a structured role profile and job benchmark.
This gave us a clear lens for evaluating candidates—not just on experience, but on their ability to deliver in this specific environment.
- We prioritized communication, not just technical skill
Technical capability was a given. The differentiator was the ability to operate inside a nontechnical organization.
We looked closely at how candidates explained their thinking, how they brought others along, and how they handled situations where they needed to influence without overwhelming.
This was assessed through structured interviews and behavioral data, aligned to the benchmark we had established.
- We evaluated fit with the existing team
The question wasn’t just whether someone could build a technology function. It was whether they could do it in a way that worked within the existing leadership team.
We assessed candidates against the team’s behavioral profile, focusing on how they would collaborate, communicate, and handle pressure.
That helped reduce the risk of a technically strong hire who would struggle to integrate.
What Happened Next
The individual hired stepped into both priorities immediately.
Internally, the organization began rebuilding its infrastructure. Externally, the team launched three new technology products for members, followed by a new website.
Equally important, the new leader helped close the gap between technical and nontechnical teams—bringing clarity to decisions, building confidence across the organization, and keeping leadership aligned as the function took shape.
Results
The organization successfully scoped and filled a brand-new leadership role without an existing template.
- Internal infrastructure rebuilt
- Three new technology products launched for members
- New website delivered
- Improved communication between technical and nontechnicalteams
- Hire still in post in 2026, with zero staff turnover across all Paramount placements that year
"This year we rolled out three new products for our members. We're launching a new website. We've completely rebuilt our internal infrastructure. So we're well on our way." -Brent Swander, CEO, Columbus REALTORS®
Why This Search Worked
Roles like this are where hiring processes typically breakdown.
Without a clear definition of success, organizations default to resumes, past titles, or what feels familiar. That’s how you end up with someone who looks right on paper but doesn’t actually fit the role.
In this case, the time spent upfront defining the role created clarity that carried through the entire process. Every decision—who to interview, who to advance, who to select—was grounded in that definition.
At the same time, the evaluation went beyond technical skill. The ability to operate within the leadership team, communicate effectively, and build trust across the organization was treated as essential, not secondary.
That combination—clarity of role and consistency in evaluation—is what allowed the hire to succeed, not just get made.
How Paramount Helps Associations Hire Leaders
- Retained executive search for associations, including CEO, C-suite, and functional leadership roles
- Role definition and job benchmarking to align boards, CEOs, and leadership teams on success criteria
- Behavioral science-driven assessment to reduce hiring risk and improve long-term fit
- Structured selection process designed for member-based organizations with limited internal HR capacity
If your association is hiring for a pivotal leadership role and needs a process that is rigorous, unbiased, and built for long-term retention, our team can help you define the role, assess fit, and secure a leader who delivers results.
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