OKX Case Study: How We Closed Two Mission-Critical Leadership Hires in One of the Toughest Markets in Europe

The Challenge

Relocating  top-tier leadership talent for Malta is challenging. High-paid execs, long-tenured leaders, and extremely limited relocation appetite. Now combine that with OKX’s hiring bar - one of the highest in the crypto industry:

• Longevity and track record matter.
  
• Zero tolerance for mediocrity.
  
• Values-driven assessment: We Before Me, Do the Right Thing, Get Things Done.
  
  

OKX doesn’t hire “good.” They hire elites - the top 1%.

We were brought in to fill two roles directly tied to OKX’s European expansion and MiCA licensing:

1. Director of Internal Audit
   
2. Head of Compliance (EMEA)

Both roles were existential for OKX’s regulatory standing in Europe. Missing these hires would slow down licensing, expansion, and market operations.

And to make things fun: Time pressure + strict requirements + relocation to Malta.

This was one of the hardest searches we’ve ever run  and also one of the most satisfying.

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Background

OKX is the world’s second-largest crypto exchange, operating at Tier-1 standards with teams from Meta, Google, and leading global banks.

They usually handle their own leadership recruiting internally. But these two roles required:

• Deep European crypto + TradFi regulatory knowledge
  
• Access to off-market leadership talent
  
• Ability to identify culture fit in a high-performance environment
  
• A partner who could “speak compliance” fluently
  
  

They needed specialists. So they came to us.

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Our Approach

1. Pinpoint the Real Fit

We don’t ask “what’s your culture like?”  That question is useless.

Instead, we dig into:

• How decisions get made
  
• How founders operate
  
• How teams communicate under pressure
  
• What actually gets rewarded internally
  
• Employee sentiment
  
• Operational rhythms

This gives us a real picture of what “fit” looks like.

2. Two-Way Market Mapping

We mapped the European market from two angles:

• Targeted search: companies OKX respects and likes to hire from
  
• Keyword/functional search: industry, regulatory, audit, and compliance markers

Two full-time search experts covered every European market.

3. Relentless Execution at Scale

For two searches (Audit + Compliance):

• Candidate reviews: 2,200
  
• Contacted: 95
  
• Interviews: 60
  
• Submitted: 12
  
• Offers: 2
  
  

That’s what real executive search looks like: volume + precision.

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4. Tight Collaboration with OKX’s Internal Team

Leadership relocations take time. This took 4–5 months end-to-end.

We aligned fully with OKX’s internal recruitment and leadership team, ensuring:

• Shared timelines
  
• Transparent updates
  
• Zero surprises
  
• Fast iteration

Bad communication is where most agencies fail, we don't, we excel at this.

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5. Candidate Expectation Management (Our Golden Rule)

We never push a job on someone just because they “fit on paper.”

If the role won’t genuinely improve their life, career, or circumstances; we say no.

That’s why candidates trust us, even during tough processes: Because they know we only recommend roles that truly serve them.

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The Outcome

Two mission-critical hires delivered:

1. Director of Internal Audit

Hired and onboarded in under 7 days 

2. Head of Compliance (EMEA)

Closed after a rigorous multi-round process with global stakeholders.

Both hires were fundamental to:

• OKX’s European licensing
  
• MiCA compliance
  
• Operating safely and at scale in the region
  
• Strengthening their leadership bench
  
  

Hiring for a mission critical, leadership role, then send your inquiry to me sw@workincrypto.global

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