Hilal ARSLAN
Founder, NextUp
Executive Search & Leadership Advisory for Finance and Commercial Leadership
Hilal Arslan is the founder of NextUp, a boutique executive search and leadership advisory firm focused on finance, commercial, and operational leadership roles.
Operating between Amsterdam, Düsseldorf, and Istanbul, she works closely with founders, CEOs, and investors to build leadership teams capable of executing in complex and fast-changing environments.
Her work focuses on organizations going through growth, transformation, leadership transition, or international expansion.
Background
Hilal began her career at EY, where she developed a strong understanding of financial structures, governance, and the operational dynamics behind business performance.
This background shaped the way she approaches executive search — not simply as a hiring process, but as a strategic leadership decision that directly influences a company’s trajectory.
Over the past decade she has supported companies across industrial manufacturing, consumer brands, retail, and technology in defining leadership needs and identifying executives who can deliver measurable impact.
Her work sits at the intersection of finance, leadership, and organizational transformation.
Areas of Expertise
Hilal focuses on leadership roles where decision-making directly affects execution and enterprise value.
Her core areas include:
NextUp typically works on mandates where leadership capability determines whether strategy actually gets executed.
Selected Experience
Global Fashion Brand – Manufacturing Expansion
Supporting the leadership build across supply chain, finance, and production during a major expansion of an international manufacturing hub.
PE-Backed Medical Technology Company – Global Team Build
Following a $30M private equity investment, supporting the creation of finance and data teams to enable operational scale.
Market-Leading Retail Platform – Executive Leadership Build
Supporting the CEO in building a new professional executive team across marketing, HR, technology, and e-commerce for a fast-growing retail company generating €800M+ in revenue.
Industrial Companies – Leadership Transformation
Supporting European industrial organizations in strengthening finance, commercial, and operational leadership during post-pandemic transformation.
Approach to Executive Search
When Companies Typically Reach Out
Organizations usually contact NextUp when they:
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• Are building a leadership team during growth or expansion
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• Need to strengthen finance or operational leadership
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• Are preparing for investment or international scaling
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| • Are navigating leadership transition |
Global Perspective
Operating between Amsterdam, Düsseldorf, and Istanbul, Hilal works with organizations navigating different leadership cultures, governance systems, and market dynamics.
This cross-border perspective enables her to identify leaders capable of operating in both structured corporate environments and fast-moving growth markets.
Leadership Philosophy
Hilal quickly understands complex business environments and leadership dynamics, enabling her to identify leaders who can operate effectively in high-stakes situations.
Great leadership hiring requires understanding the human behind the title. Hilal focuses on motivations, leadership behavior, and decision patterns that influence long-term success.
Over the years Hilal has built a trusted network of executives across industries. Many relationships begin as advisory conversations rather than transactional recruitment discussions.