Executive and Leadership Search
We define what the appointment needs to accomplish, identify target organizations, map comparable executives and approach passive talent directly. Candidates are evaluated against the brief before we present a calibrated shortlist and support your hiring decision.
What the search covers
Director, VP, C-suite and board appointments, researched against a defined business mandate.
The problem it addresses
A senior appointment is expensive to get wrong, and the strongest candidates are rarely applying. Without a defined mandate and a researched market, a search tends to default to familiar titles and whoever is easiest to reach.
When it is useful
- A new or replacement C-suite, VP, Director or board appointment
- A confidential search where the incumbent or the market must not be alerted
- A role that combines capabilities rarely found in one person
- A previous search, advert or referral process that did not produce a credible shortlist
Scope of work
From the brief to the decision
- 01Define the mandate, business priorities and evidence of success
- 02Identify target organizations and map comparable executives
- 03Approach passive talent and discuss the appointment directly
- 04Evaluate decisions owned, capability, operating environment and motivation
- 05Present a calibrated shortlist, explain trade-offs and support the decision
What we actually assess
A title alone tells us little. We examine the work a candidate has owned and how it translates to your requirement.
- Capability and decisions owned
- Operating environment and business stage
- Scale of responsibility
- Motivation for the move
- Leadership demands of the role
- Transferable experience
- A written search brief agreed with the hiring team, including first-year priorities and selection criteria
- A target-organization and market map showing where comparable experience sits
- Regular progress updates on market response and any changes to the brief
- A calibrated shortlist with written candidate evaluations against the brief
- Interview and decision support, including referencing arrangements agreed with you
A defined search brief, a targeted market map and a shortlist supported by candidate evaluation. Deliverables and scope are agreed for each mandate.
What it does not include
- Volume or contingent recruitment
- Psychometric testing, unless a provider is agreed and engaged separately
- Employment contracts, immigration filings or payroll
- A guarantee that a preferred candidate accepts an offer
Scope and limitations
We accept mandates where the research can be done properly. When the brief, the market or the timeline cannot support a credible search, we say so and re-scope or decline. A search does not guarantee that a chosen candidate accepts an offer.
How fees and terms are agreed
Executive search is undertaken as a retained mandate. Scope, deliverables, timeline and fees are confirmed in writing before research begins. An enquiry does not commit you to an engagement.
What to share to begin
The role title and reporting line, why the appointment is needed now, the location and working model, the timeline and the people involved in the decision. A draft job description helps but is not required.
Discuss a SearchLet’s discuss
the mandate.
Tell us what the role needs to accomplish, where it sits in the business and what makes the search difficult. That is where the work starts.
Discuss a Search For career strategy, start here