Executive search
Leadership appointments are rarely only about capability. They carry succession, board relationships and, often, a person who does not yet know they are being considered.
How a retained assignment is run
Search is engaged on a retained basis because the work is sequential: specification, research, approach, evaluation, appointment. Each stage depends on the last being done properly, and none of it is well served by a race between agencies.
Retained does not mean slower. It means the research is finished before the first approach is made.
One named consultant
The person who agrees the specification runs the assignment and reports on it. Research support is briefed by them, not substituted for them.
Controlled disclosure
Approaches are made in confidence. Your organisation's identity is released only at the point and under the conditions we agree in advance.
Documented specification
Mandate, success measures, remuneration position and assessment criteria are written down before the market is approached, and referred back to at every stage.
A defined reporting rhythm
Progress is reported on an agreed cadence, including market feedback that contradicts the original assumption. That feedback is often the most valuable part of the work.
Proportionate records
We hold only the information the assessment requires, share it only with the decision-makers, and agree retention before the assignment closes.
If you are being approached
A confidential approach places the burden of discretion on us, not on you. Nothing is recorded against your name without your knowledge, your current employer is never contacted, and referencing happens only when you authorise it, usually at the final stage.
If you are appointing
Tell us the mandate rather than the job title, and mark the brief confidential. We will respond on scope, timing and whether the search is realistic on the terms proposed.