Board & Executive Practice
Retained executive search for Boards, C-suites and portfolio companies.
Board & Chair · CEO Succession · C-Suite · Sponsor Coverage for private equity and venture portfolios.
Board & Chair
Chair, SID and Non-Executive Director search.
We advise Nomination Committees and CEOs on Chair, Senior Independent Director and Non-Executive Director appointments. Every search is retained, senior-partner-led and aligned with the Corporate Governance Code and the board diversity commitments the market now expects.
- Chair and Senior Independent Director
- Audit, Remuneration, ESG and Risk Committee Chairs
- Non-Executive Directors with sector, functional or regulatory specialism
- Board composition reviews and succession planning
CEO Succession & C-Suite
Named partner ownership of every senior appointment.
For corporates, regulated firms and PE-backed businesses, we run retained CEO, CFO, CTO, CISO, GC and CHRO searches. Every mandate is led personally by a partner — no account managers, no handovers — and includes structured market mapping, references, psychometrics and onboarding follow-up at 30, 90 and 180 days.
CEO and Group Executive
- Chief Executive Officer
- Chief Operating Officer
- Chief Financial Officer
- Chief Human Resources Officer
- Managing Director / Country Head
Functional Leadership
- Chief Technology Officer
- Chief Information Security Officer
- Chief Data / AI Officer
- General Counsel and Head of Legal
- Chief Product / Chief Revenue Officer
Sponsor Coverage
Executive search for private equity and venture portfolios.
We work with sponsors and their portfolio company boards to place C-suite and Chair appointments across held businesses. The relationship is ongoing rather than transactional: our Sponsor Coverage practice runs parallel searches across a portfolio, respecting off-limits agreements at the fund level and coordinating with Operating Partners on speed and specification.
- Portfolio CEO, CFO, COO and CTO placements
- Portfolio Chair and Non-Executive Director introductions
- Operating Partner search and portfolio-adjacent advisory
- Value-creation-plan-aligned hiring at exit and post-deal
Our approach
Retained, senior-partner-led, judgement-driven.
Every mandate begins with a written brief and a structured market map. We present a shortlist only when we can defend every profile in it. Fees are structured across the search — not against the hire. Every appointment is backed by a 180-day replacement guarantee.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What does retained executive search mean?
Retained executive search means the fee is structured across the search — a portion at kickoff, a portion at shortlist and a portion on acceptance — rather than paid on hire. It aligns incentives around the quality of the shortlist rather than the speed of the placement, and it is the standard model for Board, C-suite and Chair appointments.
Do you run Chair and Non-Executive Director searches?
Yes. Chair, Senior Independent Director and NED search is our Board & Chair practice. Every search is aligned with the UK Corporate Governance Code, the FTSE Women Leaders Review targets and the Parker Review ethnic-diversity commitments.
What is your Sponsor Coverage practice?
Sponsor Coverage is our practice for private equity and venture sponsors placing executives into portfolio companies. It runs as an ongoing relationship rather than a series of transactions, with parallel searches across a portfolio, off-limits agreements at fund level, and coordination with Operating Partners.
What replacement guarantee do you offer?
Every retained appointment is backed by a 180-day replacement guarantee. If an appointee does not remain in role for 180 days for reasons within the firm’s control, we replace them without further fee.
How long does a typical retained search take?
A retained mandate typically runs 10–16 weeks from brief to accepted offer, with structured checkpoints at market map, longlist review, shortlist, references and offer negotiation. Chair and Board searches often run longer due to committee cadence.