Board & CEO Search
The appointments that define the business.
Few decisions carry more weight than the chair, the board and the chief executive. They set the direction of a house for years, and they turn on succession, ownership and trust as much as on capability. These are the searches where discretion and judgement matter most.
The leadership brief
A leadership appointment defined by the ownership context.
For boards, founders, family owners and investors, the first task is to agree what the next leader must accomplish. We clarify the mandate, authority and governance before exploring the relevant executive market. Consumer CEO recruitment may call for experience within the same category or a carefully assessed adjacent business.
Relevant appointment
Chief Executive Officer
Diversified international group · GCC
A chief executive appointment for a complex, multi-sector business.
Selected experience includes work undertaken in this practice and in previous search roles. Identities remain confidential.Board, chair and non-executive search
The board sets the standard for everything beneath it. For a luxury business — whether founder-led, family-owned, investor-backed or sovereign-backed — the right chair and non-executive directors bring governance, perspective and access that shape the company’s trajectory.
We conduct chair, non-executive director and board advisory searches with particular sensitivity to the dynamics of luxury and privately held businesses: the relationship with a founder or family, the balance of commercial and creative judgement, and the discretion these appointments require.
CEO, president and managing director search
A luxury chief executive must connect brand direction with the operating and financial responsibilities of the business. The brief establishes the authority they hold, the teams they lead and the expectations of owners and the board.
Ownership shapes the leadership brief. A family-owned business may place particular weight on the principal relationship and continuity; an investor-backed company may emphasise an agreed operating plan and board reporting. The assessment should make those expectations explicit.
Why these searches demand a retained partner
Many relevant board and chief-executive candidates are not actively looking for a role. They are sourced through relationships, approached discreetly, and assessed against a brief that goes far beyond a job description. A retained mandate provides an agreed scope for that research, engagement and assessment.
Many of these mandates are confidential — conducted before a change is announced, sometimes before the incumbent is aware. We agree a confidentiality protocol covering candidate approaches, information sharing and decision-making before work begins.
- Chair & board chair appointments
- Non-executive director and board advisory mandates
- CEO, president and managing director search
- Succession planning for founder and family-led businesses
- Confidential leadership transitions
Succession, done with foresight
The most valuable board and CEO work often happens before a vacancy exists. Succession planning — mapping the market, identifying future leaders, and preparing for a transition with foresight rather than under pressure — is among the most strategically important services we provide, particularly for founder-led and family-owned luxury businesses navigating generational change.
The brief and the evidence
Choose the appointment around the governance question. A CEO leads the business; a chair leads the board; a non-executive director contributes oversight and expertise. A succession project may inform any of these decisions before a vacancy exists.
Frequently asked questions
Where should a board or CEO search begin?
Agree the business decision, ownership expectations and responsibility of the role. We then distinguish executive leadership, board oversight and any succession work required.
Can several board and executive appointments be considered together?
Yes, but each needs its own authority, assessment criteria and sequencing. The composition of the board and executive team should be considered alongside individual appointments.
Can the work remain confidential?
Candidate approaches and information sharing follow an agreed protocol. The brief identifies who may be informed, what can be disclosed and the stages at which further detail is shared.
Related
Considering a board or chief-executive appointment?
Speak with us in confidence about a chair, NED, CEO or succession mandate.
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