Board Build

The Role:

Confidential Client

The Client:

The Client

Moon Executive Search was invited to tender by our Professional Advisory Client to devise an effective recruitment process to manage multiple stakeholder expectations and facilitate the appointment of a new c-suite Board of Directors, ranging from CEO, COO and several niche appointments.

Crucial to our appointment was our ability to demonstrate an up to date understanding and knowledge of the technical and fiduciary requirements of being in an FCA regulated business, and evidence our established and relevant network of connections within the major Banks, Accountants and Law Firms that would prove helpful for such a detailed search.

The Challenge

Right from the outset of this Board build, Moon were aware of the huge range of key influencers and stakeholders involved. We were required to grasp detailed and complex information and disseminate that appropriately to prospective candidates after receiving the requisite signed Non-Disclosure Agreements.

Given the nature of the appointments, we sought to identify candidates with very specific skill sets that when taken as a whole would quickly establish a cohesive leadership team capable of determining, developing, implementing and promoting the organisational strategy.

As a result, we were instrumental in guiding on all documentation for the search, ranging from job descriptions and person specifications through to suggesting the most appropriate and relevant psychometric and behavourial assessments. Ultimately, we needed to consider the Board dynamics at every step of the search and ensure each c-suite role was filled by candidates who could contribute effectively to the direction, business plan and culture, to ensure the organisation delivered against key performance targets and within agreed budgets.

Our Approach

To aid communication and avoid any potential conflicts of interest, once instructed we immediately appointed two Directors from Moon onto the search to manage separate workflows and facilitate independent communications at all times. Additionally, a researcher was assigned to each vacancy, managing initial candidate communications separately from each other.

We then began to map the relevant UK markets for each vacancy, adopting a thorough national search but focusing on the main key criteria for each role. Guiding principles for all roles included: an ability to lead a business through rapid growth, a credibility with stakeholders, an ability to grasp and deal pragmatically with complex problems and a demonstrable track record of building influential relationships throughout the UK.

We then presented our longlist in a meeting with the Chair and Advisors, providing invaluable market information. This meeting established an agreed target list of candidates to approach under a Non-Disclosure Agreement.

The Solution

Following initial approaches and scoping calls, we began to reduce the potential candidate lists further, moving to more detailed screening skype calls before selecting candidates to meet personally.

At our face to face meetings, Moon asked a series of questions to provide a fuller picture of the suitability of each candidate. These questions were designed by Moon specifically for each role and aimed to draw out each candidate’s research and knowledge as well as their technical competency, leadership values and individual career ambitions. When we presented our shortlist for each Board vacancy, we produced an Insights Report on all candidates, highlighting areas to be further explored at the client panel interview and made recommendations in terms of how the candidates may interact as a team, if appointed as a Board together.

The search resulted in successful multiple appointments across the Board, including a new CEO and COO and several niche technical roles.

Simon Quinn, Director of Search at Moon said:

‘Being selected to oversee the recruitment of this entire Board was a huge honour. Vanessa and I were enormously impressed with the attention to detail that each stakeholder displayed, and we know that our Client has left a positive lasting memory on all the candidates they interviewed.’

Our Client, who remains confidential, commented:

‘These Board appointments mark an exciting stage in the development of the business, and we have been delighted with the calibre of people appointed to the Board. Moon were absolutely the right Partner for us – they brought professionalism and insight to the whole process and we look forward to working with them again in the future.’