Director of HR

The Role:

Confidential Client

The Client:

The Client

Moon Executive Search were invited to tender by a leading International Listed FinTech organisation, who were seeking to appoint a search firm to manage a highly confidential Director of HR appointment.

The background was that the person would oversee a strategic review of their overall people strategy, drive through a change agenda and establish a Centre of Excellence underpinned by the adoption of a Business Partnering model.

Given that Simon Quinn, Director of Search, had previously managed diverse HR regional teams, brought an established network of HR professionals and Board contacts and could evidence successfully completing on high-profile HR appointments across the UK, he and Moon were successfully appointed to manage this high-profile national search campaign.

The Challenge

A key requirement of the search was to identify an HR Director with experience of a Listed regulatory environment, with a reputation for innovative and change management. The ideal candidate also needed to be someone who could evidence having operated at a senior international level implementing and embedding significant HR strategies. Finally, given that they would also interact at Board level with significant P&L responsibility and be under sustained and informed scrutiny from shareholders, we knew that we were looking at a very finite list of experienced candidates within a concentrated marketplace. In conducting the search, we were also mindful of the need for the utmost confidentiality at all times, considering our communication channels at each point of the process.

Our Approach

Following meetings with the CEO and Senior Board members to gain a detailed brief and establish the search protocols, we immediately appointed two Directors from Moon onto the search to act as client liaison contacts to ensure effective and transparent communication at every stage of the search. We then began to map the existing market, adopting a thorough national search and also considered candidates operating in Europe who would consider a UK appointment. Our research included undertaking a forensic analysis of candidate backgrounds and track records, their current companies and perceived career motivations. We then presented this longlist in a meeting to the Board, 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 list 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 ranging from competency, behavourial and experience verification questions to allow us to produce an Insights Report for those candidates selected for the shortlist and recommended for interview with the Client.

Moon were asked to form part of the interview panel with the Client to provide consistency and continuity in the process for the candidates and we administered a full suite of psychometric and behavourial assessments prior to final interview stage. The search resulted in the successful appointment of an International HR Director who brought transformational HR change, project delivery and process improvement on a global scale and a track record of driving innovative HR strategy.

Simon Quinn, Director of Search said ‘We were delighted to partner with this international brand and to be entrusted to manage a search of such complexity at a critical time for the organisation. We were hugely impressed with the professional approach adopted by our Client and have since established an ongoing relationship that continues to produce outstanding results for their business.’

Our Client, who remains confidential, commented; ‘At each stage we were impressed with both the communication and level of detail we received from Moon. The search led to a very successful outcome.’