The Challenge
Our client was a ‘top five’ insurance company, undergoing significant change.
Customers and the industry had mixed perceptions about the organisation, and a new management approach was established to turn this around.
A critical role was the Head of Compliance - the organisation’s senior accountable officer for its ethical and legal ‘license to operate’.
The successful candidate had to fulfil a complex brief. This included expert knowledge of compliance, senior experience in the financial services industry, and excellent leadership skills.
Assignments like this are tough for executive search companies, because there are few candidates in the market with a track record – by definition, each financial institution only has one senior compliance officer, and routes into the role are not uniform.
There are relatively few qualified individuals, and no clear career progression for the next generation. So the employment market is relatively closed - and very competitive.
Our Solution
We were brought in because of our excellent track record in working within highly-regulated industries.
Unlike many of our competitors, we recruit both for financial services companies and regulatory bodies themselves – so we are well-placed to ‘bridge the gap’ between sectors.
We knew that we were searching for a rare combination of experience, skills, and personal qualities.
As always, we began with original research. This involved a review of trade press and internet research, in addition to our own database, and referrals from our strong network of contacts.
The Result
Our thorough, rigorous process paid off, and the shortlist provided our client with a range of high calibre candidates.
This was important, as the appointment had to be both well-qualified and an excellent cultural ‘fit’ with the organisation and its culture.
Our client found their ‘needle in a haystack’.