Some of the most important searches we run begin with a request for complete discretion. A founder preparing to step back before the family has agreed a successor. A chief executive whose transition has been decided but not yet announced. Two companies combining, with a leader needed before the integration is public. In each case the search itself is sensitive information, and protecting it protects the incumbent, the team and the business.

A search built for discretion

Markets in the Gulf and in India are closely connected. Senior leaders in a sector know each other, sit on the same boards and share the same advisers. A confidential mandate is therefore run to its own standard, and we are explicit with clients about what that involves.

In a confidential search, discretion is not a courtesy. It is the method.
  • The Founder on every call. The Founder leads the approach personally.
  • A restricted team working under a mandate code name and confidentiality undertakings, with the client's name known to as few people as possible.
  • A described opportunity. Candidates first hear the shape of the role rather than the name of the organisation, until mutual interest is established and they have agreed to confidentiality in turn.
  • Our own relationships, including the Leadership Vanguard, our invitation only catalogue of leaders open to the right opportunity.
  • A close cadence with the chair or nominations committee, so decisions are taken quickly and the window of exposure stays short.

Planning the transition from the start

Every confidential search ends with a transition, and its quality depends on decisions made at the beginning. When will the incumbent be told, and by whom? What role will they play in the handover? How will the team, the regulators and the market hear the news?

We plan those questions with the board before the first approach. A new chief executive who arrives into a transition handled with dignity begins the first hundred days with goodwill already in place.

When to choose it

Where knowledge of the search would itself change the situation, a confidential search is the responsible choice. The earlier a board makes that decision, the more options it keeps.