This was a retained search for a Chief People Officer at a fast-growing consumer brand in London, scaling its team through a period of rapid growth over a 10-week search. The company had built a much-loved brand, with a warm and close-knit team, a committed founding group, and the backing of a leading consumer growth fund.

The brief from the founder and board was straightforward but uncompromising: a people leader who could grow the team thoughtfully, build people practices that feel human, and partner credibly with the leadership, without losing what made the culture special. The cultural depth and the leadership demands of the role were not separate criteria to be traded off. They were the search's central challenge, and the brief required both to be satisfied without compromise.

• People leaders who had scaled culture-led consumer businesses were the core target population
• Candidates were assessed on people expertise, leadership track record, and values alignment together
• An engaging leadership panel supported the assessment of every shortlisted candidate

Assessment in dialogue with the culture

The challenge of the search was to evaluate people expertise, scaling experience, and leadership capability together, within the warmth and pace of a close-knit consumer business. Candidates were assessed not only on their track record but on how they had built teams, made hard people calls, and partnered with founders through earlier transitions.

• Each shortlisted candidate was assessed by an engaged leadership panel alongside the values evaluation
• Referencing reached former teams, peers, and direct reports to triangulate both people expertise and leadership
• The final shortlist of four was presented with full assessment, referencing, and a cultural appraisal of each candidate

"The culture and the leadership were the brief. Everything else was about creating the right assessment to make sure both were satisfied in a single person, which is the hardest part of any people search."