Executive Search

The Wrightson Wood team draw on the 30 plus years of carrying out senior level executive search across the Financial Services industry. The core for its ability to successfully place executive and managers has been the deep industry experience of its practitioners and leadership. All have spent significant parts of their careers in the Financial Services, Technology and Professional Services industries before coming to Executive Search. This ensures that each assignment is not just the following of an agreed process from end to end, but is invested with the assurance that the chosen candidate will be ‘right’ for the role and the chances for success are optimised. This is not simply the product of pin point identification and a structured and complete engagement and selection process, but the understanding of what it takes to be successful in the given role.

Wrightson Wood works with its clients through their internal and external succession planning to evolve a comprehensive brief which is integrated into a meticulous process that is customised for each clients’ specific needs.

Wrightson Wood has relationships with its candidates which often long pre-date the assignment, and will continue throughout the tenure, to ensure that the client is accessing a pool of talent in real time, one which is aligned to their business planning.

Working from consultation with the client and using the designated skills matrix and competency system, in house or from a service provider, we will compile a complete role description with prioritised skills architectures and core competency requirements.

Prospective reward packages are benchmarked to the market and if necessary, cross referenced to pay data services so as to agree on the scheme that will attract the target candidate and comply with Compensation and Reward, and Audit Committee requirements. A comprehensive understanding of the cash and non-cash elements and their relative value to both parties is fundamental to the progress of the hire.

Mapping of the cultural environment at an organisation, division and departmental level will ensure that the new entrant will gain traction quickly and will be prepared to manage up and down the chain of command. Wrightson Wood takes pride in its reputation as a trusted advisor and will not forward a profile where there is a question about full and sustained integration.

Wrightson Wood approaches each assignment from a perspective of producing a short list of candidates who embrace the principal of diversity.

Key to the stability of a given hire are the impacts of change to the family from a geographic or work environment change. A 360 degree analysis provides visibility for our clients on the full environmental picture.

Wrightson Wood will establish a case-by-case reporting and presentation methodology. Clients can choose their preferred format of candidate presentation, whether a classic long list-short list structure, or seeing a given candidate once qualified by Wrightson Wood.

The final contractual and negotiation process can be protracted, especially for senior executive hires. With many moving parts and restricted time availabilities for the key decision makers, often third party legal and Human Resource advisors add to the complexity. Throughout this period, it is essential that the communication channels are open and managed, that all messages bear the appropriate context and weight and the candidate and client remain confident in the goodwill of either side. This is where a true partner adds key value. In this, Wrightson Wood has consistently delivered.