When it comes to hiring at an executive level, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Whether you need a Chief People Officer, a Chief HR Officer, or a senior leader outside of the HR specialism, you need more than a recruiter – you need a partner you can trust.
At Hunter Adams, our Executive & Retained Search service is designed for senior, specialist, or hard-to-fill roles where cultural fit, discretion, and precision matter most.
We proactively search, headhunt, and engage the very best people, including 70% of senior candidates who aren’t actively looking for a new opportunity.
We run retained search campaigns across the UK with teams based on the ground in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen.
Are you looking for a Chief People Officer, a Chief Human Resources Officer, or another board-level leader?
Or perhaps you’re looking for a niche or hard-to-fill role that’s crucial to your business’s success. At Hunter Adams, our retained search expertise goes beyond executive appointments; we regularly help clients secure specialist hires that are vital to their operations and culture. Recent placements have included:
You can rely on the breadth of our network and our ability to find the right person for even the most challenging roles.
Finding the right leader is about more than filling a vacancy. At this level, you’re making a decision that will shape business strategy, culture, and performance for years to come. That’s why our executive & retained search service is trusted by organisations of all sizes across the UK.
Unlike traditional recruitment agencies or contingency search firms, our retained model gives you certainty, focus, and access to the very best executive positions. By working in partnership, we deliver a search process that goes beyond CVs, ensuring a successful placement every time.
We work exclusively with our clients on a retainer fee basis, which means our consultants dedicate the time, insight, and discretion needed to secure highly qualified candidates. We identify and approach passive candidates with the right skill sets for your organisation from our network, so we’re not just presenting a list of job seekers.
We act as an extension of your team. Our retained executive search approach means we represent your brand with care, ensuring our clients and candidates feel supported and informed throughout.
With decades of experience, a proven search process, and a reputation for matching top talent to senior level roles, we’re the partner that boards and CEOs call when the stakes are high.
Eilidh has worked in Recruitment for over 20 years with FTSE100/Fortune500 recruitment businesses including as
Eilidh leads our retained search capabilities. Her track record includes UK and international assignments covering a breadth of roles from Senior Leaders to Non-Executive Trustees.
Retained search (sometimes called executive or ‘exec’ search) is different from traditional recruitment:
In short, retained search gives you certainty at the top end of the market – quality, not just CVs.
Every retained search follows a tried-and-tested four-stage process:
Our Executive & Retained Search service is used for critical hires across HR and the wider leadership team, including:
Whether it’s building your executive team, strengthening strategic leadership, or filling a single critical role, we connect you with leaders who can transform your business.
Boards and CEOs – Let’s talk about your next strategic leadership hire >
Retained search = exclusive partnership, upfront commitment, and guaranteed depth of work.
Contingency = multiple agencies competing, only paid on success. Retained is the right choice when precision, confidentiality, and seniority matter.
Yes — when hiring senior leaders, the cost of a mis-hire far outweighs the investment in retained executive search. You’re paying for depth, networks, and a higher level of certainty.
Costs vary, but retained recruitment saves time, reduces risk, and ensures you hire the right leader the first time, delivering long-term value. Extending the recruitment process, costs a lot, as does hiring the wrong fit for the job.
Absolutely. While we are known for our HR expertise and experience, we also run executive searches for finance, operations, commercial, and non-exec roles across sectors.
A Chief People Officer (sometimes called a Chief HR Officer or Chief Human Resources Officer) is a senior leader responsible for people management, culture, and workforce strategy at the C-Suite or Board level.
