Securing a Principal Consultant to drive growth in a global search firm

This long-term relationship has been built on trust, delivery, and a deep understanding of the business’s culture and commercial goals. Most recently, FIFTEEN WEST was retained to lead a key hire in London, a Principal-level consultant tasked with driving revenue growth and enhancing delivery capability within a core market vertical. 

The Challenge

This was not just another search, it was a strategic growth hire. The firm was looking for a senior individual with a proven track record in executive search, someone capable of handling retained mandates, influencing client strategy, and contributing to team development. Cultural alignment with the leadership team was critical, as was speed of delivery in a competitive market. 

The Solution

Given the long-standing partnership and mutual trust, FIFTEEN WEST was engaged on a retained basis and prioritised the search above all contingent work. Led by Peter Bryant, who had a direct relationship with firm's senior leadership team, the process was focused, informed, and collaborative. 

Key elements of the solution included: 

• A highly targeted, insight-led search across a defined shortlist of culturally aligned, high-performing candidates 
• Weekly update meetings to maintain pace and strategic alignment 
• Market benchmarking and positioning advice to ensure the role was competitive and compelling 

FIFTEEN WEST’s knowledge of both the client and the candidate market enabled them to identify and engage a high-potential candidate who was not actively looking but had clear motivations to move. She remained engaged throughout and was successfully placed within weeks, exceeding expectations on both quality and delivery time. 

The successful hire has strengthened firm’s London team and contributed to a new phase of growth. The trust built during this process has led to further collaboration, including a multi-hire retained project in the US, where FIFTEEN WEST secured a number of key hires for the Houston office. 

Testimonial