Service

We have significant influence in the background for our clients given our close relationships with almost all the most senior board headhunters through the NEDC consultancy and The 350 Club, which has worked extensively with this group, posting their non-executive vacancies, hosting events and providing a private database to leading firms' board practices.

We often directly recommend clients to this board headhunting group for specific roles. Given the unusual strength of our Partners’ non-executive search and consultancy experience, we can also be effective at making connections (allowing for the usual demands of capacity and relevance).

We can be particularly useful to serving executives, who are often time poor and with reduced bandwidth, as we put structure, strategy, momentum and support around the launch and search process, to help ensure that NED goals are addressed in a timely manner and the outreach process is actually achieved.

Working Structure

We conduct a group of launch workflows as follows, in discussion with corporate clients and self-funding individuals. These take the form of an intensive one to two hour virtual or face to face meeting, underpinned by NEDC work offline.

1 – Board CV

We review the career in depth to create a Board CV as strong as possible for the direction of travel, highlighting the skillsets and experience most useful and relevant.

While experience clearly cannot be changed, much can be done in terms of presentation, including on occasion thinking about role titles, drawing out the core of the experience and career narrative clearly, prioritising and extending the relevant and most interesting experience.

Clients may forget or deemphasise powerful pieces of their experience, and existing CVs can come across as tailored to the executive space, fail to give important information, fail to conform to best practice, or to have the impact the content would make if presented differently.

We email the CV back and forth to each client until it is ready. NEDC does the heavy lifting during this phase.

2 – Strategy Planning

Based on the first piece of work, a session to clarify the non-executive options which would appeal and be relevant, based on the skillsets and experience, where they would meet the market and needs and preferences more broadly, taking into account factors such as capacity, conflicts, the existing day job, group view, location, remuneration and travel. We aim to broaden as far as possible the non-executive options under consideration.

We create a detailed strategy note to guide us, the client and where relevant group going forward in terms of CV, marketing and presentation. We often draw clients’ attention to roles in the market as well as advising them on choices and processes.

3 – Marketing

We work together to review potential referees where advisable. These may include main board members We then create a marketing plan which combines the search firms the client is already known to and the others it would be helpful to get to know, and those in those firms who are right for their agenda. We make a variety of introductions where helpful.

This work culminates in a mailout to identified headhunters, undertaken by the NEDC Partner or the client themselves, or one of their senior champions, as they prefer.

4 – Digital Profile

We update the digital profile, including the vital LinkedIn, Wikipedia if relevant, our Board Directory and the important BoardEx, which is continuously used and sourced by headhunters, and create / adjust / correct as necessary, bearing in mind keywords.

5 & 6 – Career Narrative

Two sessions to talk through the classic questions headhunters, chairs and board members often ask, the concerns they may have, the best way for the client to position themselves, tone, career narrative, impression, and the dynamics of these groups and of a non-executive.

This is a crucial part of the work. Headhunters form views rapidly and promulgate them to the firm, and they tend to be noted on databases. This can have a significant effect on progress and usually proves transformational and an important investment over time.

7 – Board Role Analysis

We undertake bespoke analysis of upcoming relevant board roles, with strategic introductions where appropriate. We use tools which identify tenure, sector, company scale and board role to identify the most likely possibilities for the client.

8 - Networking

We create a formal networking plan, based on the client's current and/or former colleagues now in the board space, and other senior board contacts, ranked in priority order, with a timeline and strategy for approaching them.

Post mailout catch-ups

Catch-ups to support and talk through progress and opportunities as they arise. These can be diarised and structured if the client wishes to add on formal market support.

Market Support

Post launch we can provide ongoing support for clients in the form of:

· Advice on managing referencing, multiple interview processes, headhunter management.
· Advising on relevant NED roles in the market.
· Helping with role due diligence, calling on our network for information, such as board culture, where possible.
· Updating CVs subsequent to the initial creation of the board CV.

The majority of this support is provided informally without further charge. We can offer market support on a formal basis for three, six or 12 months for an additional fee. This include structured catch ups as the client moves into the market.

Case Studies

Technology CEO

Full programme of support including connections to FTSE 100 Chairs.

FTSE 100 General Counsel

Three sessions focusing on strategy, marketing, career narrative and style. Shortly thereafter appointed to a FTSE 250 board.

Retiring Big 4 Partner

Full programme of support. Appointed to Small cap board as Committee Chair.

FTSE 250 Chair

One session covering interview preparation and related support for an upcoming Chair mandate.

Former Senior Investment Banker

We advised a client on assessing a FTSE 100 board role where there had been turbulence in the business previously. After some due diligence, discussion and reassurance, they were ultimately appointed as a Non-executive Director and the share price recovered substantially in the following year.

Group Coaching Session for four FTSE 100 ExCo members

Mandated by the Group CHRO, we created and delivered a bespoke NED training programme for a group of four FTSE 100 ExCo members. Through several virtual and in person sessions, attendees received insight and advice to help accelerate their board readiness and search for a NED role to run alongside their executive role.

Investment and PE executive

Full programme of support.

C-suite executive

Board CV, strategy and networking plan support.

FTSE 250 NED

Strategy, headhunter marketing refresh and shortlist interview preparation for a FTSE Small cap board position.

FTSE 100 ExCo Member

A 12 month market support programme including monthly face to face sessions and regular advice on building a portfolio: introductions, mandate selection and search process preparation.