Recruiter for top northerners going great guns

MANCHESTER headhunter HW is eyeing up new acquisition opportunities as the firm celebrates its 10th anniversary.

Adrian Hitchenor and John Wakeford launched the executive search and interim consultancy in 2006 after spotting a gap in the market for a northern-based headhunter specialising in boardroom level appointments for the financial services, consumer and business services sectors.

They were soon joined by partner Spencer Jinks, who heads up its consumer practice.

Also on the board are group corporate development director Alex Raubitschek, who leads on M&A activity and manages the executive interim business, industry practice lead Jack Jenkins, and chairman Paul Spetch.

In the past decade HW has completed more than 1,000 executive searches and placed over 100 interim executives on behalf of numerous international businesses, working across Europe, North and Latin America, South Africa and Asia Pacific.

The consultancy’s ever growing client portfolio boasts some of the biggest names in the UK high street including food and non-food retailers, banks and building societies, as well as global consumer brands.

It also counts an international online retailer, low cost airline, price comparison website, telecommunications provider, pharmaceuticals giant and a multinational security services company among its FTSE 250 clients.

All 25 members of the HW team, including consultants, researchers and support staff, have just returned from a weekend at a Scottish spa and golf resort, where they celebrated the landmark.

Chief exeuctive John Wakeford said he had seen many changes in the headhunting world over the past decade: “We are operating in a much different market to the one we entered ten years ago.

“The global banking crisis has transformed the expectations of the boardroom, with an increasing focus on corporate governance amid additional compliance and regulation, whilst the relentless pace of technology has revolutionised consumer shopping habits and introduced new cyber security threats.

“There is a demand for greater diversity in the boardroom to reflect both the customer base and new specialisms such as CIOs/CTOs overseeing information technology.

“Above all, if anything, there is an even greater need today for boards to ensure they hire the right people – with both the cultural fit and skills set for their business.”