Leadership decisions that shape performance
At Douglas Jackson, we partner with CEOs, COOs and Boards to hire leaders who stay longer, deliver more and create lasting impact.
We combine cross-sector expertise, data-led search and behavioural science to help organisations make confident, business-critical leadership decisions.
Because at senior level, getting it wrong is expensive.
Our Impact 360 methodology ensures the right cultural and behavioural fit, reducing costly hiring mistakes and improving retention. With a proven track record in diversity, we help organisations secure leaders who stay longer and deliver measurable impact. Driving growth, efficiencies, scale, transformation and exit.
Hiring senior leaders isn’t straightforward
Making the right leadership appointment is rarely about finding candidates.
It’s about:
- Defining what success really looks like
- Aligning stakeholders
- Identifying individuals who can deliver in complex, real-world environments
- Retaining talented individuals who deliver independently and who work successfully with the wider ExCo and senior leadership team to land the right outcomes
Without this clarity, even experienced leaders can struggle to gain traction, and the cost of getting it wrong increases.
A structured, outcome-led approach
We approach every search from a blank page.
Rather than relying on existing networks alone, we combine:
Deep Sector Expertise
Structured Market Mapping
Behavioural Science
Clear Defined Focus
This ensures we identify and secure leaders based not just on experience, but on their ability to deliver.
Executive Search Impact 360 Process:
A dramatically higher chance of hiring the right leader first time
- 96% of Impact 360 placements are still succeeding beyond 12 months in role.
A hiring process that saves you time and removes operational disruption
- Your role is decision-making, not sifting, chasing or guessing.
Leaders who stay longer and deliver stronger outcomes
- Our process identifies not only who can do the role, but who will succeed in your environment.
Meaningful diversity built into every longlist and shortlist
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- 57% of all appointments since 2017 represent diverse hires.
Your goals become our goals.
Impact 360 ensures your next hire accelerates your success, not delays it.
Common questions about executive search
Making the right decision around executive search often starts with the right questions.
When should we use executive search rather than advertising a role?
Executive search is most effective where the role is business critical, the talent pool is limited, you do not have the internal resource or skill to identify, attract and or manage a pipeline of senior, or highly skilled talent, or previous approaches have not delivered the right outcome.
At a senior level, the strongest candidates are often not actively applying for roles, making traditional methods less effective.
Why do executive search processes fail to deliver the right outcome?
Search processes often fail due to unclear role definition, we often see a significant amount of time spent on the current issue and challenge, as opposed to the outcomes for the future, there is often misalignment at Executive and or Board level, or a focus on speed over quality.
In some cases, firms rely too heavily on existing networks, the same longlist is revisited multiple times, rather than conducting thorough market mapping and assessment with dedicated new talent engagement for each mandate.
How is your approach different from other search firms?
We combine cross-sector insight, structured methodologies and behavioural science to improve long-term success.
We start with outcomes, not CVs, ensuring alignment before engaging the market.
Whilst we have developed systems and methodologies that help improve our and our client outcomes, to attract the very best, takes time and a human personal touch.
We are continuously building our personal brand, alongside our network and alignment with industry bodies and communities to continue to attract the very best.
How do we justify the cost of executive search?
At senior level, the cost of getting a hire wrong can significantly outweigh the investment in a structured search process.
The value lies in securing the right leader first time.
What if we’re not ready to hire yet but know we have a capability gap?
Many organisations engage early to understand the market, benchmark roles and assess leadership capability before committing to a hire.
This helps reduce risk and improves decision-making.
Our experienced consultants are always happy to sense check the market with you and to share what we are seeing land well, or being utilised successfully across your market.
Recruitment Search and Selection That Partners Your Business with Diverse Impactful Talent
87% of executives said they were experiencing skill gaps in their workforce or expected them within a few years. But less than half of respondents had a clear sense of how to address the problem. (McKinsey)
We are proud to have partnered with many award winning, leading, and scaling organisations as they develop their operational, experience, digital, employee and data strategies. Delivering significant transformation, growth, scale, sale and exit values.
Placing C-Suite, NED's, Directors and key leadership appointments to improve customer, employee and product/service offerings, revolutionising how they do business, acquire and retain their customers. Providing a great place to work for their colleagues.
We help some of the world’s leading brands and blue-chip organisations, as well as start up, rapidly scaling PE/VC backed business to identify the key skills, experience and ultimately the ‘right fit’ for your business. Hear from our clients.
Where we operate
We support organisations across Permanent. Interim. Fractional and NED requirements:
Utilities | Housing Associations | Insurance | Banking & Financial Services | SaaS | Retail | Travel | BPO | Professional Services
Securing:
- C-suite and Executive leadership
- SVP and Director roles
- Critical subject matter experts
- Fractional. NED and Advisory appointments
Talent Mapping
Interview and Selection
Book a no obligation discovery call
A transparent, open, collaborative and committed partnership. We are with you at every stage of your recruitment process.
We were delighted to be able to appoint our new Executive (Chief Transformation Officer) at the end of the year and the impact of them joining has helped us to accelerate our transformation readiness and implementation plans. We highly value the partnership with Douglas Jackson and would happily work with them again should the need arise.