Professional conduct in senior mandates
How we protect trust
Executive search at senior level depends on discretion, independence and judgement.
We work with confidential information, sensitive leadership situations and people whose careers and companies can be affected by how the process is handled.
This Code of Conduct defines how we protect clients, candidates and the integrity of every mandate.
Confidentiality first
Information is handled with care
Confidentiality is not a formality. It is part of the work.
Client information is not reused, repurposed or circulated. Candidate information is shared only with consent and only where there is a relevant mandate.
We do not use confidential information from one situation to create advantage in another.
Short principles
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Client context stays protected.
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Candidate data is not circulated without consent.
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Sensitive mandates are handled on a need-to-know basis.
Independence and conflicts
We do not work where judgement is compromised
We avoid mandates where conflicts of interest cannot be clearly managed.
If a relationship, prior engagement or market situation could affect independence, it must be disclosed and addressed before the mandate starts.
Where independence cannot be protected, we do not proceed.
Short principles
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No hidden competing interests.
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No unclear decision authority.
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No mandate where trust cannot be protected.
Candidate respect
Senior leaders are approached directly and discreetly
Senior leaders are not handled as names in a database.
Senior leaders are approached with context, discretion and respect. We do not circulate profiles without discussion or reuse candidate information for unrelated mandates.
Every conversation is handled with care because leadership moves carry personal and professional consequences.
Law and professional conduct
Compliance is the minimum
We operate in line with applicable law, data protection requirements and professional standards.
But compliance alone is not enough. In senior mandates, judgement matters — who is approached, what is shared, how confidentiality is protected and when a mandate should not proceed.
We do not engage in practices that create unfair advantage, misrepresentation or avoidable reputational risk.
Fairness and dignity
We assess leaders on capability, conduct and fit
We assess leaders based on capability, behaviour, judgement, track record and relevance to the mandate.
We do not discriminate. We treat all candidates with dignity and professional respect.
Inclusion is not treated as a slogan. It is part of fair and disciplined assessment.
Short principles
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Capability before assumptions.
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Conduct matters.
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Respect is non-negotiable.
When we step back
We decline mandates when trust cannot be protected
We may decline or stop a mandate when:
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decision authority is unclear
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confidentiality cannot be protected
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the mandate is designed to create pressure rather than a real decision
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stakeholders are not aligned enough to proceed
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the process would expose clients or candidates to avoidable reputational risk
This is part of protecting the work.
Trust is built in how the mandate is handled
We work on retained CEO, Board and C-level mandates where
discretion, judgement and accountability matter.
Confidential. Retained. Partner-led.