CASE STUDY

Appointing a European Advisory Board

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Situation

One of the largest sovereign wealth funds in the world was looking to establish a European Advisory Board, comprising top business leaders who would provide insights and a network into different sectors and geographies.

Approach

The scale of this organisation and the role they wanted the Advisory Board to play dictated the candidate profile:

  • Well-known, highly respected figures who were no longer in executive roles;

  • Candidates who brought a strong track record and reputation across multiple geographies with an emphasis on the UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Scandinavia;

  • Sectors of particular interest included: industrial, financial services, consumer / luxury goods and TMT.

The search comprised well-known figures across Europe and required sensitivity around the position of our client and the subsequent conversations to ensure that there was no embarrassment on either side.

Impact

The client appointed six candidates in 2015 and a further three in 2018:

  • French national who Chairs a major UK consumer organisation

  • British national who Chairs a leading international industrial business

  • German national who Chairs one of the largest private German industrial businesses

  • German national who Chairs a leading financial institution

  • Italian national who Chairs a leading Italian financial company with a background in luxury goods

  • Scandinavian national who Chairs both a major industrial German and a Scandinavian business with a background in TMT

  • German national, based in Switzerland, who Chairs one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical businesses