Financial Services Firm, Chief People Officer, Retained Search

Scope

To identify and appoint a CPO that could walk in with instant credibility with their educational pedigree and “been there, done that” experience. Most of their c-suite came from large well-established organizations that had progressive HR support. The HR function was very administrative and tactical which they have outsourced in the past but needed to bring it internally and build a COE. The role would report to the CEO. The client was looking for this role to put the nuts and bolts of HR into place, develop the current HR team, integrate both international and domestic operations, and create cohesion. Additionally, culture fit was a major priority for our client as the leadership team was looking for someone who was flexible, dynamic, and came from a fast-paced environment. More importantly, they needed someone that was strong enough to navigate, push back, and influence the leadership team. 

Solution

Once scope was established and timelines agreed, we agreed upon a retained search campaign. We jointly developed the responsibilities of the role, a go-to-market narrative and a search toolkit, including job descriptions, scorecards and a dashboard. We carefully mapped the market for individuals who fit the exact brief.

Eastward presented 2 shortlists, 6 candidates total, each matching core competencies and culture, with a different strength to bring to this highly visible role within the organization.