A confidential Head of Compliance search
A regulated business needed a discreet, senior appointment without alerting the market or the incumbent.
A mid-cap financial services firm regulated by the FCA and PRA needed to replace its Head of Compliance following a regulatory review that exposed material gaps in oversight. The appointment had to be made with absolute discretion — the incumbent was still in post, the regulator was watching, and any market signal could trigger analyst scrutiny.
What the client was up against
The search carried a unique set of constraints. The incumbent was still in role and unaware of the planned transition. The regulator had flagged concerns and was monitoring the firm’s response. Any external signal — a job listing, a recruiter brief, even an informal market conversation — could have triggered analyst concern, share-price impact, or accelerated regulatory action. The board required candidates with direct FCA and PRA experience from firms of comparable or greater complexity, and the entire process needed to be contained within a tight timeline.
How Audentia solved it
Audentia ran a fully discreet search under NDA, approaching 64 potential candidates through warm, indirect channels over eight weeks. No job was posted and no brief was circulated externally. Each candidate was pre-qualified against eight criteria agreed with the board, including regulatory standing, cultural fit, leadership style, and willingness to relocate. We delivered a longlist of 12 and a final shortlist of four, each accompanied by a detailed candidate dossier covering career trajectory, regulatory track record, and a confidential reference summary.
Results that lasted
The preferred candidate accepted within three weeks of final interview. The transition was managed without any market disruption, and the appointment was publicly announced on the firm’s own timeline. The regulator acknowledged the strength of the appointment during a subsequent review meeting. Total project cost was approximately 40% below what retained executive search firms had quoted for the same mandate.
Candidates approached discreetly
Search to shortlist delivery
Below retained search cost
Market leaks during the search
Not a single leak. In our sector, that alone was worth the engagement. The quality of the shortlist was exceptional.
Tell us the problem. We’ll tell you exactly how we’d solve it.
A thirty-minute conversation is usually enough to scope the right approach and quote a transparent project fee.