Hiring A Permanent Head of Compliance for a Global Asset Manager

Opportunity

This was an interesting assignment as the skill set that the client was seeking was very specific and niche in the asset management sector spanning UK, EU and US regulatory environments. The combination of regulatory knowledge, skills and experience were in short supply and the Head of Compliance role needed a person with strong managerial capabilities to get a struggling department back on track. The regulator needed reassuring that issues that had been raised were being dealt with, and upward management of the leadership team was required to ensure that the business understood what needed to be done, its importance and the resources needed to achieve regulatory compliance.

Approach

Sometimes, the more specific and tightly the person specification is for a role, the less time it takes to identify the candidates needed, creating the paradox of a potentially arduous needle in a haystack search instead becoming a highly time efficient precise selection process. This only happens if the consultant conducting the search has strong market knowledge, in depth relationships and a sound understanding of the needs of the role. Drawing upon his detailed knowledge of the asset management market and appreciation of the skills, experience and managerial capabilities the role needed (combined with a good reputation with the regulator), gave Barclay Simpson’s consultant a very clear understanding of what was needed. He was able to identify very quickly who to approach.

Outcome

6 potential candidates were identified and approached about the Head of Compliance role. This yielded a shortlist of 3 candidates who wished to engage with the recruitment process within a week of receiving the instruction. The subsequent interviews generated a preferred candidate within 2 weeks and offer was extended and accepted within 1 month. All parties agreed that the world would be a better place if recruitment was always that easy…