Executive Search for Organisations That Need to Get the Leadership Hire Right
A poor leadership hire affects team confidence, disrupts client relationships, and is harder to reverse than organisations anticipate. PERSOL combines genuine sector expertise, a structured search methodology, and a candidate network built over decades to identify leaders who are the right fit — not just the most available.
Asia-Pacific’s executive talent market is distinctive. The region attracts internationally mobile senior professionals alongside deep local expertise, and the right hire often means navigating both candidate pools — knowing which profile fits a given role, and how to approach each type of candidate effectively.
Our executive search consultants invest significant time at the briefing stage before any candidate activity begins. We apply a structured needs analysis, then run a search tailored to your market and the specific dynamics of your industry. The result is a focused shortlist of candidates who have been genuinely assessed, not simply approached because they appeared available.
Our Integrated Five-Stage Search Model
We begin with the business, not the vacancy.
Business Needs Analysis
What is driving the hire? What has changed in the organisation that makes this role critical now? What leadership style and cultural orientation does this environment require? The depth of this conversation shapes everything that follows.
Search Strategy Review
We define the search scope, the candidate profile, and the approach — including whether the right hire is likely to be found locally, regionally, or through both. The candidate universe is often broader than it first appears.
Candidate Evaluation
We assess candidates against the technical requirements of the role and the leadership, cultural, and interpersonal dimensions that determine long-term success.
Search Confirmation
Every shortlisted candidate is vetted, briefed, and documented before presentation. You receive a detailed profile covering career narrative, assessment observations, and our specific rationale for inclusion.
Engagement and Onboarding
We support the full interview process, manage offer negotiation, and stay close through acceptance and the notice period. The search is not complete until the hire has joined and settled.
Industry-Specialised Search
Senior leadership searches conducted by sector specialists, not generalists.
Banking, Insurance & Financial Services
C-suite and senior leadership for banks, insurers, and financial institutions across the region.
Corporate Services, Consumer & Retail
Managing directors, country heads, and functional leaders for consumer and corporate businesses.
Industrials & Engineering
Operations, plant, and engineering leadership for industrial and manufacturing organisations.
Events, Hospitality & Tourism
Senior commercial and operational leadership for events, hospitality, and experience businesses.
Healthcare & Life Sciences
Executive leadership for healthcare providers, pharmaceutical, and life-science companies.
Digital & Technology
CTOs, CIOs, and digital transformation leaders for technology-driven organisations.
What Sets PERSOL Apart
-
Understanding of Asia-Pacific’s three senior talent pools — local professionals, regionally experienced candidates, and internationally mobile executives
-
A Japan Desk with senior-level sourcing capability for Japanese-speaking leadership roles
-
Regional reach through 80+ offices in 13 markets, coordinated as a single search engagement
-
Confidential searches managed with complete discretion as standard practice
Executive Search FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Executive search is a proactive, research-led process designed for senior and leadership roles. Unlike contingency recruitment, it involves direct market mapping, targeted headhunting of passive candidates, and structured competency-based assessment of a focused shortlist. At the senior level, the right candidate is rarely actively looking, making a proactive approach essential.
Most searches reach a confirmed shortlist within four to six weeks, depending on the seniority and sector specificity of the role. Total time from brief to accepted offer typically ranges from eight to fourteen weeks. We give a realistic timeline at briefing and flag risks proactively throughout.
Yes. Managing confidential searches is standard practice for our executive search team. We approach candidates discreetly, position opportunities without revealing the client’s identity at the early stage, and manage all communications in a way that protects all parties throughout.
Yes. For clients seeking leaders with broader APAC experience, our network across 80+ offices in 13 markets gives us access to senior talent regionally. Your search team coordinates cross-border activity through a single engagement.
Yes. For Japanese companies seeking senior management with Japanese language capability, or leadership roles requiring Japanese corporate culture experience, our Japan Desk provides specific sourcing and assessment capability at the senior level.
We conduct senior leadership searches across banking, insurance and financial services, digital technology and industrials, corporate services and consumer, healthcare and life sciences, hospitality and tourism, and events and promotions.
Let’s Talk About Your Leadership Search
Whether you are planning a leadership transition, filling a critical senior role, or navigating a sensitive replacement search, every conversation is treated with complete discretion.
