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Retained Executive Search

Logistics & Supply Chain Executive Search

Retained, research-led search for the leaders who shape logistics businesses — discreet approaches, rigorous shortlists and permanent appointments at director level and above.

Executive Search

Leadership appointments, handled properly

The best logistics leaders are rarely on the market. They're running operations, delivering results and not reading job boards — which is why senior appointments demand a retained, research-led search rather than an advert and a wait.

Our search process starts with the market, not a database. We map the businesses and leaders relevant to your brief, build a researched longlist, and make discreet, direct approaches to the passive candidates who would never respond to an advert. From there, a structured longlist-to-shortlist process — with in-depth interviews and referencing — gives you a small field of genuinely appointable leaders, every one of them a permanent hire.

Confidentiality runs through everything. Whether it's sensitive succession, a confidential replacement or a role the market shouldn't see yet, we control exactly who knows what at every step. This page covers roles at director level and above; for logistics and operations leadership below director, see our operations management recruitment and logistics manager recruitment services.

Roles we recruit

Typical positions we recruit

Permanent leadership appointments at director level and above.

What we fix

Hiring challenges we solve

Research-led longlists

We map the market before we approach anyone — so your shortlist is built from the strongest leaders in the sector, not whoever happened to apply.

Discreet by design

Succession, restructures and confidential replacements stay confidential. Approaches are made without naming you until mutual interest is real.

Leaders who deliver

Every candidate is assessed against your commercial brief — track record, culture and ambition — so the leader you appoint performs and stays.

Why employers choose us

Benefits to employers

A retained search partner who treats a leadership hire like the board-level decision it is.

  • Retained, exclusive engagement — one accountable consultant
  • Full market mapping before a single approach is made
  • Discreet direct approaches to passive, high-performing leaders
  • Structured longlist → shortlist process with in-depth referencing
  • Confidential handling of sensitive succession and replacements
  • Permanent appointments only — leaders hired to build, not bridge
Good to know

Frequently asked questions

How does retained executive search differ from contingent recruitment?

Retained search is a committed, research-led engagement. Rather than racing to send CVs from an existing database, we map the market, approach passive leaders discreetly and work a structured longlist-to-shortlist process until the appointment is made. You get depth, confidentiality and a consultant accountable for the outcome — not a stream of speculative CVs.

What level of roles does your executive search cover?

Director level and above — managing directors, operations directors, supply chain directors, logistics and transport directors, procurement and commercial directors, and senior site or regional leadership. For logistics and operations management roles below director level, our operations management and logistics manager recruitment services are the better fit.

How do you keep a leadership search confidential?

Sensitive briefs — succession planning, a confidential replacement or a new role the market shouldn't see yet — are handled on a strict need-to-know basis. We approach candidates without naming the client until mutual interest is established, use anonymised briefing documents, and agree with you exactly who is contacted, when and how at every stage of the search.

Planning a leadership succession?

The right leader changes everything

Tell us the brief in confidence. We'll map the market, approach the leaders you can't reach and deliver a shortlist worth choosing from.

By location

Logistics executive search across the UK

We run retained leadership searches across every UK region — explore logistics recruitment in yours.

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