Executive search, properly conducted, for UK boards and leadership teams.
Mon-Fri 8am-7pmUK-wide
UK executive search - 10 practices

Senior leadership worth keeping. Discreetly found.

Amaryllis Search & Selection places permanent senior leadership and C-suite hires for UK employers. One named partner, a written brief, a confidential search conducted with care.

  • Discreet, considered process
  • Six-month retention focus
  • Replacement guarantee
  • One direct partner
★★★★★

"They ran a confidential CFO search for us with the discretion the board insisted on. The shortlist arrived calibrated, considered, and credible."

A typical client saidUK PE-backed group chair
UK-wide
Coverage across England, Scotland, Wales, NI
10
Senior practices covered
Confidential
By default on every senior search
1:1
One partner per client, end to end
Practices we cover

The ten senior practices we run searches into.

Board, leadership and senior-functional hires for UK employers. Considered briefs, calibrated long-lists, six-month outcomes.

C-suite

CEO, CFO, COO, CMO, CHRO, CTO and other C-level appointments.

VP-level

VP and SVP appointments across commercial, operational and functional leadership.

Senior Director

Senior director and director-level appointments below VP and above Head-of.

Heads of

Heads of finance, marketing, HR, operations, sales, technology and product.

Specialist Functional Leaders

Functional leadership across legal, risk, compliance, transformation and corporate development.

Non-Executive Directors

NED appointments for boards, audit and remuneration committees, advisory roles.

Interim / Permanent Senior

Interim and permanent senior leadership for transformation, turnaround and PE-backed scale-ups.

Cross-Border Searches

UK-headquartered companies hiring senior leaders for international teams or expansion.

Diversity & Inclusion Search

Senior search with structured D&I-led long-listing and diverse candidate-pool development.

Confidential Replacements

Replacement-of-incumbent searches conducted with absolute discretion. Blind shortlists as standard.

Why boards stay with us

The fit matters more than the CV.

We brief properly, run discreet processes, and stand behind every appointment we recommend.

One named partner

The partner who takes your brief is the one who runs the long-list, runs the search, manages the offer and follows up post-start. No handoffs.

Considered timeline

Senior search is not a sprint. We typically deliver a calibrated long-list within two to three weeks, and a shortlist within four to six.

Replacement guarantee

Every permanent appointment carries a free replacement period. If a hire does not stick within the agreed window, we re-run the search at no charge.

Calibrated long-list

We bring a properly mapped long-list to your office before the shortlist call. You see the market, you see who we approached, you see who declined and why.

Confidential by default

For replacement-of-incumbent or pre-announce searches, we run blind shortlists and reveal client identity only at offer stage. NDAs available on request.

Built for retention

The brief, the long-list, the offer support and the post-appointment follow-ups, all built around appointments that stay.

How we work

From first call to first day, taken seriously.

A clear four-step search process. Discreet. Considered. Calibrated.

i.

The brief

A 60-90 minute briefing, often with the chair plus chief executive. We capture the role, the team, the must-haves, the success metric and the timeline.

ii.

Long-list

A properly mapped long-list of 20-40 candidates, calibrated to brief. You see the market in writing before any candidate is approached.

iii.

Shortlist

A vetted, ranked shortlist of 4-6 candidates with our written notes, motivation, salary expectations and reference summary.

iv.

Offer support

We coordinate the offer, manage counter-offer pressure, line up the start date and check in at day 30, 60 and 90.

How an Amaryllis search actually runs

Senior search is its own discipline. The brief matters. The long-list matters. The honesty matters. The success of an appointment is measured not at offer stage but six months in, when the new leader is still in seat, still moving the dial, still trusted by the board.

Calibrated long-list before any approach

We bring a fully mapped long-list to the office before any candidate is contacted. You see the market, you see who we approached, you see who declined and why. No CVs land out of the blue.

Discretion as default

Replacement-of-incumbent and pre-announce searches are run blind. We use generic position briefs in initial approaches, withhold client identity until shortlist stage, and brief candidates only at offer stage if you ask. NDAs available on request.

What we deliberately do not cover

Volume, junior or contract recruitment sits with sector specialists. Same is true for clinical healthcare and trades. We will tell you within one call if we are not the right partner for the brief.

Ready to take a senior brief off your desk?

Tell us the role, the urgency and the must-haves. We will be back same business day with a clear plan and a fee quote.

Submit a Brief