A relationship based on trust

Exploring board and executive career opportunities together

We work with senior executives, and at various times in their career they may be a ‘candidate’ or a ‘client’. Many of our best relationships are with those that have been both.

If you have been proactively approached by Spectrum about a specific opportunity, you can be assured that we operate exclusively on a retained basis for our clients, and engage with potential candidates discretely and without any assumptions.

Conversely, if you are at a career inflection point and would like to send us your CV on a speculative basis, you are very welcome to do so. If you can be introduced, so much the better. Please be mindful though that we work in response to client mandates, so timing is everything.

Although it is the client that pays our invoices, we treat the candidate and the client just the same. At the end of every assignment, we ask each shortlist candidate to complete the same feedback assessment as we request clients to complete.

We respect the trust that candidates place in us to represent them.

How we collaborate with potential candidates

Our relationship with candidates is core to our business, and to the success of our clients. It is a relationship that we cherish.

Many of our candidates have gone on to become clients, and vice-versa, and the key to a mutually successful relationship is that we work together based on shared trust.

This means that we will communicate clearly, promptly, and confidentially with you. We will disclose fully, and sometimes this means we will ask you to enter a mutual NDA. We respect the time you invest in the process, and that the decision to take on a new role is one that will impact you and your family, and is therefore not to be taken lightly. Our objective is to ensure the optimum fit between client and candidate, and to deliver a sustainable outcome for both parties.

In return we ask for your commitment to the process, and for full disclosure. If we mutually agree that you should meet our client, both our reputations are at stake – our mutual trust and respect is therefore paramount.

Clearly, not every candidate can secure the role. At the very least, we hope your experience with us has been enjoyable, that you have gained valuable experience from it, and we will stay in touch for the remainder of your career.

Live Searches

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Chief Technology Officer

Spectrum’s retained client is a fast-growth eCommerce organisation in the homewares category. The CTO will be responsible for all technology in a business whose short-term annual revenue objective is £100 million. Suitable candidates will possess a track record of optimising technology with a rapidly scaling retail or eCommerce organisation.

Chief Operating Officer

Spectrum’s retained client is a fast-growth eCommerce organisation in the homewares category. The role of COO is newly-created, and will be responsible for all business operations activity in a business whose short-term annual revenue objective is £100 million. Suitable candidates will possess a track record of optimising operations with a rapidly scaling retail or eCommerce organisation.

Commercial Sales Director

Spectrum’s retained client is a fast-growth eCommerce organisation in the homewares category. The Commercial Sales Director will be responsible for all commercial sales activity to the trade market. Suitable candidates will possess a track record of leading sales into the trade marketplace from a homewares product business.

Company Introduction

Time Inc. UK appoints its first Chief Marketing Officer, as well as a Digital Commercial Director

Spectrum was retained by Time Inc. UK’s Chief Executive Officer to recruit the company’s first Chief Marketing Officer, as well as a Digital Commercial Director.

The Brief was to search for suitable executives who could add expertise to the leadership team with specific regard to eCommerce, but, importantly, to source those who could deliver this expertise as part of a broader skillset, and in a fully collaborative way that would deliver enhanced value across the company’s interdependent print, digital, data and advertising platforms.

Spectrum Guides

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The Spectrum Guide to writing your perfect executive CV

A well crafted CV is the best investment you can ever make. These are our top 12 tips for preparing your compelling executive CV.

Latest News

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VC Alternatives Needed

Published: 13 Dec 2019

It’s time for more alternatives to venture capital cash, argues the Omidyar Network’s Sarah Drinkwater — and for more startups focused on making positive contributions to the world.