We find the best person to take your mission forward.
We find the best person to take your mission forward.
Finding the right person to take on a leadership position at a charity or social impact organisation is hard. Carnelian Search is a small, focused and mission-driven team dedicated to getting this important job right.
We focus on the appointment of board members, CEOs and their direct reports.
We take on only a handful of projects at a time, so we can give you the deeply personalised search process that is right for you. Our work is about people, not just processes. So we treat each client and every project individually. We take the time to properly understand your team, to ensure we find someone with just the right skills and experience to meet your needs.
If you have never used an executive search company before, we know just how to support you through our tried and tested method. And even if you’ve done this dozens of times, you’ll find Carnelian Search’s bespoke and thorough approach helps us fill even the most challenging position.
In Spring 2022, Keychange approached Carnelian to support them in securing a new Chief Executive. Maddy Thomson, Chair of Trustees, described the process:
Having appointed an interim leader, we engaged Carnelian to help us find a new permanent Chief Executive to steer Keychange through a challenging time in our sector and on towards a new future. Throughout the process, we were kept informed of progress and in due course were presented with a varied longlist including candidates with a breadth of strengths and experiences. After a competitive series of interviews, the trustees were united in our choice of a preferred candidate. Carnelian remained on hand to support us through final discussions and communication with candidates, in due course securing our new Chief Executive who is now several months into the role. Carnelian were sensitive in understanding what it means for Keychange to be a Christian charity, assessing with precision both the character and skill we required in potential candidates. We would confidently work with them again.Find out more
Our approach is tailored to the most senior and challenging appointments. We particularly enjoy developing strong partnerships with clients, listening well, conducting deep research, digging out the very best candidates, and crafting a bespoke approach to each search. We don't apply a one-size-fits-all formula.
This is what you can expect when partnering with us for your next executive search:
Excellent executive search requires deep thought, a rigorous attention to detail and painstaking research. We normally spend considerably longer on the research phase than most search firms in the sector. This is the best way to make sure no stone is unturned and is the best model for the most senior and challenging appointments.
Each search is led by a consultant who personally gives it dedicated and detailed attention. We deliberately take on only a small number of searches at a time.
We only take on projects for charities and other mission-focused organisations, which means we have a focus and expertise in your field. We understand what is unique about recruitment in this sector and where to look to find the best people.
People are not cogs in a machine and search cannot be a box-ticking process. Each search requires wisdom, discernment, relational sensitivity and creativity. Although good process is important, we love to be imaginative and go beyond the obvious solutions when conducting any search. We are not interested in a formulaic approach or easy-to-fill roles.
We only work with organisations when we believe deeply in what they do. You are not simply a client to us, but someone we are excited to partner with because we share your passion to make a difference. Fundamentally, we are mission-driven.
The way we work is different, because it is built on different values. Here’s what is important to us:
We aim for a highly-relational approach. We spend plenty of time with clients and candidates to get to know you well, so we can work together to make the best appointment. Good process is important, but candidates and clients are people, which makes executive search primarily about relationship.
Excellent search requires imagination and commitment. Our team is full of smart and dedicated people who believe in thorough, careful research. We get results because we put in the painstaking hours on each project.
Executive search is not about outsourcing but collaboration. We want to become partners with you, working as one team all pulling towards the same goal.
Good leaders don’t only have the right skills, but also the right heart. We look for character as well as competence in every search. And we hold ourselves to that same high standard to ensure we earn your trust too.
We have had the privilege of working with a wide variety of organisations with a social or charitable cause, partnering with them in the appointment of outstanding leaders to drive their organisations forwards.
Click on the links to read some of our reflections on our work.
Keychange occupies a unique place in the care landscape as well as the world of Christian charities. Through eleven sites and over 300 staff, the charity provides quality care and accommodation across the length and breadth of the country to the ageing and the young.
Open the Bible is a US-based ministry which produces a range of resources in different formats helping people to engage with the arc of scripture. After encouraging initial contact with a UK market, a new leader was required to launch the ministry in the UK with initial support from a team in the US.
We have much more on how Carnelian Search was able to help charities like yours.
Read the insights