South West & Wales

Executive search Bristol at Temple Quay

The South West is a large region. Its economy is dispersed, and an appointment in Cornwall draws on a very different candidate pool from one in South Wales or the Bristol city-region, so each executive search Bristol brief begins by mapping the market that applies to that role. We approach high-performing leaders directly and in confidence, and before we introduce anyone we assess them against the requirements of the role and the culture of the organisation.

Bristol Temple Quarter and the West of England economy

Bristol Temple Quarter is a regeneration programme around Temple Meads station, led by a public sector partnership of Bristol City Council, Homes England, the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority and Network Rail. With £95 million of government support, it aims to deliver 10,000 homes and employment for 22,000 people across 135 hectares, and its Northern Gateway includes Temple Quay, where our office is based.

Regeneration on this scale requires experienced leadership in development, infrastructure and investment, from development directors and programme leads to the chief executives of delivery bodies. Our Real Estate practice appoints these leaders for developers, investors and public sector partners.

The West of England Mayoral Combined Authority covers Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire. Clients in Bath and the wider city-region are served from this office, as are organisations further south and west in Exeter, Plymouth and the rest of Devon, and across the Severn in Cardiff and South Wales. To the north, the office covers Gloucestershire, including Cheltenham and Gloucester, and to the east it reaches Swindon and Wiltshire, where two of the case studies below are based.

Appointments in Wiltshire and Cornwall

Our published case studies show the range of appointments in the region, and how frequently location affects the brief.

For Arlington Water Services, a family-owned provider of emergency clean water services with its headquarters in Wiltshire, we appointed a Head of Business Development to support a national growth plan. The brief asked for water sector experience, commercial leadership and project delivery oversight, and a candidate based within commuting distance of the headquarters. We mapped the market and its competitors, then headhunted across the water and facilities management sectors. The appointee lives 30 minutes away. Utilities clients across the region are supported by our Utilities practice.

In Cornwall, we appointed a Chief Operating Officer for Kimberley Park, an independent dental practice that had moved from mainly NHS work to private cosmetic and general dentistry. The role combined commercial growth experience with CQC regulatory knowledge, and commuting distance was given weight so that the appointee could be visible and hands-on in the practice.

In Wiltshire, Inn Gear, a family-owned manufacturer of bespoke joinery for the hospitality sector, appointed an Associate Director through us. The successful candidate brought joinery manufacturing experience and had improved operational efficiency at another family business.

Health, utilities and the public sector across the South West and Wales

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust and North Bristol NHS Trust now work together as Bristol NHS Group, led by a Group Chief Executive and a single executive team. Executives in a group structure may hold responsibilities across more than one organisation, which affects both the profile of the candidate and the way that candidate is assessed. Our Healthcare practice appoints leaders for NHS organisations, independent providers and investor-backed healthcare groups across the region.

The Bristol office also handles executive recruitment in Bristol and the South West for water and energy businesses, aerospace and advanced engineering, local authorities, housing providers and the public sector in Wales. Wales has its own government and public bodies. Leaders appointed there are expected to understand Welsh policy and governance, and some roles call for Welsh language skills. Typical appointments include chief executives and managing directors, finance and operations directors, commercial and business development leaders, and chairs and non-executive directors.

Working with headhunters in Bristol

As headhunters in Bristol with a regional and national reach, we run our assignments as retained, research-led searches. Among the executive search firms in Bristol, Stone Executive combines a local office with the networks of a UK-wide practice, so a South West search can extend to candidates elsewhere in the country who have a genuine reason to relocate. From briefing to offer acceptance, a search usually takes between four and eight weeks.

FAQs

Clients considering executive search in Bristol, the South West or Wales can reach the team on 0117 345 9872.