What I Learned From A Recent Search For A Founder

When Senior Talent Hesitates, Pay Attention.

fter two decades in executive search, one truth still holds: no two assignments behave the same way — especially when the market doesn’t respond as expected.

Recently, we partnered with a fast-growing, founder-led brand to identify a senior leader who could operate as the founder’s right hand: trusted advisor, operator and thought partner. On paper, it was a compelling brief. The kind of role experienced executives usually lean into.

But the response told a different story.

The market didn’t engage — not at the depth anticipated, and not at the level the founder had hoped for. And that hesitation became the most valuable input of the entire process.

The Brief Beneath the Brief

Our initial shortlist was strong: senior leaders from admired brands, with credible track records and relevant experience. Yet even at that stage, something wasn’t quite landing.

In founder-led environments, this is rarely about capability alone.

What matters most is the relational dynamic: trust, communication style, decision-making rhythm and shared ways of thinking. Experience is essential — but it is only the entry point.

What the market resistance revealed was something more fundamental. Candidates could not yet see the opportunity in the same way the founder did. Structurally and strategically, the role was not ready for the calibre of leader being sought.

The market wasn’t rejecting the brand.
It was signalling a mismatch between ambition, readiness and reality.

When Search Becomes Discovery

The process took time. We reshaped the shortlist more than once. A preferred finalist stepped away. Months passed.

But with every hesitation and every decline, the picture sharpened.

The focus shifted from what this leader must have done before to who this founder could genuinely partner with now — and what the market would realistically move for at this stage of the business.

That change in perspective altered the outcome entirely.

What the Market Ultimately Made Possible

The breakthrough did not come in the form of a traditional permanent hire.

The strongest solution was a senior consultant — a leader not open to a full-time role, but able to bring immediate strategic clarity, cultural alignment and ease of collaboration. To the founder’s credit, they chose to respond to what the market was showing them rather than push against it.

Today, that consultant is engaged on a 12-month strategic mandate: shaping the roadmap, strengthening the leadership team and creating the conditions for a future permanent role that will genuinely attract the right person.

Sometimes the right outcome only appears when you stop forcing the one you originally imagined.

What This Means for Leaders on Both Sides of the Table

This experience reinforces a few realities increasingly relevant across fashion and luxury:

When the market hesitates, it is usually pointing to timing, structure or scope — not brand weakness.
Founder No.2 roles demand depth beyond skills; chemistry, trust and alignment are decisive.
Speed and founder-fit rarely coexist — this is a relationship hire, not a functional one.
And alternative leadership models are not compromises. Interim, fractional or consultancy structures can unlock exceptional talent when permanent roles are not yet fully formed.

For executives, this is often where the most meaningful work sits — high-impact, well-defined, and aligned with how leadership is evolving.

For organisations, it requires the confidence to adapt to what the market is communicating.

True executive search is not about pushing talent into predefined boxes. It is about interpreting market feedback clearly — and helping leaders adjust course so the right solution can emerge at the right time.