Building a US Financial Services Consulting Practice

 

Situation:

River entered a Partnership with the Global Head of FS to build out capabilities in New York and Charlotte across Banking, Wealth and Asset Management and Climate Risk. 

Outcome:

2 Partner placements – New York and Charlotte. 

River was able to assimilate a complex set of briefs, manage a broad and diverse global stakeholder community, and ultimately deliver mapping, market insights and well qualified candidate shortlists across both New York and Charlotte markets; meeting all quality expectations ahead of schedule. The longlist contained approx. 60%/40% male/female spilt, as we strove to identify a diverse talent pool.

Written by:

Alexandra Baskerville

Partner

Alexandra runs our North American business and leads the global Strategy & Transformation Team at River Partnership.  She works with a blend of Professional Services firms, Corporates and Private Equity on their most strategic leadership positions.  Known for her hands on approach, consultative style and passion for diversity and inclusion, Alex is an expert in climate/ESG, digital, design, restructuring and performance improvement.

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Delivering Growth across the MENA region for a Global Strategy Consultancy

 

Situation

River was commissioned a global Management Consultancy, to hire a Public Sector Partner in Dubai. The firm had been previously using a SHREK recruitment firm who had been unsuccessful. Having been unable to appoint a single Partner in three years, River were brought in to accelerate the process and collaborate with senior executives to execute the mandate.

Within 18 months, River hired 3 Public Sector Partners and built a new Private Capital practice, which included 1 Partner, 1 Principal, 1 Engagement Manager, and 2 Associates. 

Through his recruitment, our client initiated talks with a competitor in the MENA region which resulted in the acquisition of the firm and approximately 100 Partners and Associates.

 

Outcome

River mapped the MENA region and delivered on a specific mandate for the client. Beyond this, River played a critical advisory role, providing specialist support and knowledge on the region, market intelligence, as well as compensation and corporate structures to enable the acquisition and growth of our client. 

River has since become a trusted partner, and we are retained on all Partner searches worldwide. 

 

Client satisfaction

“River are the most successful recruitment partner we have ever used in the Middle East” – Managing Partner, Head of India, Middle East & Africa.

Written by:

Alexandra Baskerville

Partner

Alexandra runs our North American business and leads the global Strategy & Transformation Team at River Partnership.  She works with a blend of Professional Services firms, Corporates and Private Equity on their most strategic leadership positions.  Known for her hands on approach, consultative style and passion for diversity and inclusion, Alex is an expert in climate/ESG, digital, design, restructuring and performance improvement.

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Building a North American Consulting Practice

 

Challenge
The North American Consumer Leader of a $1.6bn global consultancy engaged River to recruit senior strategy and transformation leaders within the Food & Beverage sector.

The initial mandate was ambitious: appoint 10 Principals and 2 Partners to strengthen capability across key U.S. markets. The firm required commercially credible leaders capable of driving growth in a competitive consulting landscape.

Following early success and comprehensive market mapping, the scope expanded to include building a new Agribusiness practice.

Why River
River was engaged for its ability to deliver multi-hire, Partner-led search programmes with full market coverage and strong diversity outcomes. The mandate required coordinated stakeholder management across global and regional leadership, alongside disciplined pipeline governance over a 12-month period.

Approach

  • Conducted comprehensive North American market mapping across strategy and transformation leaders in Food & Beverage
  • Engaged senior Partner and Principal talent across Chicago, Miami, New York, and other key hubs
  • Managed a multi-stakeholder process involving Global and North American leadership
  • Built a structured, diverse pipeline with a strong focus on quality and commercial credibility
  • Expanded the programme to support the build-out of a new Agribusiness capability

Outcome & Impact (12 Months)

  • Appointed 4 Partners across Chicago, Miami, and New York
  • Delivered 6 Principal hires
  • Built a new Agribusiness team
  • Achieved a 75% female shortlist at Principal level
  • Achieved a 50% female shortlist at Partner level

The programme strengthened senior coverage across priority markets and enabled the launch of a new Agribusiness capability within North America.

Written by:

Alexandra Baskerville

Partner

Alexandra runs our North American business and leads the global Strategy & Transformation Team at River Partnership.  She works with a blend of Professional Services firms, Corporates and Private Equity on their most strategic leadership positions.  Known for her hands on approach, consultative style and passion for diversity and inclusion, Alex is an expert in climate/ESG, digital, design, restructuring and performance improvement.

Connect on LinkedIn

Building a North American Consulting Practice

 

Context

The North American Consumer Leader of a global consultancy ($1.6 billion revenue) enlisted our services to recruit Partner and Principals with a focus on strategy and transformation in the food and beverages sector.  The initial ask was 10 Principals and 2 Partners. The success of our initial efforts and mapping resulted in an extension to the engagement to include building a new Agribusiness practice.  

Stakeholders:

Global Head of Industries

Head of North America

North American Consumer Leader

Impact over 12 months:

  • 4 Partners in Chicago, Miami and New York
  • 1 Agribusiness Team Build
  • 6 Principals
  • 75% female shortlist at Principal
  • 50% female shortlist at Partner

Impact with this client:

  • 18 placements in the last 12 months
  • 60% diverse hires (UK)
  • One Team lift
  • 75% average of females in shortlist
  • 66% diverse hires (US)
  • Reporting on DEI
Written by:

Alexandra Baskerville

Partner

Alexandra runs our North American business and leads the global Strategy & Transformation Team at River Partnership.  She works with a blend of Professional Services firms, Corporates and Private Equity on their most strategic leadership positions.  Known for her hands on approach, consultative style and passion for diversity and inclusion, Alex is an expert in climate/ESG, digital, design, restructuring and performance improvement.

Connect on LinkedIn

Head of Financial Crime Appointment – Major European Bank

 

Challenge
The Group Head of Financial Crime at a major European bank required the appointment of a Head of Financial Crime to strengthen leadership oversight across the function.

The mandate required deep regulatory credibility, cross-border experience, and the ability to operate effectively within a complex, highly scrutinised banking environment. Given the sensitivity of the role, discretion and speed were critical.

Why River
River was engaged for its European network within financial services risk and compliance, and its ability to combine primary market research with senior-led executive search. The client required both insight into the competitive talent landscape and access to proven Financial Crime leaders.

Approach

  • Leveraged River’s European network across banking and financial services risk leadership
  • Conducted primary research within the first week to advise on market composition and talent availability
  • Benchmarked senior Financial Crime leaders across comparable institutions
  • Assessed candidates on regulatory expertise, leadership capability, and cultural alignment
  • Provided data-led insight to support informed hiring decisions

Outcome & Impact

  • Delivered comprehensive market intelligence to inform strategic hiring
  • Successfully appointed a Head of Financial Crime
  • Subsequently appointed a Deputy Head of Financial Crime
  • Strengthened senior leadership oversight within a critical regulatory function

3 x Leadership Team hires for a Global (re)insurance Leader

 

Context:

The Group CFO at a leading insurer retained River to conduct a search for 3 x Leadership Team hires: Group Chief Actuary, Head of M&A & Director of Financial Controls.

Objective:

They wished to understand the structures of competitor group functions, Identify the location of Insurance leaders, benchmark and hire the best people.

Methodology:

Within one and a half weeks the team at River were able to leverage its European network and conduct primary research to provide a live view of the current market composition (see figure 1). A total of 235 candidates identified.

Result:

Providing the data and insights to allow the client to make informed, data-led decisions. River assessed, benchmarked, shortlisted and then recommended three leadership hires which were all executed successfully.

Written by:

Jamie Stokes

Partner, Global Client Development

Jamie is a founding partner of River Partnership and takes a hands-on role in the continued growth of the operation his vision helped create. His 18-years’ executive search experience – winning and working mandates across Europe for leading financial services institutions, corporates and management consulting firms – has been recognised with several external awards.

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Global Leadership Build for Consumer Products Client

 

Situation:

River was instructed by a Global Consumer Products leader to recruit a global leadership team for one of its newly acquired brands: namely MD and Global Commercial Director (London); MD and Head of APAC Region; MD Head of Sales EMEA (based in Cologne), and MD and Head of Southern Africa. The culture of the business is highly entrepreneurial, and the leadership team is widely dispersed globally and highly decentralised. The client emphasised the need for best in class capability for all candidates, a need for both subject matter specialisation and breadth of leadership skills, often in Tier 2 geographic office locations.

Outcome:

River was able to assimilate a complex set of briefs (each subtly different), manage a broad and diverse global stakeholder community, and ultimately deliver mapping, market insights and well qualified candidate shortlists across all geographic regions; meeting all quality expectations ahead of schedule. The longlist contained approx. 60% / 40%, male / female spilt, as we strove to identify a diverse talent pool.

APAC Leadership Team Build – China

 

Challenge
Global Leadership sought to invest in and build its presence in China, one of its most strategically important growth markets. The objective was to establish an Automotive and Manufacturing Industries platform from scratch, targeting Senior Partner laterals from direct competitor firms.

The mandate required breaking into a highly complex and relationship-driven Chinese consulting market, where senior leaders were deeply embedded and rarely accessible. The client needed a search partner with regional reach, cultural understanding, and the ability to position its brand credibly against established MBB competitors.

Why River
River was selected for its ability to combine international reach with on-the-ground execution. The mandate required senior-led engagement, deep local market intelligence, and a disciplined approach to mapping and qualifying an opaque Partner talent pool.

Approach

  • Deployed a senior River team to Shanghai to lead the programme
  • Conducted large-scale regional research across Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong
  • Identified and mapped more than 160 predominantly Chinese national Strategy Consulting leaders
  • Assessed candidate portfolios including client relationships, sector coverage, pricing strategy, sales capability, and proprietary consulting IP
  • Positioned the opportunity carefully against direct MBB competitors

Outcome & Impact

  • Completed 3 Senior Partner hires within 9 months, all from direct competitor firms
  • Strengthened capability across Digital, Insurance, and Automotive & Manufacturing Industries
  • Established a credible Senior Partner foundation in China
  • Ongoing search activity expected to deliver a further 3 Senior Partner hires

APAC General Manager

 

Situation:

A major name beauty brand, owned but managed independently from its parent company was looking to accelerate growth in Greater China and APAC region. At the same time the incumbent GM was returning to Europe the company was seeking to find a locally based APAC GM to double turnover in a short timeline.

Actions:

Client expectation was very high and before contacting any candidates, River was able to map and list all suitable candidates from the very short list of suitable competitor companies. A total of 47 candidates was identified with a core target hotlist of 17 candidates. As both client and River knew this would take time to court suitable GMs from other houses, extra time was taken to understand candidate’s individual personal circumstances and motivations before shortlisting.

Outcome:

From a hotlist of 17 target candidates, a shortlist of 4 was produced based on accuracy to the mandated requirements and individual career aspirations. Because of our research and data-led approach, River were able to source high quality, benchmarked candidates who were recommended for interview in a timely manner and in-line with our client’s expectations. Within 19 weeks of beginning the process, our client had a new APAC GM.

 

VP, SVP and MD search for a Global Bank

 

Situation:

River Partnership were retained by a Global Bank to assist with the build out of their internal consulting team. The brief was to hire 5+ candidates at Assistant Vice President, Vice President and Managing Director grade. The River Partnership team were tasked with identifying candidates working in either external consulting firms or internal strategy, transformation or digital teams within industry. The specific focus was for candidates with experience in digital customer strategy, digital marketing and customer experience, digital operating model and/or data & analytics.

Actions:

We approached our extensive FS network in Germany and also commenced River’s proprietary search methodology. Our team identified 124 potential target candidates across Germany. In addition to consulting firms and internal industry teams, River identified candidates from “hidden” talent pools including BigTech & FinTechs firms. So far the team has met and or spoke with 105 individuals, conducted situation-based interviews and presented the top performing candidates to the client.

Outcome:

As well as a shortlist, River provided industry insights and competitor information to the client. Within four months of starting the project, the client had hired seven candidates (2 more than River were initially mandated to find).

Written by:

Jamie Stokes

Partner, Global Client Development

Jamie is a founding partner of River Partnership and takes a hands-on role in the continued growth of the operation his vision helped create. His 18-years’ executive search experience – winning and working mandates across Europe for leading financial services institutions, corporates and management consulting firms – has been recognised with several external awards.

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