The CEO’s Role in Shaping Culture
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerA CEO shapes culture more than anyone — through what they do and tolerate, who they hire and promote, what they reward and measure, and the example they set. Culture is not created by statements of values but by the CEO’s behaviour and choices, watched […]
Delegation: Why Senior Leaders Struggle With It
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerSenior leaders often struggle to delegate because the very habits that made them successful — being hands-on, doing things well themselves, staying in control — become limitations at scale. Delegating well means letting go of doing, trusting and developing others, accepting things done differently, and […]
Leading Through Hypergrowth: What It Demands
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerLeading through hypergrowth means building the organisation, team, and systems fast enough to keep up with growth while protecting culture and quality — and staying ahead of problems rather than firefighting them. It demands leaders who can hire and build rapidly, add structure at the […]
How to Hire a Coffee & Tea Brand Executive
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerHire coffee and tea leaders who understand the categories’ blend of everyday ritual and premiumisation, the role of craft, provenance, and increasingly sustainability, and their distinctive channels from retail to foodservice to direct. The best combine genuine category feel with brand and commercial strength across […]
How to Hire a Health & Fitness Brand Executive
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerHire health and fitness leaders who understand the category’s community- and motivation-driven consumer, its blend of physical and increasingly digital experience, and its distinctive business models. The best combine genuine passion for and credibility in health and fitness with the commercial and operational rigour to […]
What Does an Executive Search Consultant Do?
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerAn executive search consultant leads a search end to end — working with the client to define the role, mapping and approaching the market, assessing candidates, and guiding the process through to appointment. They combine market knowledge, judgement, and relationship skills, and because so much […]
Boutique vs Global Executive Search Firms: Which to Choose
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerGlobal search firms offer scale, breadth, and reach across markets and functions; boutique firms offer focus, specialism, senior attention, and often deeper category or market expertise. Neither is inherently better — the right choice depends on the role, the sector, and what you value: broad […]
Sector-Specialist vs Generalist Executive Search Firms
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerA sector-specialist search firm brings deep knowledge of a specific industry — its market, talent, and dynamics — and relationships built over time; a generalist firm brings breadth across sectors and functions. For roles where industry knowledge and networks matter, specialists often add more; for […]
What Does a Country Manager Do?
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerA Country Manager leads a company’s operations in a specific country or market — owning its commercial performance, team, and local execution, and often serving as the business’s face and top leader there. It is a pivotal role for international businesses, blending running a local […]
What Does a Group CEO Do?
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerA Group CEO leads a group of businesses, brands, or divisions — owning the strategy, performance, and leadership of the whole portfolio rather than a single company. The role is about allocating capital and attention across businesses, leading the leaders who run them, and creating […]
