The Board-CEO Relationship: Getting It Right
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerA strong board-CEO relationship rests on clarity about roles, mutual trust and candour, the right balance of support and challenge, and good communication. The board governs and oversees while the CEO runs the business; keeping that distinction clear, while building genuine trust, is what makes […]
Leading a Remote or Distributed Team
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerLeading a remote or distributed team takes deliberate communication, intentional culture-building, a focus on outcomes over presence, and extra effort to build trust and connection. What happens naturally in a shared office must be made to happen on purpose when a team is distributed — […]
Executive Presence: What It Is and Why It Matters
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerExecutive presence is the combination of qualities — confidence and composure, clear communication, sound judgement, and authenticity — that makes a leader credible and able to inspire trust and confidence in others. It is not about being the loudest or most polished; at its core […]
How to Hire a Sportswear & Activewear Executive
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerHire sportswear and activewear leaders who understand the category’s blend of performance and product credibility, brand and fashion sensibility, and consumer and retail commercial strength. The best combine authentic connection to sport, movement, and an active lifestyle with the discipline to build a scalable brand […]
How to Hire a Spirits & Drinks Executive
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerHire spirits and drinks leaders who combine genuine brand-building and premiumisation instinct with commercial and route-to-market mastery — and an understanding of the category’s distinctive dynamics, including regulation, distribution, and the importance of brand heritage and storytelling. The best pair aspirational brand-building with hard commercial […]
The Longlist and Shortlist in Executive Search
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerIn an executive search, the longlist is the broad initial set of potential candidates identified from mapping the market, and the shortlist is the refined group of assessed, genuinely-qualified candidates presented to the client. The longlist is about breadth — casting the net wide; the […]
What Is a Retainer Agreement in Executive Search?
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerA retainer agreement is the contract under which a client engages an executive search firm to conduct a search, with the firm paid a professional fee across the engagement rather than only on placement. It sets out the scope, the fee and its structure, and […]
What Does a Chief Administrative Officer Do?
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerA Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) oversees the internal administrative and operational functions that keep a business running — often a mix of areas such as HR, facilities, IT, legal, and operations, depending on the business. It is a broad, coordinating role that lets other leaders […]
How to Close an Executive Candidate
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerClose an executive candidate by keeping them engaged and building genuine conviction throughout the process, understanding what really matters to them, moving decisively when you have decided, and handling the offer as the start of a relationship rather than a negotiation to win. Strong candidates […]
What Does a Chief Transformation Officer Do?
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerA Chief Transformation Officer leads major, business-wide change — driving a defined transformation programme (digital, operational, strategic, or cultural) with dedicated focus and authority. It is typically a role for a specific period and purpose: making sure a critical transformation actually happens, rather than stalling […]
