The First 90 Days as a New Executive
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerIn your first 90 days as a new executive, prioritise listening, learning, and building relationships over sweeping change. Understand the business, the culture, and the people before acting; confirm the mandate; and earn the credibility that makes later change possible. The leaders who resist the […]
Advisory Boards vs Boards of Directors
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerA board of directors has formal governance authority and legal responsibility for the business; an advisory board has neither — it provides guidance and expertise without power or accountability. Growing businesses often use an advisory board for flexible counsel early, and a formal board as […]
Negotiating an Executive Offer
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerNegotiating an executive offer is about the whole package and the mandate, not just base pay. Focus on the structure — base, bonus, and long-term incentive — the scope and authority of the role, and the terms that matter over years. Approach it as building […]
Leadership for Beauty M&A and Integration
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerBeauty M&A succeeds or fails on leadership as much as strategy. Whether preparing a brand for sale, leading through a transaction, or integrating an acquisition, the right leaders — who can hold the business steady, protect the brand, and deliver the value case — are […]
What Makes a Great CMO?
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerGreat CMOs pair brand vision with commercial accountability — building brands that drive demand and owning marketing’s contribution to revenue, not just awareness. They lead across the modern marketing stack, partner well with the rest of the C-suite, and are fluent in both the creative […]
Hiring Leadership for a Beauty Startup
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerA beauty startup needs builders — leaders comfortable with ambiguity, speed, and doing more with less, who can create structure where little exists. Pedigree from a big beauty house does not guarantee this. Hire for genuine startup temperament plus brand sensibility, and be honest about […]
DTC Beauty Leadership: Hiring for Direct-to-Consumer
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerDTC beauty leadership means owning the direct relationship with the customer — e-commerce trading and growth, the data and CRM behind retention, the digital experience, and the economics that make direct-to-consumer profitable. Hire for the rare blend of commercial trading instinct, data fluency, and brand […]
Hiring Leadership for a Clean Beauty Brand
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerLeading a clean beauty brand demands both genuine credibility on ingredients, sustainability, and values, and the commercial discipline to build a real business. The rare leaders who combine authentic conviction with rigour — and can protect the brand’s integrity while scaling it — are what […]
What Is a Fractional Executive?
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerA fractional executive is a senior leader who works with a business part-time, on an ongoing basis — bringing C-suite expertise for a fraction of the time and cost of a full-time hire. They suit businesses that need senior capability but not yet a full-time […]
What Does a VP or Head of Sales Do?
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerA VP or Head of Sales owns revenue generation — building and leading the sales organisation, winning and growing customers and accounts, and delivering the numbers the business depends on. In consumer businesses this spans retail and wholesale accounts, channel strategy, and the field team, […]
