How Long Does an Executive Search Take?
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerMost retained executive searches run over a few months from launch to an accepted offer, plus the new leader’s notice period before they start. How long depends on the seniority and rarity of the role, how well it is scoped, market availability, and how decisively […]
How Retained Executive Search Fees Work
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerRetained executive search is a professional engagement paid as a fee, typically structured in stages across the search rather than only on placement, and reflecting the seniority and difficulty of the mandate. Because the firm is retained, its incentives are aligned with finding the right […]
How to Hire a Beauty President
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerA beauty president is usually the senior operational and commercial leader of a brand or division — owning day-to-day performance and execution, often while a CEO or founder focuses on vision and brand. Hire one when you need a strong operator to run the business, […]
Confidential Executive Search: How and Why It Works
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerA confidential executive search is conducted discreetly — without advertising the role or revealing the company until late in the process. Businesses use it when disclosure would be sensitive: replacing an incumbent, a strategic move not yet public, or protecting the brand. It is one […]
President vs CEO: What’s the Difference?
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerA CEO holds ultimate accountability — strategy, the executive team, and the external face of the business. A president is typically the senior operational leader beneath or alongside the CEO, often running the business day to day or leading a major division or market. Where […]
What Does a Chief Product Officer Do? The CPO Role Explained
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerA Chief Product Officer owns the product vision and portfolio — what gets made, why, and how it evolves. In beauty and consumer businesses that spans development, innovation, and the pipeline that keeps a brand relevant, connecting consumer insight, science or design, and commercial strategy […]
What Does a CFO Do? The Chief Financial Officer Role Explained
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerA Chief Financial Officer owns financial leadership — reporting, controls, planning, and capital — and, in strong businesses, partners with the CEO on the decisions that drive growth and value. The modern CFO is a strategic and commercial leader, not just a steward of the […]
How to Scope an Executive Search: Writing the Brief That Attracts the Right Leader
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerThe most important part of an executive search happens before it starts: scoping the role. A strong brief defines the real mandate — the outcome you are hiring for, the challenges the leader must solve, what they own, and how they will be judged — […]
What Does a COO Do? The Chief Operating Officer Role Explained
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerA Chief Operating Officer runs the operational engine of a business — turning strategy into execution across operations, supply chain, and functions. The remit varies enormously, from broad second-in-command to focused operations leader, and is defined by what the CEO needs. It is the hire […]
What Does a Board Director Do? A Guide for Consumer & PE-Backed Businesses
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerA board director provides governance, oversight, and counsel — holding management accountable, guiding strategy, and bringing independent, experienced perspective. In consumer and PE-backed businesses, non-executive directors and chairs often bring specific sector or functional expertise, and the right board becomes a genuine asset rather than […]
