How to Get on a Board: Becoming a Non-Executive Director
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerTo get on a board, be clear about the value you would bring, build the relationships and visibility that lead to opportunities, and be realistic that first non-executive roles often take time and may start with smaller or nonprofit boards. Board appointments are largely relationship- […]
How to Build a Board from Scratch
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerBuild a board from scratch by first defining what the business needs from it — the experience, expertise, and oversight that will genuinely add value for the stage ahead — then recruiting directors deliberately against that, prioritising relevance and independence over prestige. A well-built board […]
What Is Management Due Diligence?
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerManagement due diligence is the assessment of a business’s leadership team as part of a transaction — typically for a private equity investor or acquirer evaluating whether the management can deliver the value the deal depends on. It examines the team’s capability, strengths and gaps, […]
Beauty Tech Leadership: Hiring at the Intersection of Beauty and Technology
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerBeauty tech leadership sits where beauty meets technology — spanning personalisation and AI, digital experience, diagnostics and devices, and data. Leaders need to genuinely understand both worlds: the brand, product, and consumer heart of beauty, and the technology that is transforming it. The rare leaders […]
How to Hire a Skincare Brand Executive
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerHiring skincare leadership means finding people who understand the category’s distinctive blend of science and efficacy, brand and storytelling, and fast-moving consumer trends. The best skincare leaders pair genuine category understanding — including the growing importance of ingredients, claims, and credibility — with commercial and […]
How to Hire a Haircare Brand Executive
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerHiring haircare leadership means finding leaders who understand the category’s mix of science and efficacy, styling and aesthetics, professional and salon heritage, and shifting consumer needs across diverse hair types. The best haircare leaders combine genuine category feel with brand and commercial strength, matched to […]
Leadership in a Turnaround: What It Takes
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerTurnaround leadership demands a leader who can act decisively under pressure — quickly diagnosing what is wrong, stabilising the business, making hard decisions others avoid, and rebuilding toward health. It calls for a particular blend of urgency, clear-headedness, resilience, and the ability to lead people […]
How to Write an Executive Job Description
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerWrite an executive job description that defines the real challenge of the role and what success looks like — not just a list of duties and requirements. The best ones convey the opportunity and context, focus on outcomes over tasks, are honest about the challenges, […]
How to Assess Leadership Potential
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerAssessing leadership potential means looking beyond current performance to whether someone can succeed at a bigger, more complex role — examining their capacity to learn and grow, their judgement, how they lead people, and their motivation and self-awareness. Because potential is about the future, it […]
Managing Director vs General Manager: What’s the Difference?
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerBoth a Managing Director and a General Manager lead a business, unit, or market and own its performance, and in many contexts the roles are similar. The differences are largely regional and structural: ‘Managing Director’ often implies leading a whole company or market with more […]
