What Does a Chief Sustainability Officer Do?
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerA Chief Sustainability Officer leads a business’s environmental and social strategy — from responsible sourcing and packaging to reporting and the credibility of the claims a brand makes. In beauty and consumer, where sustainability is closely tied to brand trust, it is increasingly a commercial […]
What Does a Chief Innovation Officer Do?
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerA Chief Innovation Officer owns how a business creates new value — new products, models, and ideas — and builds the capability and culture to do it repeatably. It is broader than product development or R&D, spanning the whole pipeline of the future, and it […]
What Does a Chief Brand Officer Do?
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerA Chief Brand Officer owns the brand itself — its identity, positioning, and consistency across everything a business does — as a strategic asset, distinct from the demand-generation focus of a CMO. In brand-led categories like beauty and luxury, it is a role about protecting […]
How to Retain Your Leadership Team
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerLeaders stay when the work is meaningful, the mandate is real, they are growing, and they feel valued and trusted — not primarily because of money. Retaining your leadership team means giving strong people genuine ownership, honest development, and a reason to build their future […]
Hiring Leaders: Startup vs Established Brand
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerStartups and established brands need genuinely different leaders. A startup rewards builders comfortable with ambiguity, speed, and doing more with less; an established business rewards leaders who can lead scale, complexity, and organisation. Hiring a leader suited to the wrong stage is one of the […]
What Makes a Great Beauty Leader
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerGreat beauty leaders combine genuine brand and creative sensibility with real commercial discipline — the rare ability to protect what makes a brand special while building a serious business around it. They understand a fast-moving, launch-driven, consumer-led category, and they lead the blend of creative, […]
What to Expect as a Candidate in an Executive Search
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerAs an executive candidate, you are usually approached rather than applying. Expect a confidential, considered process: an initial conversation, in-depth interviews and assessment against a specific mandate, honest dialogue about fit both ways, and careful handling through to offer. A good search firm represents you […]
Executive Compensation Structures Explained
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerExecutive compensation usually combines base salary, an annual bonus tied to performance, and long-term incentives such as equity — and for senior leaders the long-term element is often the most significant. Understanding the structure, and what each part is designed to reward, matters more than […]
What Is an Equity or Long-Term Incentive Package?
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerA long-term incentive (LTI) package rewards an executive for sustained value creation over several years, typically through equity or an equity-like plan that pays out at a future event or over time. For senior leaders, it aligns their reward with the owners’ and is often […]
Counteroffers: Why They Usually Fail
By Annabel Norman, Managing Partner · Norman Consultants The short answerCounteroffers rarely solve the problem that prompted the resignation. The reasons a leader decided to leave — mandate, growth, culture, or trust — are seldom fixed by more money, and most who accept a counteroffer leave anyway before long. Prevention and an honest conversation beat […]
