A General Manager is often the person you trust to run a business, unit, or market as if it were their own. Hiring one well starts with defining exactly what they will own. Here is how.
Define the scope first
A General Manager role varies enormously — from running a single site to leading an entire market or division. The first and most important step is defining exactly what this GM owns: which P&L, which functions, which decisions, and what remains with the CEO, the group, or a parent company. A GM hired against a vague scope struggles from day one.
Hire for breadth and P&L ownership
Unlike a functional leader, a GM must lead across the whole — commercial, operational, and often people and finance — and own the result. The strongest GMs are genuine general managers: comfortable owning a P&L, making trade-offs across functions, and leading a whole business rather than optimising one part. Assessing for that breadth, and real accountability for outcomes, is central.
Match the profile to the business
A GM for a mature, stable operation is a different hire from one asked to turn a business around or launch a new market. Define whether you need a steady operator, a grower, or a fixer — and, in hospitality and multi-site businesses especially, whether they need deep sector and operational experience.
How the search works
A retained search defines the specific scope and mandate, maps proven general managers, and assesses them against the real demands of running the business end to end.
Hiring a General Manager?
We recruit General Managers and market leaders across consumer, hospitality, and premium businesses.
Explore Executive Search →Frequently asked questions
What should you look for when hiring a General Manager?
Genuine P&L ownership, breadth across commercial and operational leadership, and the judgement to run a whole business rather than one function — matched to whether the business needs a steady operator, a grower, or a fixer.
What is the first step in hiring a GM?
Defining exactly what the General Manager owns — which P&L, functions, and decisions — and what stays with the CEO or group. A GM hired against a vague scope struggles from the start.
Related: What Does a General Manager Do? · How to Hire a Managing Director · How to Hire a Hospitality General Manager
