Head of Business and Risk Management
Role: Head of Business and Risk Management
Industry: Retail, Luxury Fashion Brand
Client background
A global services firm in luxury retail and fashion needed to fill a critical role: a Head of Business and Risk Management to oversee risk mitigation and make sure the business stayed compliant with regulations.
The challenge
The role sat where luxury brand knowledge meets governance. The company needed a candidate with extensive experience in luxury fashion and in risk assessment, a combination that few leaders hold. The talent pool was small and spread across brands, retailers and advisory firms.
What the role demanded
- Lead the business while building strong risk mitigation strategies
- Ensure regulatory compliance across the retail operation
- Develop and implement policies and frameworks for the retail business
- Protect brand value while the business grows
How we ran the search
We mapped leaders across luxury and premium retail, fashion brands and the risk and compliance functions that serve them. Using our industry insight and network, we approached shortlisted leaders in confidence and tested both their commercial and governance experience.
What we assessed for
- Experience in luxury or premium retail and fashion
- A record of building policies, controls and risk frameworks
- Commercial judgement to grow the business, not only protect it
- Credibility with global leadership and local teams
The outcome
We identified a seasoned business head with a proven record of developing and implementing robust policies and frameworks for retail, along with risk mitigation strategies. Despite the specialised nature of the role, we moved the search quickly and placed the right candidate within the agreed timeframe.
Why it matters
In luxury retail, one compliance or brand failure can undo years of brand building. Leaders who combine retail growth with governance are rarely on the market, so the search depends on knowing where they sit and approaching them discreetly.
Read more about our consumer, retail and financial services practice and our business unit head recruitment work.
Practice: Leadership hiring for consumer, retail and financial services.
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