Welcome to ISP
(Independent Search Partnership): Leadership advisors to listed, PE and family-owned businesses.

isp woman with arms crossed

Our Partners are some of the most experienced search professionals operating in the UK market, with a reputation for working closely with our clients to identify, attract and appoint exceptional talent across Board and senior leadership appointments.

What we do

We facilitate organisational success in a fast-changing world by helping to find, recruit and retain the best talent.

We are a search firm specialising in identifying and recruiting top-level executives and Board members for organisations. Our primary goal is to help you find the most qualified individuals who possess the necessary skills, experience, and leadership qualities to drive organisational success.

headshot of isp man

What makes us different

Personal. Flexible. Independent.

Our commitment to excellence underpins everything we do and ensures that we identify and attract top-tier candidates who possess the skills, vision, and leadership required to drive organisational growth and innovation.

We have decades of experience and a demonstrable track record of working closely with businesses to achieve growth and success. You will receive personalised focus and hands-on commitment from an experienced Partner, supported by our fellow professionals. Genuine expertise and deep relationships underpin every search we undertake for our clients. We are independent, discreet and confidential.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Diverse teams bring together a wide range of perspectives, experiences and backgrounds, fostering creativity, innovation and performance.

isp photo of the diverse board team

A key goal for us is to help companies to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive.

When individuals with different viewpoints collaborate, they challenge conventional thinking and offer unique view points and solutions to problems. This diversity of thought leads to increased competitiveness, adaptability and a greater capacity for finding groundbreaking opportunities.

Diversity in your business brings benefits such as enhanced innovation, improved customer relations, increased fairness and equality, better problem-solving, and a positive impact on your organisational culture and reputation.

LEARN MORE
isp photo of the diverse board team

Our team

Our team of dedicated professionals is driven by a shared passion for delivering exceptional results and exceeding client expectations. With a diverse range of backgrounds and expertise, we bring a wealth of experience to every client engagement.

We build genuine and lasting relationships with our clients. We conduct original and fresh research for every assignment, thinking creatively and pooling our collective knowledge, network and experience.

Our approach is to provide you with a highly personalised service, with an ISP partner 100% dedicated to each assignment, ensuring that all contact with clients, candidates, sources and referees are made by the person responsible for the project.

We do not operate a leveraged model and never pass work down to less experienced individuals. We do not cross-sell and remain independent of board evaluation, remuneration consulting or the provision of interim recruitment services.

LEARN MORE
isp team photo

What our clients say

Discover what our clients have to say about their experiences with ISP. We take immense pride in our commitment to excellence and client satisfaction.

"ISP have been our preferred partner for our Chair, NED, CEO & CFO appointments. We value their personalised approach and 100% commitment from an experienced partner. They invest time to understand your business, its values and the importance of Board chemistry. We believe this is refreshingly different to some of the larger multi-national practices."

CEO, consumer products plc

“We used ISP to recruit a new Chief Financial Officer and were particularly impressed with the collaborative approach of the ISP Partners we worked closely with to identify, approach, assess and appoint an exceptional individual. ISP provides a highly personal service that compares favourably with global search firms and we would happily recommend them.”

CEO, business services plc

“ISP helped us to recruit a high quality CFO and we were impressed how well networked ISP are. ISP took the time to really understand our business, as well as both the skills and cultural fit we required for the role which was important at a time of significant change for the business. ISP provided a diverse long list with an impressive depth of insight for each candidate and as a client I felt well informed, supported and challenged.”

CEO, distribution plc

“ISP supported us with a critical Audit Chair hire. We were aware how tight the market was for experienced and diverse Audit Chairs, and ISP challenged us constructively and appropriately on our brief. The shortlist was an extremely diverse list, including several candidates who were the result of lateral and creative thinking on the part of ISP. We are delighted with the appointment in what was a very robust process.”

Chair, software plc

“ISP secured for us a selection of excellent candidates for a number of NED positions, resulting in each case in our recruiting strong new colleagues. Collectively, ISP’s partners have a great understanding of the NED space, and are able to move at pace to establish a clear brief and deliver it successfully.”

SID, manufacturing plc

“I have worked with the Partners at ISP numerous times over the years, recruiting executive and non-executive board roles. They combine a good understanding of our needs with their extensive contacts to bring us high quality and well-suited candidates. I have no hesitation in recommending ISP.”

CEO, global manufacturing group plc

“The Partners at ISP have proven capability in sourcing Board-level talent globally. I found them easy to work with and creative in identifying candidates to suit challenging remits.”

Chair, global software plc

“In recent years, ISP have helped us to find two excellent Chairs in processes which I have led as SID. Their direct Partner involvement throughout the search and interview process was a real plus for me and for the candidates.”

SID, home interiors plc

“ISP worked with us on the appointment of our CFO and we were delighted with the service we received. Their knowledge of the CFO community is exceptional, and they worked quickly and diligently to bring forward a strong shortlist. Due to no fault of ISP, the initial preferred candidate was not able to join, but ISP maintained the same level of energy, rigour and focus as we revisited the market for additional candidates, ultimately leading to the appointment of an exceptional CFO. We have been very impressed with their attentiveness, responsiveness and follow up.”

Chief People Officer, global consumer goods plc