Practices

Our specialist practices have been established based around the knowledge, understanding and expertise within our leadership team

At Parkinson|Lee our practices are built on our in-depth knowledge, expertise and insight of each respective market. With over 80 years combined search experience, Parkinson|Lee have developed unrivalled professional networks, allowing us to conduct functional and industry specific search campaigns tailored specifically to our clients individual requirements. 

For more information on each of our practices please click the link below.

Chief Executive Officers & Managing Directors Toggle
We have an excellent track record of recruiting Business Leaders who have a profound impact.

Click here to read our recent successfully completed CEO & Managing Director mandates

 

Parkinson Lee Executive Search has an excellent track record of recruiting Business Leaders for clients of all shapes and sizes, from well-known companies and PE – backed portfolio businesses, to SMEs and not-for-profit organisations.

We understand that it’s a big decision to appoint a new Chief Executive or Managing Director. After all, it’s the one role that’s unique in scope and substance, having a profound impact on the performance of the enterprise. And the costs of failure can be high. New leaders import new strategies, people and management styles and sometimes, these can be damaging.

But so can internal candidates. It is imperative that they have the credentials and credibility to lead the whole business, have been tested in the right ways and can demonstrate the appetite and ability to be positive agents of change.

A robust appointment process is therefore essential, even if there’s a succession pipeline. But if that pipeline’s bone dry, there’s an imperative to identify and attract the best people with a highly professional recruitment exercise: step forward Parkinson Lee.

In the last 12 months, Parkinson Lee Executive Search has successfully delivered mandates across the following roles:

Chief Executive Officer

Chief Commercial Officer

Sales Director

Managing Director

Chief Operating Officer

Chief Financial Officer

 

For further information please contact Parkinson|Lee’s Executive Search team on:

t: 01709 303 330

Chief Financial Officers & Financial Leadership Toggle
The best finance leaders combine strategic conviction with tactical pragmatism, technical authority with easy communication and rigorous analysis with shrewd commercial judgements.

Click here to read our recent successfully completed CFO & Financial Leadership mandates

 

The best finance leaders of today….

Given our deep experience, we understand the best finance leaders combine strategic conviction with tactical pragmatism, technical authority with easy communication and rigorous analysis with shrewd commercial judgements.

Parkinson Lee partners have over 130 years of experience in appointing CFOs and Finance Leaders. In fact, all our board members are seasoned recruiters in this sector. This is why we are the best-connected Executive Search firm in the region. We know exactly where to start and can act promptly on your behalf.

Our breadth of exposure is matched by our depth of experience, motivating our clients to use us repeatedly. In fact, Parkinson Lee achieves a very high ratio of repeat business, reflecting the strength of our networks, our candidates and our service.

Our exceptional success rate means that our clients not only commission us to recruit nationally and globally on their behalf, but also to find functional leaders and senior specialists across the following mandates:

Chief Financial Officer

Financial Controller

International CFO

Finance Director

Head of Finance

Strategy & Corporate Development

M&A Specialists

Divisional Finance Leaders and Controllers

Internal Audit

Financial Planning & Analysis

Investor Relations

 

For further information please contact Parkinson|Lee’s Executive Search team on:

t: 01709 303 330

Private Equity & Venture Capital Toggle
Our networks produce PE - savvy candidates, adaptable to the imperatives of significant growth, value creation and exit.

Click here to read our recent successfully completed Private Equity & Venture Capital mandates

 

For portfolio companies, the right leaderships leads to the right outcome.

At Parkinson Lee, we understand that having a Board and senior management with the right talent is central to the achievement of maximum shareholder value. In short, the attraction of strong leaders is critical to the success of portfolio organisations.

That’s where we come in: whatever the investee company, be it a successful global heavyweight or a distressed turnaround, Parkinson Lee have the experience to find the right person (or even the right team).

Our experience is deep and diverse and as such, our networks produce PE – savvy candidates, adaptable to the imperatives of significant growth, value creation and exit, often with demanding pressures and specific timescales.

A variety of roles, both at Group and Divisional Level

We have a proven capability in recruiting for investee companies for the following roles:

Chairman

Chief Executive

Managing Director

Chief Financial Officer

Non-Executive Directors

Functional Heads across Operations, Marketing, Sales, Human Resources, Engineering & Manufacturing, Company Secretarial

Sector breadth and experience across the UK 

With this dedicated practice, we have established partnerships with PE & VC firms in London, Leeds and Manchester, recruiting regularly for their investments across the UK.

 

For further information please contact Parkinson|Lee’s Executive Search team on:

t: 01709 303 330

Sales & Commercial Leadership Toggle
Parkinson|Lee have unrivalled experience recruiting for high level sales and marketing positions for many of the UK’s most prestigious organisations.

At Parkinson|Lee we are rigorous in our approach to sourcing the very best Sales & Commercial Leaders, and we are also 100% committed to ensuring we fully investigate the traits, abilities and requirements that make these individuals a success in their given markets.

We understand that the very best Executive Sales & Commercial Leaders play a key role in the retention of key accounts and delivery of sales growth for most organisations. Each organisation and their client base is different, and consequently requires a certain type of individual. This is where Parkinson|Lee excel, as we take the time to understand the motivations, personality traits and cultural preferences of both our clients and candidates, ensuring the best possible fit for both.

Our process is relationship driven, it’s also meticulous, thorough and transparent, and as a result, our networks of executive sales and commercial leaders across the UK is second to none.

We combine these networks with our specialist in-house research capability, to ensure we leave no stone unturned in the delivery of each and every shortlist. We work at pace and all our processes are tailored to our clients’ specific needs.

Here at Parkinson|Lee, we have unrivalled experience recruiting for high level sales and commercial positions for many of the UK’s most prestigious organisations. Our most recent successful assignments have included the following appointments:-

 

  • Commercial Director
  • Sales Director
  • Customer Success Director
  • Business Development Director
  • Director of Inside Sales
  • Sales & Marketing Director
  • Customer Service Director
  • Global Account Director
  • Customer Experience & Membership Director
  • CRO – Chief Revenue Officer

 

For further information please contact Parkinson|Lee’s Executive Search team on:

t: 01709 303 330

Marketing & Digital Leadership Toggle
We combine exceptional in-depth sector & functional knowledge, market leading research expertise, and a huge passion for what we do.

Click here to read our recent successfully completed Marketing & Digital Leadership mandates

 

At Parkinson|Lee we understand that organisations are becoming increasingly focussed on communicating the right messages via the right medium, to the right people.  The marketing landscape has evolved dramatically in recent years, and we know that companies are seeking new and innovative ways of attracting new business and retaining their existing client base.

By developing clear points of competitive advantage, positive brand reputations and long-lasting relationships with potential clients, organisations are better able to drive profitable sales growth and ROI.  To deliver on these goals, Marketing & Digital has been at the forefront of business plans. Organisations have had to adapt their commercial functions, digitally, technologically and changing the pace and relations marketing have with sales teams.

Marketing & Digital Leadership is no longer a ‘nice to have’ as over the last few years, Marketing is now seen in many organisations to have a seat at the board table.

Senior professionals in both ‘full mix’ or ‘specialist’ areas of marketing & digital, are in high demand and in a continuously changing landscape this impacts talent acquisition.

At Parkinson|Lee we have a dedicated Partner and search team that are committed to the sector, we have an unrivalled track record of uncovering the best marketing & digital talent for our clients.

We combine exceptional in-depth sector & functional knowledge, market leading research expertise and a huge passion for what we do.  Through this, we have created an extensive Marketing & Digital Leadership network across the UK  and cemented our reputation as a highly regarded Executive Search specialist within the sector.

Our most recent successful assignments that have included the following appointments:

 

  • Marketing Director
  • E-Commerce Director
  • Digital Marketing Director
  • CMO – Chief Marketing Officer
  • Director of Internal Communications
  • Brand & Category Director
  • Director of Propositions
  • Digital Experience / UX Director
  • Media Director
  • PR & Communications Director

 

For further information please contact Parkinson|Lee’s Executive Search team on:

t: 01709 303 330

IT & Transformation Leadership Toggle
Our IT Practice is a thriving operation with a superior service, working with companies large and small across a wide variety of sectors.

Click here to read our recent successfully completed IT & Transformation Leadership mandates

 

Businesses across the globe are facing new and ever-evolving challenges on a scale never seen before. Technology has never been so prominent, in the way it allows organisations to operate efficiently, be highly adaptable, and communicate on a whole new level.

In short, businesses that master this world of evolving connectivity and technology are more likely to be successful.

Technology enables and often drives change for businesses and consumers, its vastly increasing importance has had a profound impact on IT across most business sectors.

IT leaders are now Business Leaders.

In this context, IT Directors are now responsible for translating the corporate vision and goals into effective strategies and solutions for their achievement. They must also instil commercial agility into systems and projects, adapting nimbly to ever-changing conditions, and communicate crisply, helping the Board to feel confident and comfortable with the committed expenditure.  Of course, the day-to-day machines must still work, each day every day. But even the core challenge of reliability has changed dramatically: any responsible CEO will demand a robust approach from IT for cybersecurity, mitigating risk and protecting both the reputation and integrity of the enterprise.

More recently there has been a rise in the demand for transformation specialists, which is requested in many forms from business, customer, technical and digital transformation. Transformation specialists and technology leaders are often the link between technology and strategic business goals.

Technology leaders now have a seat at the top table and are often pivotal to an organisation being successful and achieving its objectives.

We reflect IT. Precisely.

At Parkinson|Lee we appreciate the changing role and new status of the IT leader. As a result, our IT Practice is a thriving operation with a superior service, working with companies large and small – from prestigious PLCs and PE-backed portfolio companies to SMEs and start-ups. Not only do we work with a diverse range of companies, but also in a wide variety of sectors.

Our most recent successful assignments have included the following appointments:

 

  • IT Director
  • CTO (Chief Technology Officer)
  • Director of IT and Services
  • Director of Transformation
  • CIO (Chief Information Officer)
  • Director of Information
  • Customer Experience & Transformation Director
  • Digital Transformation Director
  • Director of Technology

 

For further information please contact Parkinson|Lee’s Executive Search team on:

t: 01709 303 330

Human Resources & People Leadership Toggle
The level of expertise in our HR practice brings with it an unparalleled candidate network. In fact, it is arguably the most comprehensive in our region.

Click here to read our recent successfully completed HR & People Leadership mandates

 

As a thriving constituent of Parkinson|Lee – Executive Search, our Human Resources practice continues to grow significantly in fact, we are now the most active and respected provider in Yorkshire. Our clients stretch across a wide variety of industry sectors and company types – from FTSE 500 and PE – backed portfolio companies to well-known regional names and SMEs.

There are many reasons for the ongoing success of our HR practice. Certainly, the calibre of our HR partner plays an important part –  a MCIPD qualified practitioner with over 20 years of recruitment and industry experience. This level of expertise brings with it an unparalleled candidate network. In fact, it is arguably the most comprehensive in our region. Our regular seminars, conferences and networking events in partnership with the CIPD and a leading law firm give us the opportunity to network with high calibre Senior HR Executives. They also give us the opportunity to stay abreast of legislation updates and industry news, giving us robust and relevant information to help our clients make business critical decisions.

Most importantly however, the success of our HR Practice can be explained by one fact – our outstanding success rate.

Our most recent successful assignments have included the following appointments:

Director of Change Management

Human Resources Director

Head of Human Resources

Director of People

HR Business Partner

Head of Organisational Development

Director of Training & Development

Talent Acquisition Director

Head of Learning

Head of Reward Management

 

For further information please contact Parkinson|Lee’s Executive Search team on:

t: 01709 303 330

Engineering & Manufacturing Directors and Functional Heads Toggle
Across Engineering and Manufacturing, Parkinson|Lee has an excellent track record of success in the identification, attraction and appointment of today’s topflight leaders

Click here to read our recent successfully completed Engineering & Manufacturing Director and Functional Head mandates

 

We are dedicated to the Yorkshire region and given its industrial landscape, it’s not surprising that our Engineering and Manufacturing practice is central to Parkinson|Lee’s continuing success. As economic growth has fuelled the demand for effective leadership in these sectors, the challenge for that leadership has become more demanding. Technical authority is largely taken as read; commercial success is now contingent on visionary leadership, strategic coherence and inclusive people management. From our vantage point, arrogance and autocracy and command and control are for yesterday’s people.

Across Engineering and Manufacturing– both by sectors and functions – Parkinson|Lee has an excellent track record of success in the identification, attraction and appointment of today’s topflight leaders. That success in Executive Search can, of course, be attributed to the depth of our industry knowledge and the breadth of our networks, the rigour of our research and the detail of our processes, or the subtlety of our judgements about short-listed candidates.

Above all, however, it’s down to one crucial thing. Experience. Experience of a wide range of sectors and an even wider range of clients. And experience supporting a sophisticated Search team, unrivalled in our specific region.

In the past 12 months, we have completed successful assignments across our specialist areas:

Engineering

Directors of Engineering

Head of Projects

Projects Directors

Design & Developments Directors

Head of Engineering

Head of Pre-Construction

Technical Director

Head of Technical

Director of Technical Operations

 

Manufacturing

Site Directors

General Managers

Operations Directors

Manufacturing Directors

Production Directors

 

For further information please contact Parkinson|Lee’s Executive Search team on:

t: 01709 303 330

Procurement & Supply Chain Leadership Toggle
Procurement & Supply Chain leadership are now central to the strategy formation of any company seeking significant growth.

Procurement & Supply Chain leadership are now central to the strategy formation of any company seeking significant growth, especially given the potentially global complexities of that supply chain. It also reflects the quest for predictability (the strenuous imperative to avoid disruption and to achieve certainty, to minimise variance and maximise value). It sounds simple, but it’s not – although in our experience, the very best leaders make it seem so, communicating a crisp vision, a clear sense of direction and compelling ideas to motivate customers, vendors and staff.

In the last 15 years, these leadership roles – covering Buying and Purchasing, Planning, Logistics and Distribution – have continued to become more significant for company profitability, more influential in the Boardroom and certainly more important to Parkinson|Lee. In fact, Procurement & Supply Chain is now one of our fastest-growing practices.

In the last 12 months, we have completed successful assignments that have included the following appointments:

Procurement

Chief Procurement Officer

Commercial Director

Global Category Manager

Procurement Director

Vice President Global Procurement

Purchasing Director

Director of Buying

Vice President European Procurement

 

Supply Chain

Director of Logistics

Vice President Global Supply Chain

Vice President EU Supply Chain

Operations Director

Supply Chain Consultant

Planning and Logistics Director

 

For further information please contact Parkinson|Lee’s Executive Search team on:

t: 01709 303 330

Operational Leadership Toggle
We understand that even small operational changes can make a significant impact on maintaining a strong bottom line. The most effective way of making these changes is to appoint the right leader.

Efficient. Effective. Productive. Profitable. The success of any organisation depends on achieving excellence in all these areas. That’s where a skilful and experienced operations leader comes in. Because in today’s competitive landscape, where margins are tight and competition is high, a skilled operations leader can be the difference between turning a healthy profit or making a substantial loss.

To effectively compete in a dynamic global marketplace, organisations must have a robust operations strategy that supports the overall corporate vision, maximising efficiencies and driving down costs. That’s where Parkinson|Lee comes in. Whether you are an SME or a PLC, Parkinson|Lee understands that even the smallest of operational changes can make a significant impact on maintaining a strong bottom line.  The most effective way of making these changes is to appoint the right leader. A leader who can deliver the corporate vision through clear and effective communication. A leader who can bring about genuine organisational change from their productive and empowered workforce.  A leader who can deliver efficiencies across the whole value chain, creating a compelling and unique competitive advantage.

As such, Parkinson|Lee have exceptional experience recruiting for the following roles:

Chief Operations Officer

Vice President of Operations

Head of Operations

Operations Director

General Manager

Manufacturing Director

Production  Director

Technical Director

Quality Director

HSE Director

Plant Manager

 

For further information please contact Parkinson|Lee’s Executive Search team on:

t: 01709 303 330

Non-Executive Directors Toggle
We have a proven track record of sourcing high calibre, Non-Executive Directors for organisations across our region. Parkinson|Lee know first-hand the impact a NED can have on an organisation. We have a proven track record of sourcing high calibre, Non-Executive Directors for organisations across our region.

Click here to read our recent successfully completed Non-Executive Director mandates

 

Given our deep level of experience appointing Non-Executive Directors to a wide variety of organisations, Parkinson|Lee know first-hand the impact a NED can have on an organisation. From policymaking to planning, strategy development to performance management and mergers and acquisitions, a skilful and experienced NED can advise on a variety of crucial business decisions.

Parkinson|Lee also understands that there are many other decisions to be made when appointing a Non-Executive Director.  You could choose someone from within your industry, a proven expert bringing years of relevant experience and specific knowledge. Or you could choose a wildcard from outside, bringing with them a plethora of ideas and insights from outside your own area of expertise.

There is one decision however that is relatively easy to make. When choosing a trusted partner for your Non-Executive Director Search, look no further than Parkinson|Lee Executive Search. We have a proven track record of sourcing high calibre, Non-Executive Directors for organisations across our region.

 

For further information please contact Parkinson|Lee’s Executive Search team on:

t: 01709 303 330

Interim Management Toggle
We can help you engage someone, quickly and efficiently. We also have a proven track record in the installation of teams.

A multitude of reasons to partner with us

Almost certainly, Parkinson Lee makes more Interim placements than anyone else with companies in Yorkshire. With our experience and expertise, we know that so many scenarios stimulate the need for an Interim Manager: turnarounds or transformational change, M&As or MBOs, integrations or restructuring. You may need a Project Manager with particular expertise, a specialist for specific strategies or a Professional Interim to bridge the gap after an unexpected resignation. You may even need someone to tackle a corporate crisis or an insolvency. But whatever the scenario, we can help you engage someone, quickly and efficiently. We also have a proven track record in the installation of teams.

A multitude of clients

Our confidence arises from that depth of experience. And its breadth. Because our clients are, to say the least, diverse in their sector and character – from flagship PLCs and regional icons, to SMEs and start-ups. We also have a strong track record with PE – backed portfolio companies, given our intimate grasp of the needs and nuances of private equity firms.

Our candidates: previous service and proven success

Of course, candidates are key and we can open the door to a proven network of C-suite and senior individuals: outstanding business leaders and functional heads, capable of making an immediate impact, achieving agreed outcomes and offering an excellent ROI. We have access to professional Interims deeply-experienced in the following roles:

CEOs & Managing Directors

Human Resource Directors

CFOs & Finance Directors

Chief Marketing Officers

Sales Directors

Company Secretaries

Directors of Purchasing

Supply Chain Director

 

For further information please contact Parkinson|Lee’s Executive Search team on:

t: 01709 303 330

Not For Profit & Public Sector Toggle
We encourage an ethical & transparent search process that demonstrates the values of equality and diversity.

Parkinson|Lee partner with a broad spectrum of Public Sector and Not For Profit organisations in the recruitment of Senior & Board Level Executives. 

We encourage an ethical & transparent search process that demonstrates the values of equality and diversity and in turn attracts candidates from a wide variety of business sectors.

Parkinson|Lee’s market positioning, network and online search capability means we have access to candidates both locally, nationally and internationally. This ensures we have complete coverage of the market when conducting searches.

Our approach is a transparent one.
We commence every brief with an
agreed collaborative search strategy – this provides our clients with information and detail at every stage of the process and allows us to identify the right talent that meets our client’s requirements.

Typical sectors we operate in are:

  • Charities
  • NHS
  • Education
  • Housing
  • Governmental Bodies
  • Skills Councils

For further information please contact Parkinson|Lee’s Executive Search team on:

t: 01709 303 330

Contact our

South Yorkshire Office

01709 303 330

  • The Heriot Building
  • Dodds Cl
  • Rotherham
  • South Yorkshire
  • S60 1BX

London Office

0203 488 3570

  • 1st Floor
  • 99 Bishopsgate
  • London
  • EC2M 3XD