Approach

Henningsen Search is built for high-consequence appointments. The work is partner-led, deliberately selective, and executed with discretion. Each mandate follows a disciplined sequence designed to reduce ambiguity, surface risk early, and enable a decisive close.

1) Calibration

Every search begins with clarity. I work with the Chair and key stakeholders to define success in context: the real outcomes required, the constraints that matter, and the trade-offs the organisation is prepared to make. This includes the role scorecard, the mandate narrative, and alignment on process, confidentiality and decision rights.

2) Market Mapping

I then build a precise map of the addressable market, adjacent sectors included, so the search is based on evidence rather than familiarity. Outreach is targeted and discreet. The aim is thorough coverage, rapid signal, and a short list shaped by capability and fit, not availability.

3) Assessment

Candidates are assessed against the scorecard using a structured, comparable method. I test for what matters most in senior appointments: judgment, operating cadence, stakeholder management, values, resilience under pressure, and the specific failure modes that undermine performance in the role’s context. Psychometric testing (recommended but not required) also offers additional key data. The process is rigorous, but not performative.

4) Referencing

Referencing is treated as due diligence, not a formality. I conduct deep, structured reference checks designed to validate trajectory and impact, uncover blind spots, and confirm how the candidate behaves when conditions deteriorate.

5) Alignment and Close

Finalist decisions are made easier when the process is clean. I support the Board/CEO through final calibration, offer shaping, and risk management, ensuring expectations are explicit, transition plans are practical, and closure is decisive. The goal is not simply appointment; it is an outcome the Board/CEO can stand behind.

Working Style

I operate a deliberately low-volume model. Every mandate is led personally end-to-end, supported by a modern research and delivery engine. This concentrates time on the parts of the work that matter most: calibration, assessment, referencing, and closure.

Fees

Fixed-fee structures are available for defined mandates.