EXECUTIVE SEARCH | GCC | UAE & KSA FOCUS | NDA | CONFIDENTIAL | HIGH IMPACT
The Right Leaders
Change Everything.
We help boards, CEOs and investors and founders across the GCC find
exceptional leaders swiftly for their most critical roles — with discretion,
precision, without the noise.
Access Exceptional leaders not seeking
Results: Fewer Quality Interviews
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MAPPING OUT
The People You Need
Aren't Always Looking
The best leaders rarely arrive through an application. They are already leading businesses, building teams and delivering results. We identify them, engage them discretely and assess them against what your business actually needs - not simply by what their CV says.
Most organisations assume these are seven separate problems. In reality, they are often symptoms of the same underlying issue. Watch how we analyse a real executive mandate and identify hidden risks before a search even begins.
DEFINE
Understand the leadership mandate and the business outcomes
MAP
Identify the relevant executive market — beyond the obvious candidates
ENGAGE
Approach exceptional leaders discreetly to engage and create genuine interest
ASSESS
Test capability, motivation and fit against what the role actually demands
SHORTLIST
Present only the candidates worth your time
If you want to engage the right leader, our job is to locate them — and give them a reason to listen.
SELECT CLIENT CASES
Searches That
Matter.
Power & Energy
Head of Investor Relations
12-month stalled search with zero suitable candidates → credible finalist presented in 8 weeks
Fintech - Investments
Head of Fintech - Assets & Investments
Finalist Candidate located and presented in 14 days, appointed in 30 days
Real Estate Development
Board Critical Leadership
Stakeholder misalignment decision ready finalist
WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
KSA, UAE & UK Client
KSA Client
KSA Client
Select Sample Roles We Recruit
C-SUITE
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Chief Risk Officer (CRO)
Chief Operations Officer (COO)
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Chief Information Officer (CIO)
Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)
Chief Compliance Officer (CCO)
Chief Procurement Officer (CPO)
UPPER LEVEL MANAGEMENT ROLES
Regional Sales Managing Director
Head of Investments
Head of Real Estate Development
Head of Real Estate Investments
Head of Risk
Head of Finance
Head of Compliance
Head of Investor Relations
Head of Treasury
Fund / Investment Director
Director of Investor Relations
Corporate Finance Director
Managing Director
Director of Finance
Investment Sales Director
Director of Sales Placements
Director of Portfolio Management
MIDDLE - SENIOR LEVEL MANAGEMENT
Portfolio Fund Manager
Senior Auditor
Senior Accountant
Senior Analysts
Investor Relations Manager
Corporate Finance Manager
Relationship Managers
Private Bankers
READY TO HIRE YOUR NEXT EXECUTIVE
A Private Discussion
Before You Make
Your Next Move
Not every leadership decision starts with a job description. Whether you are replacing a senior leader, building a new leadership team or facing a critical appointment, we start with a confidential conversation about what you need to solve — before any search begins.
For CEOs, Boards, and Senior HR leaders. Strictly Confidential. No obligations
C SUITE, EXECUTIVE & BOARD FAQS
Frequently Asked Questions
01 How is Elm Hunt's methodology distinct from traditional executive search practices?
We initiate our process from the underlying business challenge rather than a generic job description. Before entering the market, we pre-calibrate what the leader must execute, the institutional capabilities required, and the specific governance qualities that will matter. We then systematically map the target market, engaging elite passive talent and evaluating them against the commercial realities of your mandate.
02 How quickly can Elm Hunt deliver a calibrated executive shortlist?
We build operational momentum immediately from mandate definition through advanced market mapping and discreet industry engagement. Rather than imposing artificial deadlines that compromise search integrity, we establish transparent, data-backed milestones that account for market constraints, stakeholder availability, and rigorous executive due diligence.
03 Where do your candidates come from, and how do you map the market?
Our search strategy is entirely independent of active job applications or legacy internal databases. We exhaustively map the target executive ecosystem to isolate high-performing, passive leaders who are insulated from conventional recruitment channels. Our pipelines are built by blending advanced market intelligence platforms, proprietary global networks, and peer-to-peer executive engagement.
04 What does an AI-augmented, human-led search framework mean in practice?
Artificial Intelligence serves as our technological accelerator, not our decision-maker. We leverage advanced tech stacks to synthesize vast market datasets, identify hidden talent signals, and map target organizations globally at speed. Seasoned human calibration then takes over to critically evaluate context, cross-border cultural alignment, commercial motivations, and strategic leadership capability.
05 How many candidates will be presented to our committee?
We do not inflate search value with extensive, uncalibrated resumes. Our objective is to deliver a precise shortlist of highly exceptional individuals who have been rigorously vetted against your mandate. By providing deeper qualitative data on fewer, more accurate candidates, we optimize your decision-making and protect your committee's operational hours.
06 How involved will our internal Human Resources or leadership team need to be?
We are structured to absorb the operational burden of the search, acting as a seamless extension of your talent division. After aligning on the initial evaluation criteria and scorecard frameworks, we manage the entire market mapping, vetting, and engagement process. We provide highly structured updates, allowing your leadership team to focus exclusively on interviewing top-tier talent and making the final appointment decision.
07 How do you protect corporate confidentiality during highly sensitive executive searches?
Discretion is central to our advisory model. For confidential successions or sensitive market entries, we anonymize the mandate entirely during the initial stages of outreach. Market engagement is managed via non-disclosure frameworks and peer-level professional briefings, ensuring your organization’s strategic vulnerabilities or upcoming shifts are completely shielded from the market.
08 What happens if live market data contradicts our original candidate brief?
We operate with absolute transparency. If our real-time market mapping reveals that a talent pool is structurally constrained, or that compensation parameters conflict with profile expectations, we alert you immediately with clear data. Rather than running a stalled search to satisfy an unviable brief, we work closely with you to dynamically realign the mandate and protect your timelines.
09 What level of support do you provide after the shortlist is officially presented?
Our advisory does not terminate at shortlist delivery. We actively manage executive positioning, interview calibration, and thorough stakeholder feedback loops. Furthermore, we act as an objective partner during complex offer negotiations, compensation structuring, and resignation transitions, ensuring the process moves smoothly toward a successful, long-term appointment.
HR & TALENT SEARCH FAQS
Frequently Asked Questions
01
How fast can you deliver credible finalists?
This depends on the complexity of the role itself. For most leadership mandates, we deliver an initial shortlist-quality set of finalists within 14–30 days. For highly challenging mandates, timelines may require greater flexibility depending on the location, complexity, and level of confidentiality involved. Our focus is on actively identifying the right-fit calibre of candidate rather than presenting candidates simply to meet a tight timeframe. Shortlist expectations are established during the 30-minute discovery consultation, based on realistic expectations and our initial findings.
02
What does “Confidential by default” actually mean?
No public advertising. Controlled outreach to passive leaders, identity protection in early stages, and NDA-ready execution when required.
03
Do you work retained, exclusive, or contingent?
All three—based on urgency, scarcity, and confidentiality. For board-critical or sensitive hires, retained/exclusive is usually the cleanest model for priority execution and discreet access.
04
What makes your shortlist different from typical agencies?
Fewer, stronger finalists. Operator-first screening with performance-proven finalists, tight calibration, and controlled market mapping—so you spend less time interviewing and reach decision-ready candidates faster.
05
Can you run a sensitive replacement without market noise?
Yes. We use quiet search protocols, controlled references, and identity protection to reduce internal disruption and external leakage.
06
Do you support offer-close and counteroffers?
Yes—motivation validation, offer positioning, notice-period navigation, and counteroffer risk management to prevent end-stage collapse.
07
What industries do you cover — are you limited to Asset Management and Real Estate?
We have deep strength in Asset Management, Investment and Finance and Real Estate Development, and we also deliver board-level mandates across adjacent sectors including FinTech, Construction, Power & Energy, and other leadership roles. If the role is high-stakes and GCC-based, we can assess it quickly.
08
What do you need from us to start?
A short brief is usually enough, and a mandate or Job Description is useful if you have one to hand. On the triage-discovery call we align: role outcomes, role objectives, must-haves, reporting line, confidentiality level, compensation reality, personality type and timeline.
09
How do fees work?
Fees depend on the engagement model (retained / exclusive / contingent), seniority, and market scarcity. We recommend the cleanest model after triage based on speed, risk, and confidentiality.
10
What happens after the 30-minute triage/consultation call?
You leave with a clear next step: shortlist standard, delivery timeline, and recommended search approach, with an NDA if needed. If we proceed, we move into calibration and market mapping immediately.
11
Can you find executives who aren't actively looking?
Yes. Many of the strongest candidates are already succeeding elsewhere. We identify them through targeted market mapping, approach them discreetly and establish whether the opportunity is compelling enough for them to listen.
12
How do you assess candidates beyond their CV?
We look beyond titles and career history. Candidates are assessed against the requirements of the mandate, including leadership capability, track record, motivation, stakeholder influence and their ability to deliver in the operating environment.
13
What if we already know a candidate?
That's not a problem. We can include known candidates while independently mapping the wider market, giving you a proper comparison rather than simply validating the names already on your list.
14
How do you protect confidentiality during a search?
Confidentiality is built into the process from the outset. Sensitive mandates, client information and candidate conversations are handled discreetly, with outreach controlled around the circumstances of each search.
15
What does Elm Hunt need from us to start a search?
We start with a clear understanding of the role, the business context and what success looks like. From there, we calibrate the mandate, agree the shortlist standard and begin mapping the relevant market.