Our Approach
We began by working closely with the leadership team to understand not only the experience required, but the gap the appointment needed to fill around the board table.
Rather than relying on active applicants, the search focused on senior leaders with relevant board, growth and energy-sector experience who were unlikely to be visible through traditional recruitment channels.
The emphasis throughout was on judgement, chemistry and contribution: identifying people who could add value from day one while fitting naturally alongside the existing executive team.
The Process
Mapped senior executives and board-level leaders across renewable energy, infrastructure and adjacent sectors
Approached selected individuals directly and confidentially, including candidates not actively considering a move
Assessed candidates against the board brief, with particular focus on strategic judgement, commercial perspective and cultural fit
Presented a focused shortlist rather than a broad field, allowing the client to spend time with a small number of genuinely relevant individuals
Supported both parties through a more conversational interview process appropriate for a Non-Executive appointment
Search Metrics
40+ senior leaders mapped across renewable energy, infrastructure and adjacent markets
18 individuals engaged in confidential conversations
6 candidates progressed to detailed assessment
3 candidates shortlisted for meetings with the board
The appointment was completed within an 8-week search process.
The Outcome
The search resulted in the appointment of an experienced senior leader who brought a combination of sector knowledge, commercial experience and board-level perspective.
The successful candidate was able to offer the business something deliberately different from another full-time executive: an independent viewpoint, experience drawn from outside the organisation and the confidence to challenge decisions constructively.
The appointment strengthened the board as the company moved into its next phase of growth, giving the leadership team an experienced sounding board across strategy, investment and commercial development.
Client Testimonial
“We wanted someone who would add a genuinely different perspective to the board rather than simply reinforce what we already had. Shillito Executive understood the brief, approached the market discreetly and introduced a small number of people who each brought something credible to the conversation.”
Managing Director
Confidential Renewable Energy Business
Confidential Renewable Energy Business
Appointing a Non-Executive Director to Support the Next Stage of Growth
The Challenge
A Sheffield-based renewable energy business was entering an important stage of its development. With an established leadership team, growing commercial opportunities and an increasingly complex market, the board recognised the value of adding an experienced Non-Executive Director who could bring independent challenge, perspective and relevant sector experience.
This was not a conventional executive appointment. The successful individual needed to complement the existing board rather than duplicate it, bringing the credibility to challenge constructively while understanding the realities of a growing energy business.
The brief centred on finding someone who could:
Bring senior leadership and board-level experience from renewable energy, infrastructure or a closely related market
Provide independent commercial challenge and support to the executive team
Contribute to strategic decisions around growth, investment and market development
Operate with the judgement and discretion expected of a trusted board adviser
Have a genuine affinity with the business and its long-term ambitions in Sheffield and the wider region
Given the importance and sensitivity of the appointment, Shillito Executive was engaged to run a discreet, targeted search.