Appointing a Learning and Development Manager in private equity

The challenge

The client was seeking a Learning and Development Manager to join their growing People team. The role required a strategic and hands-on professional with experience in leadership development, coaching and curriculum design across international offices. The challenge was to identify top-tier talent who could operate at a senior level and align with the firms high-performance culture, but understand the nuance of a “boutique” environment. Given the niche nature of the role and the need for discretion, we tapped into our passive network and referrals to find the best top-tier talent.

The solution

We leveraged our established roundtable network to discreetly engage with high-calibre
professionals in the market. These roundtables, designed to foster peer-to-peer learning and industry insight sharing, allowed us to build trusted relationships with senior L&D professionals. Through this approach, we were able to identify and engage passive candidates who matched the brief. We maintained close communication with the client throughout the process, offering objective advice and ensuring transparency. Even during periods of leave, we remained actively involved to support the final stages of decision-making and offer negotiation.

The outcome

The client successfully appointed a Learning and Development Manager who is due to start shortly. The individual brings a strong blend of strategic vision and operational excellence, with experience across financial services and international markets. The client appreciated the quality of candidates presented, the tailored approach to market engagement, and the smooth, well-supported process from start to finish.

client testimonial

“I did want to take this opportunity though to say a heartfelt thank you to Abigail Benham for her work in finding us our new L&D Manager. I thought she was excellent in identifying a good range of candidates who met the brief, in supporting them and us as a firm through the process and in helping us navigate the final decision and offer stages. She seemed to really grasp what we were looking for and to provide objective advice to both sides. She also went above and beyond in staying involved even during her holiday – which was not expected!”

CHRO | European private equity firm