Case Study: Delivering Leadership Talent Across EMEA for a leading International Investment Bank
Brief
A leading global financial institution aimed to expand its investment banking footprint across EMEA, with senior leadership hires needed in London and Paris. The client faced a complex challenge: each market had distinct compensation expectations, cultural dynamics, and regulatory requirements, yet they required a consistent global leadership standard.
They needed a search partner who could combine international reach with local insight, ensuring hires were both high-calibre and culturally aligned without compromising on the delivery speed of the hires.
Approach
Croft & Co deployed a research-led, multi-jurisdictional approach to address the challenge:
- Market Mapping & Intelligence: We mapped each market’s talent landscape, identifying both active and passive candidates with the right mix of investment banking expertise, leadership experience, and cross-border exposure. This included detailed profiles on candidate mobility, local competitors, and market trends.
- Regional Insights & Customisation: We provided tailored guidance on compensation benchmarking, tax implications, and cultural expectations. This enabled the client to craft competitive and locally relevant packages while maintaining a consistent global Employee Value Proposition.
- Collaborative Execution: Croft & Co acted as an integrated extension of the client’s HR and business leadership teams, holding workshops with hiring managers across markets. This ensured alignment on candidate profiles, selection criteria, and interview processes, while giving local teams confidence in the process.
- High-Touch Candidate Engagement: We nurtured relationships with top talent in each region, maintaining engagement with candidates through market insights, personalised updates, and professional discretion to secure commitments quickly.
Results
Within six months, the client successfully appointed three senior leaders in France and the UK, including a head of investment banking in France.
Each hire combined deep technical expertise with cultural fit, enabling smooth integration into local teams while supporting the firm’s broader strategic goals. The client avoided common pitfalls such as fragmented hiring and inconsistent compensation, and the time-to-hire for senior leadership roles was reduced by an estimated 30% compared to previous campaigns.
By blending international reach with local market knowledge, Croft & Co ensured the client achieved both speed and quality — laying the foundation for sustainable growth across two key EMEA regions.
Key Takeaways
- Multi-jurisdictional hiring requires a balance of global consistency and local nuance.
- Deep market intelligence and passive candidate engagement are critical for securing top talent.
- Collaborative partnerships with hiring managers ensure alignment and faster decision-making.
- A research-led, high-touch approach reduces risk and accelerates time-to-hire.
