Executive Search
Board, CEO and C-suite search across MENA and Europe, including IPO readiness and governance support.
People are the solution
Recruitment, executive search & HR advisory
We connect organisations across the GCC and Europe with the leadership, talent and people frameworks they need to grow, from a single critical hire to building a company from zero.
2009Founded, with offices in London, Manama, Riyadh and Oslo
100+Start-ups supported with establishment hiring in a single year
12Specialist sectors, from energy and mining to gaming and fintech
85%Local-talent target across our offices
What we do
Six connected services
From a single urgent hire to building an organisation from zero. Clients use one service or combine several with a single accountable team.
Start-up Team Building
Establishment teams for new ventures and joint ventures, from founding leadership to operational staff.
Contingency Search
Fast, no-upfront-fee search for urgent and high-priority vacancies. You pay only when you hire.
HR Advisory
Organisation development, succession, reward, performance, retention and learning frameworks.
HR Support
Salary surveys, job descriptions, reference checks, and visa and work-permit support.
Career Coaching
A bespoke 1.5-day programme with a coach from your own industry: industry positioning, career growth, AI adaptation and interview training.
Explore Career Coaching
Offices in London, Manama, Riyadh and Oslo
Delivery across the GCC, MENA and Europe
Retained, contingency and advisory models
Our reach
Four offices, one accountable team
From London, Manama, Riyadh and Oslo we run searches across the GCC, wider MENA and Europe, with consultants who know each market's roles, pay and regulation.
LondonManamaRiyadhOslo
How we search
A six-stage search methodology
A structured process that keeps every mandate measurable, confidential and on schedule.
Stage
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01Briefing & calibrationStakeholder interviews, success profile, scorecard and compensation benchmark.
02Market mappingTarget-company list, organisation charts and a mapped talent universe.
03Approach & engagementConfidential outreach, motivation testing and first-stage screening.
04AssessmentCompetency-based interviews, psychometrics and technical review.
05Shortlist & interviewsCalibrated shortlist with candidate reports; interview logistics managed.
06Offer & onboardingReferencing, offer negotiation, notice-period management and follow-up.
Indicative timeline for a retained executive search. Contingency mandates typically run on a shorter cycle.
Sector expertise
Industries we serve
Twelve specialist sectors, each with consultants who know the roles, the pay and the people.
Construction
Infrastructure, mega-projects and EPC solutions.
Typical rolesProject Directors · Commercial & QS Leads · HSE Managers
Defense & Security
Aerospace, cybersecurity and unmanned systems.
Typical rolesProgramme Directors · Cybersecurity Architects · Systems Engineers
Financial Services
Investment banking, fintech and wealth management.
Typical rolesRetail & Corporate Banking Heads · Risk & Compliance · Wealth Advisers
Energy & Water
Renewable energy, hydrogen and water solutions.
Typical rolesRenewables Project Leads · Hydrogen Engineers · Desalination Managers
Investment Banking
M&A, corporate finance, venture capital and capital markets.
Typical rolesM&A Directors · ECM & DCM Specialists · VC Partners
Gaming & Entertainment
Game development, esports and gaming platforms.
Typical rolesHeads of Studio · Game Designers · LiveOps & Monetisation Leads
Logistics & Supply Chain
Freight, e-commerce logistics and cold chain.
Typical rolesSupply Chain Directors · Fulfilment Heads · Cold-Chain Specialists
Mining
Exploration, operations, environmental and logistics.
Typical rolesChief Geologists · Heads of Exploration · Processing & Refining Managers
Medical & Health Tech
Healthcare, biotech and emerging health technologies.
Typical rolesMedical Directors · Regulatory Affairs Leads · Health-Tech Product Managers
Real Estate
Residential, commercial and industrial developments.
Typical rolesDevelopment Directors · Asset Managers · Heads of Leasing
Facilities Management
Facilities, utilities and operational maintenance.
Typical rolesFM Directors · MEP Engineers · Contracts & Operations Managers
Technology
Cloud computing, cybersecurity and software development.
Typical rolesCTOs · Cloud & DevOps Engineers · Data & AI Specialists
Track record
Organisations we have built
Five engagements where we took a client from a handful of people, or none, to a full leadership team and workforce.
Scaling a Saudi logistics joint venture
22,958
employees, from launch
- Challenge
- A new JV between a logistics company and a Chinese conglomerate needed to hire at pace for an aggressive expansion in Saudi Arabia.
- What we did
- Organisation design, 10 executive hires (Group CEO, CSO, CMO, CTO and CCXO), 50+ key hires and an applicant tracking system. Time-to-hire fell by 30%.
Building a digital payments ecosystem
0350
employees across five countries
- Challenge
- A digital wallet JV launched with no employees and needed leadership and teams in several markets at once.
- What we did
- Group CEO and board of advisors; COO, CSO and CTO; country CEOs for Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE and Egypt; and teams in technology, HR, marketing and business development.
Building a global gaming studio
2200+
employees in Saudi Arabia and Europe
- Challenge
- A mobile-first studio needed a world-class team to develop and publish free-to-play and play-and-earn games.
- What we did
- Group CEO, CPO, CMO and CTO, Heads of Studio and Publishing, plus developers, designers and analysts from leading studios in the US, UK, Europe and Asia.
Leadership for a global mining start-up
0150
employees, including 15 senior leaders
- Challenge
- A minerals and metals start-up needed leadership across mining, smelting and refining in South America, Thailand and Indonesia.
- What we did
- Market mapping and competitor analysis, then a Group CEO, international board advisors, Chief Geologist, Head of Exploration and a Smelting & Refining Deputy CEO.
A MENA tech hub for a Tier 1 US bank
0200
staff, on track for 1,000 in ten years
- Challenge
- A global bank with 200,000+ employees wanted a regional technology centre and needed to map local tech talent.
- What we did
- Talent mapping and hiring across technology leadership, DevOps, testing, business analysis, Python and C development, and mobile engineering.
85%
Local talent, locally developed
We hold ourselves to an 85% local-talent target across our offices, and help clients turn nationalisation targets into workforce plans, graduate pipelines and career paths that hold.
SaudisationEmiratisationOmanisationBahrainisationQatarisation
HR Advisory
People frameworks that deliver strategy
Six connected services, sized to your organisation and built to run in your HR systems, including SAP SuccessFactors. Choose one or combine them into an integrated programme.
Organisation Development
A clear structure is the foundation of every other people decision. We design the operating model, roles and decision rights your strategy needs, sized to your scale and without unnecessary layers.
- Organisation diagnostic and operating model design
- Structure, spans of control and reporting lines
- Job architecture, role profiles and job descriptions
- Delegation of authority and decision-rights matrices
- Governance interfaces with boards and committees
- Workforce planning and headcount roadmaps
The outcomeA lean, clearly governed organisation in which every role, reporting line and authority is defined.
Metrics we track
Span of controlAverage direct reports per manager, benchmarked by function.
Organisational layersLevels between the CEO and the front line, and where they add cost.
Cost-to-serveHR and support cost per employee against peer benchmarks.
Decision latencyApproval steps and time taken for key decisions.
Succession Planning
Losing a key person should never put continuity at risk. We identify the roles you cannot leave uncovered, assess who could step in, and build the plans that make succession real.
- Critical-role and key-person risk identification
- Talent reviews and 9-box calibration
- Successor readiness assessment and shortlists
- Emergency cover and interim leadership protocols
- Individual development plans linked to succession
- Board-level succession reporting and dashboards
The outcomeNamed successors, agreed contingency cover and a visible leadership pipeline.
Metrics we track
Ready-now coverageShare of critical roles with at least one ready-now successor.
Bench strengthSuccessors per critical role, by readiness horizon.
Internal fill rateSenior vacancies filled from inside the organisation.
Key-person risk indexCritical roles rated by vacancy impact and flight risk.
Compensation & Reward
Reward must be competitive, fair internally and defensible to the board. We build grading, pay and incentive architecture benchmarked to the markets you compete in.
- Job evaluation and grading structures
- Market pay benchmarking across the GCC and sectors
- Salary bands, allowances and benefits policy
- Short- and long-term incentive design
- Deferred and retention-linked reward mechanisms
- Reward governance, policies and approvals
The outcomeA transparent, market-anchored reward framework the board can approve with confidence.
Metrics we track
Compa-ratioActual pay against the midpoint of each salary band.
Market positionPay percentile against the chosen peer market.
Internal equity gapPay variance between comparable roles and grades.
Pay-for-performance linkHow closely variable pay tracks performance ratings.
Performance Management & KPIs
What gets measured shapes how people behave. We translate strategy into measurable objectives at every level and build the appraisal cycle that turns them into decisions.
- Balanced scorecard and OKR design
- Cascade from corporate objectives to individual KPIs
- Quantitative, qualitative and behavioural measures
- Appraisal cycle, calibration and rating design
- Links between performance, pay and progression
- Outputs configured for SAP SuccessFactors and other HRIS
The outcomeObjective goals for every role, consistently assessed and connected to reward and development.
Metrics we track
Goal alignmentShare of individual goals linked to corporate objectives.
KPI coverageRoles with measurable, agreed KPIs.
Rating distributionSpread of ratings after calibration, by unit.
Cycle completionReviews completed on time across the organisation.
Retention & Engagement
Attrition is expensive and usually predictable. We show why people stay or leave, spot risk in critical roles early, and put in place the levers that keep your best people.
- Retention-risk analysis for critical roles
- Engagement and culture surveys
- Turnover and exit-interview analytics
- Career paths and internal mobility frameworks
- Employee value proposition design
- Recognition and non-financial reward programmes
The outcomeEarlier warning of attrition risk, and a compelling reason for key people to stay.
Metrics we track
Regretted attritionLeavers the organisation wanted to keep, as a share of headcount.
First-year attritionNew hires leaving within twelve months.
Engagement indexSurvey-based engagement score, tracked by unit.
Flight-risk indexCritical roles rated by likelihood of departure.
Training & Development
Capability has to keep pace with strategy. We start from the competencies your roles demand, measure the gaps, and design development tied to careers and business priorities.
- Training needs analysis and skills-gap audits
- Competency frameworks and dictionaries
- Individual development plans and learning calendars
- Leadership and management development programmes
- Technical skills and certification pathways
- Impact measurement and return on learning
The outcomeA workforce and leadership bench whose skills keep pace with the strategy.
Metrics we track
Competency gap closureReduction in assessed gaps against the framework.
Learning hours per FTEStructured development time per employee per year.
Certification progressProfessional qualifications started and completed.
Learning impactChange in performance or readiness after programmes.
01
Diagnose
Interviews and a review of structures, policies and pay data to set the baseline.
02
Design
Frameworks co-designed with leadership and tested against market practice.
03
Align
Outputs structured for SAP SuccessFactors or your HRIS, ready to load.
04
Implement
Workshops, manager toolkits and communication to launch the change.
05
Transfer
Training for HR and managers, and a governance rhythm to keep frameworks current.
Career coaching for candidates
Your next role, coached by your industry.
A bespoke 1.5-day programme with a coach who has worked in your industry. We focus on four areas: your position in your industry, your career growth, adapting to AI, and performing at interview.
Four focus areas, tailored to your career
Every programme is bespoke. Before the first session your coach reviews your CV and goals, then weights the time across the four areas to suit you.
Industry Positioning
Understand how your industry is hiring and where your experience fits.
- Roles, demand and hiring trends in your sector
- Where your experience stands out
- Target positions and employers
- A CV and LinkedIn profile positioned for them
Career Growth
Map your next position and the path beyond it.
- Progression paths in your industry
- Your next two roles, clearly defined
- Skills and experience gaps to close
- Pay and progression benchmarks
AI Adaptation
How AI is reshaping roles in your field, and how to stay ahead.
- AI impact on your role and sector
- Tools worth adopting now
- Showing AI skills credibly
- Using AI well in your job search
Interview Training
Prepare for the interviews your industry actually runs.
- Competency and STAR answers
- Technical, case and panel interviews
- Video and AI-screened interviews
- Mock interviews with detailed feedback
Your coach
Coached by someone who has done the job
Our coaches are industry experts, not generic career coaches. We match you with a coach from your own industry, who knows the roles, the hiring managers' expectations and the questions you will face.
They draw on the same market knowledge Finaxe uses to run executive searches across twelve sectors.
Matched by industryYour coach has worked in your sector, from energy and banking to gaming and health tech.
Matched by seniorityGraduate, mid-career or executive: your coach has sat on the panel for roles at your level.
Matched by marketCoaching grounded in hiring practice in the GCC, Europe or the Nordics.
The 1.5 days
How the programme runs
One and a half days of one-to-one coaching, prepared in advance and built around your target roles.
01
Briefing
Before the sessions: a questionnaire, your CV and target roles, and a call to set goals.
02
Industry positioning
Day 1 morning: how your industry is hiring, where you fit, and a CV and LinkedIn profile to match.
03
Career growth
Day 1 afternoon: progression paths, your next two roles and the gaps to close.
04
AI adaptation
Day 1 afternoon: how AI is changing your role, and the tools and skills to adopt.
05
Interview training
Day 2 morning: interview masterclass and mock interviews with your coach, then your action plan.
What you leave with
- A clear view of where you fit in your industry
- A CV and LinkedIn profile positioned for your target roles
- A growth map with your next two roles
- A plan to close your skills and experience gaps
- An AI toolkit for your role and industry
- A bank of interview answers for your industry
- Written feedback from your mock interviews
- A 90-day action plan for your next move
Who it's for
For candidates at every stage
Whether you are preparing for one important interview or planning your next five years.
Graduates & early careers
Turn study and internships into a CV and interview performance that stand out.
Mid-career professionals
Step up to management or a bigger role, and show the impact you have had.
Senior leaders & executives
Prepare for board, C-suite and panel interviews, and negotiate executive packages.
Career changers
Move into a new industry or function and make your experience count there.
Professionals relocating
Move between the GCC, Europe and the Nordics with a clear view of each market.
Nationals in the GCC
Compete for private-sector leadership roles as nationalisation programmes grow.
Career Coaching is a service for individuals and is separate from the searches we run for clients. It does not guarantee an interview or job offer.
Send enquiry
Tell us about your career
Share your industry and the roles you are aiming for. We will match you with a coach and get back to you with dates and fees.
Contact
Talk to us about your next hire or HR programme
reach@finaxe.com
www.finaxe.com
United Kingdom
First Central 2002 Lakeside Drive
London, NW10 7FQ
+44 203 150 1269
Registered No: 700 1641
Bahrain
Bahrain Financial HarbourWest Tower, Manama
Kingdom of Bahrain
+973 1331 2331
Saudi Arabia
RiyadhKingdom of Saudi Arabia
Registered entity in Riyadh
Norway
Space, Fjordalléen 160250 Oslo, Norway
Org. no. 929 350 154