How we run an executive search for AI and technology leaders

Clario recruits Heads of, Directors, VPs and C-suite leaders in AI and technology for UK scale-ups and mid-market companies. This page explains how a search works, what we need from you and what you can expect from the Clario team.

The people best suited to these roles are almost always employed, and they rarely reply to adverts. Executive search means we find them, approach them directly and make the case for your role, once we have agreed with you exactly what that role is.

The roles we cover

We recruit Chief AI Officers and Heads of AI, CTOs and VPs of Engineering, and Chief Data Officers, Heads of Data and CIOs, along with the Director and Head of roles around them. Titles vary from one company to the next, so we focus on what the person will be responsible for. If the role leads a team, sits on or reports to the executive team, or owns decisions the board cares about, it is likely to be a good fit for us. Most of these roles pay £100,000 or more.

Sector matters less than people expect. A manufacturer running older systems and a software company that has outgrown its first CTO may need very similar leaders. What they share is an existing technology team that needs the right person in charge.

Getting the role right first

Many senior hires struggle because the title and the job do not match. A company advertises for a CTO when the real need is someone to run the engineering team day to day. Or a board asks for a Chief AI Officer before deciding what that person will be allowed to decide. In both cases the strongest candidates notice quickly and lose interest.

So before the search begins, we give you an honest view of the role you have described. If we think a different title, reporting line or salary would attract better people, we will say so and explain why. Sometimes that conversation shows that a search is not the right next step yet, and we will tell you that too.

How a search runs

1. The brief. We meet the person the new hire will report to, and the chief executive if that is someone different. We write down what the role must achieve in its first year or two, the reporting line, the current team and how it will grow, the salary range, the location and any companies you would prefer we did not approach. You check and correct it before we contact anyone.
2. Research and approach. We map the people who have done this job, or the one just below it, in comparable businesses. We approach them directly and in confidence, and describe the role honestly, including its difficulties.
3. Shortlist. You receive a short list of candidates we have interviewed. For each one we set out why they could do the job, where they would need support, what they are likely to ask for and how soon they could start.
4. Interviews. We help you plan an interview process that is thorough without being slow. It works best when the people the new hire will work with most closely are involved, and the number of stages is kept down.
5. Offer and notice period. Senior offers can fall through over notice periods, bonuses the candidate would leave behind, counter-offers, or changes to the role after a verbal acceptance. We manage those conversations through to the start date.

We agree terms with you in writing before the search starts.

Where we work

We work with companies across the UK, including London, Birmingham and Manchester. Meetings take place at your offices or by video call.

To start a conversation, email the Clario team with the job title, who it reports to, where the team is based and the salary range. A finished job description can follow later.