Confidentialexecutive search.
Andralex advises business leaders, boards and investors. Every assignment is tailored to the decision at hand and led personally by François Chirumberro, from the first conversation to the final recommendation.
Who we advise
When you entrust a mandate to me, I lead it myself.
Before I approach anyone, I take time to understand what is at stake for you. We agree on the questions you need answered, whom I may contact and what I can share with them.
I conduct the interviews, take the references and report directly to you. If accounts differ, or an important question remains open, you will know before you make your decision.
How we can
work together.
An appointment, an acquisition or a leadership transition each calls for a different approach. We shape the work around the decision you face.
01Confidential executive search
Make a senior appointment that cannot be advertised.
When a board needs to replace a sitting CEO or a portfolio company is hiring its first CFO, François agrees the brief with you, identifies potential candidates and makes the approaches personally.
- Role specification and approach strategy
- An assessed shortlist and a comparison of finalists
- References and support through appointment and onboarding
02Pre-acquisition management intelligence
Understand the people behind a business before making an offer.
For an acquirer, establish how the executive team makes decisions, who holds key customer relationships and which leaders matter most after completion. Discreet enquiries focus on professional conduct. Findings are cross-checked and uncertainties made explicit.
- Dependence on key individuals
- Team cohesion and ability to deliver the investment plan
- Questions for due diligence and priorities for integration
03Succession planning
Prepare for a handover while there is still time to shape it.
For a board or a family owner, work through the options for succeeding a senior leader. Assess the future needs of the business, the readiness of potential successors and the timing of a handover.
- Success criteria and transition scenarios
- Internal succession bench and external alternatives
- Development priorities and a succession timetable
04Executive assessment
Assess a leader against the demands of a specific role.
Ahead of a promotion or a new phase of growth, examine decisions the executive has made and the results that followed. Interviews focus on situations the individual is likely to face in the role.
- In-depth interviews grounded in examples
- Strengths, concerns and conditions for success
- A reasoned assessment and development priorities
05In-depth referencing
Resolve the questions that distinguish two finalists.
With the candidate’s agreement, speak with former managers, peers and direct reports who saw them at work. Each conversation explores specific decisions and the circumstances in which they were made.
- An agreed selection of referees
- Structured interviews and cross-checking of accounts
- A clear view of consistent themes, reservations and open questions
06Talent and network mapping
Identify the right people before opening a search.
For a company entering a new sector or geography, identify the executives and professional networks worth understanding. The initial map can be prepared before anyone is approached.
- Target companies and relevant roles
- Career histories and documented professional relationships
- Priorities and routes for a subsequent approach
François
Chirumberro
Founder of Andralex
François Chirumberro began his career as a winemaker at Veuve Clicquot. He went on to build a service business for wine collectors, which was later acquired. As a partner at Boston Consulting Group in London, he advised consumer, retail and industrial businesses, with assignments in São Paulo and Shanghai.
His executive search experience at Spencer Stuart in Paris spans consumer and financial services. He has also advised private equity firms and family offices on strategy and investment decisions. He works in French, English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Senior attention throughout
You work directly with François throughout the mandate. He makes the approaches, conducts the interviews and presents his findings.
Discretion
We agree at the outset who needs to know about the assignment. Client and candidate identities are shared on the terms we have agreed.
Integrity
We disclose any conflict of interest we identify. Our reporting distinguishes established facts, individual accounts and our own judgement.
Speak with François in confidence.
A few words about the decision you face are enough for a first conversation. Your message goes directly to François.
francois@andralex.com