Senior appointments in high-trust private environments

Principals, and the people who act for them: Chiefs of Staff, Executive Assistants, Family Office Directors and trusted advisers. Most clients come to us directly or by referral, usually when a hire is senior, sensitive or both.

Three functions of a private or family office. Investment: Chief Investment Officers, portfolio managers and analysts. Administration and operations: Chiefs of Staff, Executive and Personal Assistants, Founder's Associates, Directors of Operations, CFOs and Family Office Directors. Household and lifestyle: Estate Managers, House Managers, Private PAs, Private Chefs, Nannies and specialist household staff. We also place senior leadership for the hotels, clubs and brands that Principals own.

Four stages. We scope the role and its non-negotiables with the Principal or their representative. We search by direct approach and, where it helps, by advertising; confidential searches are never listed. We present a deliberately small shortlist with written profiles. We support the offer and the first months in post.

Most searches run retained. Exclusive and contingent terms apply where the role suits them. We recommend the structure when we scope the brief. Candidates are never charged.

We agree what can be shared, with whom and at what stage, before anyone is approached. Candidates are contacted in confidence, references are staged to protect people in live roles, and nothing leaves Oplu without the sign-off of the person it concerns.

From Mayfair, London, with mandates across the UK, the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. London and New York numbers are in the footer.

Use the client enquiry form or call the London or New York office. A Managing Director reads every enquiry and replies within one working day. Oplu is a Corporate Member of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation.