About

Who we are

Discovering exceptional

Finding the right talent isn’t just about experience or expertise—it’s about aligning leadership with the scale, complexity, and ambition of an organization. The most effective leaders bring versatility, resilience, and transferable skills to drive transformation at critical moments in a company’s evolution.

At Leathwaite, we specialize in placing enterprise leaders who think business first, function second—leaders who don’t just manage their domain but actively push forward progressive functional agendas. While our searches align with business areas, what truly defines our work is the leadership expectations—navigating transformation, accelerating change, and operating at pace.

We don’t just match candidates to job titles; we identify leaders with the agility, foresight, and growth mindset to thrive in evolving environments. By understanding both the business context and the leadership capabilities required, we take a creative, strategic approach to executive search—finding enterprise leaders who move businesses forward.

With deep market insight, a broad industry perspective, and a commitment to excellence, we don’t just fill roles—we build leadership teams that shape the future.

A brand to be proud of

We were honored with two prestigious gold awards at the 2023 Transform Awards, receiving gold in the category of Best Rebrand of a Digital Property, and another gold for Best Brand Evolution.

Our story

2005

We opened our New York office

Having firmly established the UK operation, the next natural point of expansion was central New York where we opened our first US office on Madison Avenue. And we’re still there today.

2006

Executive interim practice launched

Anticipating a growth in demand for senior executive talent on an interim basis, the firm launched its executive interim practice. Led by Partner, Sam Burt, the team work hand in hand with the executive search team.

2008

Leathwaite opened in Hong Kong

Our first foray into Asia saw the opening of our Hong Kong office. Now led by Partner, James Lawrence-Brown, the office has doubled in headcount and services clients, alongside our Singapore office, across the APAC region.

2019

The firm joins the AESC

Committed to driving standards across the global executive search industry, Leathwaite welcomed the opportunity to become a member of the Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC). In 2021 Paul Groce and James Lawrence-Brown, partners at the firm, were made AESC council representatives for the Americas and Asia Pacific and Middle East

2022

A new Toronto team

As we continued to build our North America business we welcomed two new colleagues based out of Toronto, working closely with the rest of the North America team in New York.

2023

Our second Asia office opens

Another step in our continued investment in the Asia region, we opened up our first Singapore office. As a global financial center and a hub for businesses across Asia, Singapore was an obvious next step for us.

We refresh our brand

The firm undertakes a brand refresh to reinvigorate the visual identity and to better reflect the firm purpose and value.

Creation of Leathwaite International Germany GmbH.

This strategic move reflects our commitment to having local expertise and being closer to our clients and candidates, helping us better serve the DACH region.