Established in the UK in 1989, Hicks Kimber Mears is a global Executive Search and Talent Development organisation which provides quality driven business solutions to a blue-chip client base.
Our History
The Company was founded in the UK in 1989 by Graham Hicks. Previously Graham spent several years with a number of blue chip plc’s within the high-tech and telecoms sectors at Senior Executive level. In 1993 Hicks Kimber Mears opened its first European office in Dublin where it is today recognised as one of Ireland’s leading International Executive Search businesses. Since then Hicks Kimber Mears has established a global network of offices and is therefore able to source executives and support clients throughout the world. Hicks Kimber Mears is now a global Executive Search and Talent Development organisation which provides quality driven business solutions to a blue-chip client base.
Worldwide
Hicks Kimber Mears is truly international and has the ability to recruit across countries and cultures. All assignments are handled in-house without referring them to other independent agencies in other countries as this can often result in lack of alignment of priorities and briefings and timelines are often rewritten to the detriment of the assignment.
Hicks Kimber Mears is proud to have Platinum Membership of the world’s largest office network providing global reach across most countries and 100s of prestigious offices.
This Membership allows Hicks Kimber Mears to set up its own local identity and a fully resourced office with all support facilities literally within a matter of a few hours.
Mission Statement
“Our quality driven, highly professional and flexible approach conducted at commercial pace, coupled with our consistent over-achievement of client expectations, should become a standard in our industry”
Our Philosophy
In our experience many professional services consultancies are riddled with jargon and often intimidate clients with supposed superior knowledge and the “little black book” approach, ostensibly full of possible candidates. At Hicks Kimber Mears we try to be refreshingly different. We offer clear, concise and pragmatic advice and business solutions that are driven at commercial pace and a conclusion that should only be measured as successful if the Executive acquired or developed brings real bottom-line added value to the company.
At Hicks Kimber Mears, we look to develop long term partnerships with clients and aim to become an integral part of that company’s decision-making resource.
Furthermore, we believe that we are the only Executive Search business that goes beyond just “making the placement”. All of our assignments include a 6-month executive coaching programme for the successful candidate. This programme focuses on ensuring that the joint expectations of our client and the newly appointed executive are clearly understood and managed from the initial stages of the relationship.
Our Team
The Hicks Kimber Mears team has unrivalled expertise consisting of over 100 years of relevant global experience among its founder members. Our highly experienced consultants – senior business leaders in their previous careers – look to develop long term partnerships with clients and aim to become an integral part of that company’s decision-making resource.
Graham Hicks
Born in South London and graduated in Biochemistry. His early career was within medical research, local government and public health before moving into the office technology sector with Rank Xerox. Prior to becoming an Executive recruiter with a leading global search consultancy in 1988.
Carl Berry
Qualified as a Chartered Certified Accountant in 1980 and was immediately offered a full partnership in a private accountancy practice. Over the following five years Carl developed the practice into the fastest growing independent firm in the South West of England and was subsequently appointed Managing Partner.
Diana Southwick
Spent her early career in senior administrative and executive assistant roles with a global petroleum company and a financial services group. After a period managing her own office solutions business, she joined a European Executive Search and Selection Consultancy in the early 1990’s.
Sheana Dudley
Sheana is a French graduate from Aberdeen University. She is bi-lingual in German having lived and worked for 9 years in Germany. Extensive work experience in large multinationals working with Board members both in the UK and abroad has given her a breadth of understanding of how companies in various industry sectors operate.
Fees
At Hicks Kimber Mears we believe in fixed fee assignments rather than percentages. In our view fees based on a percentage of remuneration/package rarely reflect effort, especially when final negotiations with a successful candidate may lead to an increase in remuneration.
Our fees are market competitive and we agree a fixed fee based on global reach and the complexity of sector and/or discipline before the assignment commences. We also agree a budget for flexible costs such as web-based advertising.
Confirmation of Assignment. Our verbally agreed fee structure will be confirmed in writing together with invoicing frequency and assignment timelines. Together with the Confirmation of Assignment document, we forward a draft of an Assignment Brief for agreement before the assignment commences.
A clear, concise, quality approach.
