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01 · Executive Search

Executive search for board and C-suite mandates in Mumbai

Board, C-suite and senior leadership mandates filled with precision and discretion. A search engagement is research first and outreach second — the shortlist is the output, not the starting point.

What executive search means here

Executive search is a mapping exercise before it is a hiring exercise. The work begins with understanding the role as the business actually needs it — not as the last job description described it — and then systematically identifying who in the market is doing that work well today.

That distinction matters most at senior levels, where the strongest candidates are rarely looking. Reaching them requires knowing who they are, understanding what would make a move worth their while, and approaching them in a way that respects their current position.

We work as an extension of your leadership team through the mandate. That means being candid when the brief and the market do not align, and saying so early rather than presenting a shortlist that quietly compromises on the things you said mattered.

Roles and levels we search for

Our search practice concentrates on positions where a hiring mistake is expensive to unwind and slow to detect.

  • Board and independent director appointments
  • C-suite and managing director roles
  • Functional heads across HR, finance, operations, technology and commercial
  • Business unit and P&L leadership
  • Specialist leadership roles where the qualified population is small
  • Succession appointments for identified critical positions

How a search engagement runs

Every mandate follows the same four-stage model we apply across our work, adapted to the seniority and sensitivity of the role.

  • Discover — a deep dive into the role, the team it joins, the business context around it and the profile that would genuinely succeed in it.
  • Strategize — a search strategy built around your goals: which sectors to map, which adjacent industries are legitimate sources, and where the trade-offs sit.
  • Implement — systematic market mapping, direct approach, assessment against the agreed brief, and a shortlist presented with our reasoning made explicit.
  • Optimize — support through offer, negotiation and the transition into the role, because a search is not finished when a contract is signed.

Confidentiality in senior mandates

Senior searches are frequently confidential on both sides. A company may be replacing an incumbent who does not yet know, restructuring a function before the change is announced, or entering a market it has not disclosed. Candidates are almost always employed and have a great deal to lose from a careless conversation.

We treat discretion as a working constraint rather than a courtesy. Briefs are shared on a need-to-know basis, approaches are made without disclosing the client until there is a reason to, and candidate conversations stay closed until a candidate chooses otherwise.

Sectors we search across

Our search work spans logistics and supply chain, FinTech and banking, NBFCs, medical devices, aviation, metal and manufacturing, and technology and SaaS.

Sector knowledge changes a search in practical ways: which titles mean what, which companies are genuine talent sources, where regulatory experience is non-negotiable, and which moves a candidate will and will not consider.

Common questions

Executive Search, answered

What is the difference between executive search and recruitment?
Recruitment generally works from an available pool — people who have applied, responded to a posting, or are already on a database. Executive search works from the whole market: identifying everyone doing the relevant work, whether or not they are looking, and approaching them directly. The difference shows up most at senior levels, where the strongest candidates are usually not in any applicant pool.
How long does an executive search assignment take?
It depends on the seniority of the role, how specialised the required background is, and how quickly your side can move through interviews. We agree a timeline with you at the start of a mandate rather than quoting a standard turnaround — a niche functional head in a regulated sector and a generalist leadership hire are not comparable searches.
Which seniority levels do you search for?
Board and independent director appointments, C-suite and managing director roles, functional and business unit heads, and specialist leadership positions where the qualified population is small.
How do you protect confidentiality during a leadership search?
Briefs are shared on a need-to-know basis, initial approaches are made without naming the client where the situation calls for it, and candidate conversations remain closed unless the candidate decides otherwise. Where a search is replacing an incumbent, we structure the process so that the mandate does not surface prematurely.
Do you search for candidates outside Mumbai?
Yes. We are based in Mumbai and much of our work is with organisations here, but a search is defined by where the right people are, not by where our office is. Mandates regularly map candidates across India and, where the role warrants it, beyond.
What do you need from us to start a search?
Time with whoever the role reports to, an honest account of why the position is open, clarity on what the person will be measured against in their first year, and a decision-making process we can plan around. The brief matters more than the job description.
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Emailtalent@cherryconsulting.co.inTelephone+91 9870 79 1838
Registered office
Room No. 2, Khot Building, Yari Road,
Versova, Andheri West, Mumbai 400 061