About Sainty, Hird & Partners

Sainty, Hird & Partners was founded in 1996 and is one of the longest established independent executive search firms in Europe. Our name is synonymous with the highest professional standards in the executive and board search industry.
We have acquired a reputation for excellence from our exceptional track record. Each and every Partner and Consultant remains fully involved in search execution, enabling us to deliver an outstanding and differentiated service.
Our experienced team provides comprehensive research, execution and advisory capabilities to boards, business leaders and HR professionals across Financial Services.
Since 1996 we have completed over 2,250 assignments, also helping to build numerous teams and businesses from scratch.
Our work spans all products and functions within Asset & Wealth Management, Investment Banking, Private Equity, Capital Markets and Insurance, and across all levels of seniority and experience.
Sainty, Hird & Partners has offices in London, Dublin, Zurich and New York and has completed searches for board members, senior executives and directors in the UK, USA, Canada, Bermuda, Continental Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Since 1996 we have completed over 2,250 assignments, also helping to build numerous teams and businesses from scratch. We have become a trusted advisor to human resources, team leaders, executive committees and boards alike.
Why Sainty, Hird & Partners




Our History
Sainty, Hird & Partners was founded in 1996 by Julian Sainty, Christopher Beatson-Hird and Ralph Grayson.
They had previously worked together for nearly a decade, leading a team of search consultants responsible for the establishment of some of the biggest investment banks and investment management firms in the wake of the Big Bang.
Since its foundation, the firm has enjoyed sustained growth with the addition of leading search consultants across the Insurance, Retail and Corporate Banking and Technology sectors – as well as the C-Suite, Board and Senior functional roles.
Sainty, Hird & Partners has continuously adapted its areas of expertise to consolidate its position as a leading executive search firm – now advising on and sourcing exceptional candidates in today's themes, such as diversity, inclusion, technology and ESG, as well as expanding its international footprint with new offices in Switzerland, Ireland and the United States.

Diversity & Inclusion
Sainty, Hird & Partners is committed to the principles and practices of diversity and equality within our own business and those of our clients. As of June 2021 we have 29% female representation as Partners of our company. As a signatory to the Women in Finance Charter, our target is to reach at least 35% by June 2022. We strive always to present our clients with the most talented individuals, regardless of race, sexual orientation, religion, age, gender or disability status.
We assess all prospective candidates on the basis of their experience, motivation, qualifications and a likely ability to succeed in the specified role. We strive to be aware of and address immediately any conscious or unconscious bias, both within our own and in our clients’ candidate assessment techniques.
We utilise artificial intelligence through our partnership with Teamscope, which allows us to measure the fit of candidate within a team without reference to gender, ethnicity, or any unconscious bias. We apply it to our own business recruitment. Our team reinforce the use of Teamscope and our pre-existing diversity protocols by the continued study of diversity and inclusion issues and close monitoring of changing industry standards.
Environmental, Social
& Governance
We are proud of our credentials. Efforts to decrease our own environmental impact include becoming paperless, banning single-use plastics and early adoption of flexible working practices. We regularly implement new ideas to reduce wastage and energy expenditure. We are also proud to support the aims of Chapter Zero.
Business and finance is moving fundamentally from Shareholder to Stakeholder primacy. We work closely with clients to identify talent, in particular at executive committee and NED level, who can reflect this shift by placing ESG and ‘impact investing’ at the centre of corporate behaviour and who will advise on governance, audit and risk issues.
We look at how a head of investor relations should shape and deliver an optimal company narrative; and how to measure and analyse ESG in the context of investment and its long-term impact on both stakeholders and the share price. We have also advised our clients how SASB, TCFD and other reporting and regulatory frameworks should be adopted and implemented, identifying candidates with the requisite skills to help them do so.
We have completed multiple ESG-related assignments for corporates, banks and investors – including Heads of Responsible Investment, Impact Investing, Sustainability and Stewardship, Advisory and Financing and sector specialisms, such as Social Housing.

Offices
London
1 Red Place
London W1K 6PL
Dublin
39 Fitzwilliam Place
Dublin 2
Zurich
Bahnhofstrasse 10
8001 Zürich
New York
580 Fifth Avenue, Suite 820
New York, NY 10036
Contact Us
To get in touch with us please fill out the contact form and one of the team will get back to you.