Lifeways background:
Lifeways is one of the UK’s largest supported living specialists, providing support to almost 5,000 people to lead more fulfilling, independent lives.
The brief to Carter Schwartz:
Following the appointment of CEO, Andrea Kinkade and Chair, Mark Beadle, Carter Schwartz were mandated for a quartet of roles which were key catalysts to the delivery of the change agenda for Lifeways:
- Chief Information Officer (CIO)
- Chief Transformation Officer (CTO)
- Chief People Officer (CPO)
- Chief Commercial Officer (CCO)
The process:
Carter Schwartz’s Managing Partner, Adam Carter, and Senior Researcher, Matt Sutton, implemented an accelerated search strategy leveraging the established Carter Schwartz network alongside a highly targeted recommendation and resourcing approach for each of the mandated roles.
We adopted a borderless approach to sourcing, with only one hire coming from within the core marketplace. Two hires were from the wider healthcare family and the final hire was from outside the marketplace.
The results:
- CIO – Andy Ferrington – previously with Spire Hospitals, acute healthcare.
- CTO – Amanda Brooke – previously with Nuffield Health, acute healthcare.
- CPO – James Westwood-Beere – previously with Rolls Royce, manufacturing.
- CCO – Chris Woodhead – previously with Dimensions, adult social care.
What they say about us:
“This was a terrific quartet of hires for us. I must confess I had always associated Carter Schwartz with CEO and operator recruitment and so I was a little nervous about asking CS to source four very different non-operational roles. Well, I am delighted to say that my nerves were unfounded. Adam and the team produced four strong shortlists and we managed to hire our first choice from each list. We hired four outstanding individuals who have completed what I would like to think is the standout team in this industry.” Mark Beadle, Chair
“I am thrilled to share my experience working with Carter Schwartz. Their sector expertise and dedication were instrumental in helping us to build a stellar executive team. With their guidance, we were able to identify top-notch candidates who not only possessed the necessary skills, but also aligned perfectly with our values and ambitions. Their approach made the entire executive recruitment journey smooth and successful. Thanks to Carter Schwartz, we now have a strong and capable executive team who are driving our quality improvements and growth.” Andrea Kinkade, CEO
“It’s been a great experience for me joining the executive team at Lifeways – we have ambitious plans and I am really pleased with the progress we have made as a team this year. Thank you, Adam, and everyone at Carter Schwartz for steering me through the recruitment and selection process – it was great to have Adam on the end of the phone to talk and get regular updates on the process. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Carter Schwartz for Executive Search.” Andy Ferrington, CIO