Favourite Shoes
1960's Clarks Wayfinders (with compass in the heel)
mike@wickland-westcott.co.uk Walk With
Mike Spurr
Mike is a Search Consultant based in Wickland Westcott's Cheshire office. He has extensive experience of leading main Board assignments to find Chairmen, Chief Executives, Finance Directors and Non-Executive directors for plc, private, public sector and third sector organisations. He also works at subsidiary Board level to identify Managing Directors and functional heads.
Mike has over fifteen years' experience in executive search, previously holding the position of Managing Partner for regional offices of three of the UK's leading international search firms, transacting work in the UK, Europe (East and West) and the US. Prior to entering search, Mike's career encompassed ten years in pharmaceuticals and healthcare, including The Boots Company, followed by six years in financial services with Green Flag. Mike is a science graduate.
Interests
Electric guitar noodling, wristwatches, dalmatian runningArticles
11th July 2011The Non Executive Catch 22
Evolving from a full-time career as an executive to a portfolio career of non-executive work can be frustrating. With a lifetime of senior business experience it feels like it should be easy to find a seat on the board of a business that will benefit from your knowledge, experience and expertise....
Read more
15th June 2011Becoming an NED - Look Before You Leap
Non-executive directorships are often seen as a natural step for those seeking to build a portfolio of career interests later in life. Non-executive work can certainly be satisfying and fulfilling, yet the nature of the role means that it is not always easy to fully understand the operation and risks associated with the business and, when things go wrong, non- executive directors are increasingly in the firing line....
Read more
17th September 2010Executive Search and Corporate Reputation
After a few minutes thought, most people can probably recall job interviews they have experienced throughout their career. They'll remember whether they were good, bad or indifferent and the chances are they'll have at least one horror story to tell. In every case the experience will have coloured their view of the headhunter and, by association, the recruiting organisation. The way senior executives are treated during a recruitment process is transmitted to the market through the 'bush telegraph'....
Read more
29th April 2010Finance Directors Need Chameleon Skills
Jobless figures have charted the uncomfortable and damaging course of recession at employee level. The casualty rate in the executive suite is more difficult to identify, but it has been extensive. "In the boardrooms it has been more savage and deeper than we have ever experienced," said Mike Spurr, a management recruitment consultant with the experience of two recessions behind him. Scores...
Read moreCase Studies
27th October 2011Commercial Finance Skills
Fairpoint plc is an AIM listed financial services business specialising in debt advice, debt solutions and relevant products and services for financially stressed consumers. The Group was founded to address the IVA (Individual Voluntary Arrangements) opportunity and is a market leader in this sector. Its vision is to become the UK’s most widely respected provider to over-indebted consumers, with a fundamental philosophy of applying a fair and ethical approach to business operations. Based...
Read more
28th January 2011University of Salford Director of Finance
With around 2,500 staff and 18,000 students, the University of Salford is internationally recognised for its enterprise, collaboration with business and knowledge transfer. It is also rightly proud of its excellent research and teaching activities, and its successes in widening participation and international activities - with a student body drawn from over 80 countries. Through its Strategic Plan, the University has set out its medium-term aspirations to reposition itself nationally and internationally as a top quartile institution by 2017. In...
Read more
26th March 2010Cheshire & Warrington - Building a New Board
Cheshire & Warrington is one of the five sub regions that make up England's Northwest. It has a vibrant economy, with a range of successful businesses operating in chemicals, pharmaceuticals, automotive, financial services, manufacturing, professional services and creative industries. In 2009, following local government reorganisation, an imaginative new leadership structure was established, including seven Commissions focused on development priorities....
Read more