Head of HR appointments 9
Heads of HR and HR directors we've helped hire.
HR executive search / Head of HR
Head of HR search.
A retained search for your first Head of HR, a new regional HR leader or a replacement. Matteo Muscio leads each search himself, from the brief to the appointment.
Founder-led / Retained searchWhen the role opens
Why companies hire a Head of HR.
There is no fixed point at which a business needs a Head of HR. In our searches, the role usually opens when a company expands internationally, sets up a new region or goes through a change in leadership or direction.
Some of these are first-time roles, where the person builds the people function from scratch. Others take over an existing team at a moment of change.
Opening or growing a region
A change in leadership or direction
How we search
From brief to appointment.
We start with what prompted the hire, what the person will own and what support they'll have. A first Head of HR often needs the credibility to advise the founders and the willingness to handle the practical work of setting up HR. A regional role needs someone who can adapt group practices to local employment law and culture.
Matteo approaches HR leaders who have handled similar challenges, explains why each candidate is worth meeting and stays involved through interviews, references and the offer.
Work out what the role needs
Look beyond the job title
See the search through
Track record
Heads of HR we've placed.
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Head of HR UK
The UK arm of an Italian family-owned multinational needed a Head of HR during a change in regional leadership. We recruited for UK employment-law expertise and steady change leadership.
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Group Head of HR Analytics
A financial services business needed workforce analysis its leaders could act on. We recruited an HR analytics leader with a brief spanning workforce planning, engagement and retention.
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Group HR Director
We recruited a Group HR Director for an established automotive business moving towards digital operations and electrification. The role connected HR strategy with changes in the skills, leadership and organisation the business needed.
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Head of HR Benelux
We placed a Head of HR for an international wellness and health-technology business in Benelux. The brief combined regional people strategy with the employment-law and workforce needs of the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.
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Head of HR Continental Europe
The business needed someone who could adapt global HR practices to the needs of individual European markets. We placed a regional HR leader to oversee operations across Continental Europe.
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Head of HR DACH
We recruited a regional HR leader for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The challenge was to introduce consistent HR practices while respecting local cultures during regional expansion.
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Head of HR Middle East
We placed a Head of HR in Dubai for an international wellness and health-technology business. The search called for GCC employment experience and an understanding of workforces with a large expatriate population.
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Head of HR Nordics
We recruited a regional HR leader for a growing technology business in the Nordics. The brief was to bring HR operations together across markets while preserving the strengths of local cultures.
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Head of People & Culture
International expansion called for a people function built from scratch. We placed an HR leader who could advise the founders and handle the practical work of setting up HR.
Keep exploring
More from MVRK.
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How to hire your first Head of HR.
When the role is needed, how to write the brief and how to assess candidates.
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HR roles we fill in Italy.
Appointments and searches for businesses hiring in Italy.
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HR controlling and people analytics.
Searches for HR cost control, workforce planning and HR analytics roles.
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Every published appointment.
Browse past HR appointments by role, location or industry.
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Open and past HR searches.
Read the briefs behind our current and past searches.
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Articles on HR hiring.
HR hiring, people-team structure and the organisational change that creates new HR roles.
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How Matteo runs a search.
His background, his approach and what clients say about working with him.
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Register interest.
Open to a conversation about your next HR role? Get in touch.
Questions about Head of HR searches
What clients often ask before hiring a Head of HR.
When does a business need its first Head of HR?
There is no fixed point. In our searches, the role usually opens when a business expands internationally, opens a new region or needs a people function built from scratch. Decide what the person will own in their first year before you start looking.
Should a first Head of HR be strategic or hands-on?
Usually both. A first Head of HR needs the credibility to advise the founders or leadership team and the willingness to handle the practical work of setting up HR. We look for both during the search.
Do you recruit regional Heads of HR?
Yes. Many of our Head of HR searches are regional roles in Europe and the Gulf, where the person adapts group HR practices to local employment law and culture.
Do you recruit Chief People Officers?
Most of our work is up to the level below Chief People Officer, including Heads of HR and HR directors for new regions or business units. We have placed a Chief People Officer, but CPO searches are not our core focus.
How do your fees work?
We work on a retained basis, with payments in agreed stages. We explain the fee, what it covers and the terms for your search before you commit.
Talk to Matteo
Hiring a Head of HR?
Tell me what you're hiring for, even if you're still working out the details.
Discuss a search