Partner Involvement
Our partners help shape the search, review progress and address the commercial decisions that influence its success. For C-suite appointments, direct partner access is an integral part of the engagement.
Retained Search
Specialist Retained Search Across Global Commodity Markets
Exclusive market representation, direct competitor mapping and full visibility throughout your search
The strongest appointment starts with a thorough search of the market. Imperium works exclusively on a retained basis, bringing our partners, consultants and researchers together to identify and secure the right person for your business.
We represent one client within each agreed asset class and geography at a time. We do not accept competing mandates in that market while your search is active. This protects the breadth of your search and gives us the freedom to map and approach the competitor landscape on your behalf, subject to our existing client protections.
From day one, you have access to the working market map our team uses. You see the individuals identified, the approaches made and the feedback received. You can contribute directly, refine targets with us and follow the evidence behind each recommendation.
We apply this approach across trading, commercial, operational, analytical and leadership appointments. Every assignment begins with a detailed consultation, adapts as market intelligence develops and continues until its hiring objective is achieved.
Your Competitors Are Our Search Market
Exclusive representation within your asset class and geography
The reach of a search depends on which businesses your search partner is free to approach. When a firm represents several competing employers, its own client relationships can restrict the talent available to you.
Imperium protects your access by accepting one competing mandate within each agreed asset class and geography at a time. For a European coffee trading search, we would not represent another European coffee trading client while your assignment is active. Our research and candidate engagement in that market are committed to your appointment.
We agree the competitor landscape with you, identify the relevant teams and individuals, and make direct approaches based on their suitability. Existing clients and individuals covered by our post-placement protections remain protected. Those boundaries are established at the outset, so you know exactly where the search can go.
This gives you a clearly defined market, a search partner acting exclusively for your business within it, and visibility into the work behind the appointment.
Explore the Search
01 / 03Start With the Competitor Market
Relevant individuals identified across competitors
We map the agreed competitor landscape and identify the people whose experience fits your brief. You see the working map and help shape the targets from the outset.
Illustrative process. Client and post-placement protections apply.
Full Visibility From the First Approach to the Final Appointment
Direct access to the working market map, with your input throughout
You see the same market mapping document our partners, consultants and researchers use. As the search progresses, you can follow the individuals identified, the approaches made, the conversations taking place and the assessment behind each recommendation.
Your input becomes part of that work. You can comment directly, highlight people of interest, exclude unsuitable targets and help us refine priorities. Decisions draw on your knowledge of the market alongside the intelligence gathered through our research and candidate conversations.
That visibility extends beyond candidates interested in the role. You also see who has declined, why they are staying and what the wider market is telling us about remuneration, bonus structures, restrictive covenants and the appeal of your opportunity. Where a pattern emerges, we discuss it early and agree how to respond.
By the time we recommend a shortlist, you understand the market it came from and the work behind it.
Example Market Map
A small extract. Typical maps cover 40 to 100 people.
Your Company
Logo
Logo
| Candidate | Company | Current Role | Search Status | Research Notes | Comp Requirements | Notice / Non-Compete | Client Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate 01 | Company A | Head of Trading | Interview completed | Leads a regional desk. Assess P&L ownership and team development. | £180k base + bonus | 6 months. Restrictions under review. | Progress. Explore approach to growing the desk. |
| Candidate 02 | Company B | Trading Director | Call scheduled | Relevant product coverage. Confirm leadership scope. | To be discussed | To be confirmed | Discuss appetite for building a new team. |
| Candidate 03 | Company C | Desk Head | Declined to move | Strong fit. Remaining for a deferred bonus payment. | Timing is the main barrier | 6 months. Covenant review required. | Revisit if timing changes. |
| Candidate 04 | Company D | Senior Trader | Approached | Potential step into leadership. Establish management experience. | Not yet discussed | Not yet discussed | Assess readiness to lead a desk. |
Illustrative example with fictional records and commentary. Select a tab to view another search. Scroll horizontally on smaller screens.
The Full Strength of Imperium Behind Your Search
Partner involvement, shared market knowledge and dedicated research throughout the assignment
When you retain Imperium, you engage the firm. Our partners remain involved in every search, bringing together the consultants, researchers and relationships needed to deliver the appointment.
Your brief is understood across the team. Research findings, candidate conversations and client feedback inform the same working map, so we can act quickly, resolve questions and keep the assignment moving.
Combined Market Reach
Your search draws on relationships and knowledge across the business. Our consultants and researchers contribute their understanding of relevant companies, individuals and markets, giving the assignment access to the firm’s collective expertise.
Coordinated Delivery
Research, outreach and assessment progress together. New information is shared as it emerges, allowing us to follow relevant leads, respond to your input and adjust the approach without waiting for a scheduled reporting cycle.
Your Search Team
Jonathan Margrave
Co-Founder & CEO
Jonathan brings more than 30 years of recruitment experience. He leads senior client relationships and strategic mandates, with a focus on executive search, leadership appointments and long-term partnerships.
jonathan.margrave@imperiumcs.com
Mark Taylor
Co-Founder & Managing Partner
Mark has more than a decade of specialist commodity search experience. His work spans search strategy, executive appointments, Search Partnerships, market intelligence, Team Moves and strategic growth projects.
mark.taylor@imperiumcs.com
Zuzana Zvolenská
Head of Research & Resourcing
Zuzana leads research and resourcing across market mapping, salary benchmarking, candidate research and direct outreach. A multilingual headhunter, she supports Central and Eastern European coverage and wider international searches.
zuzana.zvolenska@imperiumcs.comRetained By Commitment. Driven By Delivery.
A Stronger Search Starts Before the First Approach
The brief, remuneration and market proposition tested before we launch
Before approaching candidates, we work through the appointment with you. What must this person achieve? Where is that experience likely to sit? What would persuade someone already performing well to join your business?
We examine the proposed remuneration, reporting structure, responsibilities and expectations against the market you want to hire from. Where something could limit the search, we raise it and advise on the options before committing your opportunity to the market.
Together, we define the target businesses, candidate criteria and the proposition we will take into those conversations. This gives the search a clear direction and ensures we can represent your business with conviction from the first approach.
How Your Search Progresses
A structured process, informed by the market and managed through to appointment
Market Mapping
01 / 05Map the Agreed Market
Our researchers map the competitor businesses, teams and individuals relevant to your brief. Direct competitors are the starting point, with targets prioritised around the experience and capabilities you need.
You have access to the working map from day one. Your comments help us refine the research, exclude unsuitable targets and prioritise people of particular interest.
Direct Engagement
02 / 05Approach and Engage
We approach selected individuals directly, presenting the opportunity with the context needed to start a meaningful conversation. We explore their experience, current position and appetite for a move.
Responses feed back into the shared map, including reasons for declining, remuneration expectations and practical barriers. Where feedback reveals a pattern, we discuss it with you early and agree how to respond.
Candidate Assessment
03 / 05Assess and Recommend
Assessment is tailored to the appointment. Through a series of interviews, we examine relevant experience, test the information and performance figures shared, and explore motivations, expectations and potential concerns.
Introductions include detailed screening notes covering suitability, remuneration, notice periods and restrictive covenants. Where requested, later-stage references draw on former managers, colleagues and direct reports to build a rounded view.
Selection and Search Steering
04 / 05Manage Selection and Refine the Search
We coordinate interviews, exchange feedback and help both sides resolve questions as the process develops. Steering calls keep the search aligned with your priorities and the evidence coming back from the market.
If the direct competitor search does not produce the right appointment, we agree where to look next. That may mean adjacent markets, transferable experience or a revised brief. The search continues until the role is filled.
Offer and Transition
05 / 05Secure the Appointment and Support the Start
We manage offer discussions and help the candidate work through resignation, counteroffers and the move itself. These conversations begin earlier in the search, so potential obstacles are understood before they put an appointment at risk.
We remain in contact through the notice period and check in with both you and the candidate after they start, helping identify and address concerns early.
Select a stage or turn through the process
Specialist Talent Across International Markets
An international search shaped by the expertise your appointment requires
The right experience may sit beyond the market in which you are hiring. We begin with the agreed competitor landscape and expand internationally where the research supports it, targeting businesses and individuals with relevant product knowledge, commercial experience and leadership capability. Each expansion is agreed with you, with relocation interest, remuneration and practical feasibility explored early. The example below shows how a Head of Metals Trading search in Houston could draw on talent in London, Zug, Geneva, Singapore and Dubai.
Illustrative International Search
Head of Metals Trading
Houston, USA
Start With the USA Competitor Market
For this example, we need a Head of Metals Trading in Houston. We first map relevant US businesses and assess the domestic talent pool against the agreed product, commercial and leadership requirements.
London: Relevant Metals Trading Experience
If the domestic search needs broader coverage, we can add relevant London metals trading businesses. We explore product expertise, trading responsibility and leadership experience, alongside genuine interest in moving to Houston.
Zug and Geneva: Specialist Trading Talent
An agreed Swiss search could cover relevant metals trading teams in Zug and Geneva. We assess the individual's responsibilities and track record, then explore relocation appetite, package expectations and timing.
Singapore: International Trading Experience
Where the brief supports it, Singapore can add candidates with relevant international trading and leadership experience. We test how closely their experience fits the Houston role and whether an international move is realistic.
Dubai: Further Relevant Market Coverage
Dubai may offer another relevant pool of metals trading professionals. We apply the same assessment criteria, exploring commercial fit, motivation and practical relocation requirements before progressing a candidate.
One Mandate. An Agreed International Search.
These markets illustrate how we widen coverage when the appointment calls for it. We agree each expansion with the client and assess relocation interest, remuneration, timing and practical feasibility before recommending anyone.
Example only. Source markets are selected for each mandate. Routes illustrate search coverage, not confirmed candidate moves. Select a country to read its context and replay its routes. The map continues cycling independently.
Our Commitment Continues After the Appointment
A 12-month replacement guarantee, supported by continued access to your market mapping
We stay in contact with you and the candidate after they join, checking how the appointment is progressing and helping address concerns early.
Every retained appointment carries a 12-month replacement guarantee. If the hire does not work out during that period, we undertake the replacement search without an additional search fee.
You also retain access to your market mapping for the full 12 months. If concerns emerge, you can ask us to refresh the research as a precaution, before a replacement becomes necessary. That gives us an informed starting point and the opportunity to prepare while you assess the situation.
The Majority of Our Fee Is Tied to Successful Placement
Dedicated retained search, with no separate shortlist-stage payment
Our engagement payment commits the team and resources required to deliver your search. It represents 33% of the agreed fee. The remaining 67% becomes payable on successful placement.
You can assess candidates, progress interviews and refine the search with us without a further fee becoming payable simply because a shortlist has been presented.
Share of the total agreed search fee
Two-thirds payable before placement
A third on engagement, a third on shortlist presentation and a third on successful placement.
No separate shortlist payment
One-third commits the search. The remaining two-thirds is payable on successful placement.
Shares of the agreed search fee. Scope, fee and terms agreed before commencement.
Retained Search Questions
What to expect when working with Imperium
You may have a defined vacancy or still be working through what the appointment should look like. These answers explain where retained search fits, how we handle changing requirements and what you can expect from the relationship.
Is retained search only suitable for senior appointments?
No. We work exclusively on a retained basis across trading, commercial, operational, analytical, specialist and leadership roles. The approach gives each appointment dedicated research, direct market engagement and a search built around the client’s requirement.
Can we speak before the brief is fully defined?
Yes. The initial consultation helps establish what the appointment needs to achieve, the experience required and whether the proposed remuneration and responsibilities will attract suitable people. We advise on the brief before launching the search.
How long does a search take?
Timing depends on the requirement, candidate availability and the selection process. On average, we complete mapping of more than 80% of the agreed target market in under two weeks.
That is a research milestone, rather than a promise that the appointment will be completed within that period. You have visibility of progress throughout.
What happens if the initial target market does not produce the right person?
We review the evidence with you and agree how to expand or adjust the search. This may involve adjacent product markets, transferable experience or international candidates willing to relocate. We continue until the role is filled.
Can you support several appointments at once?
Yes. We can manage multiple agreed searches, with separate mapping for each requirement. Where hiring is ongoing or likely to evolve, our Search Partnership provides a continuous retained relationship across the programme.
Will our search remain confidential?
We agree how your business and the opportunity will be represented before approaching the market. For sensitive appointments, we control the disclosure of identifying information and manage candidate conversations discreetly.
Find the Right Approach for Your Requirement
Answer a few questions about your plans. We will suggest a starting point and summarise the requirement for your next conversation with us.
Question 1
Please select an answer to continue.
Suggested Starting Point
Retained Search
A dedicated search for a defined appointment or hiring project. We agree the brief, map the relevant competitor market and assess candidates through to appointment. If the requirement is still developing, we begin by working through its scope and viability with you.
Discuss Your SearchSearch Partnership
An ongoing retained relationship for a continuing or evolving hiring programme. Search and research activity can develop with your agreed priorities, while monthly retainer payments build credit against placement fees under the partnership terms.
Explore Search PartnershipImperium Edge
Research to inform a hiring or growth decision. We can map competitor capability, investigate remuneration or test market feasibility, with the scope built around the questions you need answered.
Explore Imperium EdgeExtraction Search
A confidential approach to a specific individual you already have in mind. We agree the approach and information to be disclosed, establish interest and explore whether a direct conversation should follow.
Explore Extraction SearchTeam Moves
Explore growth through an established team or trading desk. We discuss the capability you want to bring into the business, identify relevant targets where required and manage discreet conversations around a potential move.
Explore Team MovesMergers & Acquisitions
Explore growth through acquiring a business. We discuss your acquisition criteria and potential targets, then determine how research-led opportunity identification and confidential introductions could support your plans.
Explore M&AYour Requirement at a Glance
This is a guide to an initial conversation. Your answers stay in this page and are not submitted to Imperium. Prefer to speak directly? Contact the team.
What Our Retained Searches Have Achieved
Selected appointments that established desks, expanded capability and secured specialist expertise
These examples show how we have applied our retained search approach to different commercial requirements, from international leadership appointments to specialist technical hires.
Energy OptionsLondon
From a Desk Launch to Six Appointments
The Search
A brokerage needed one leader for a new options desk. Competitor mapping and market feedback supported a two-person launch instead.
The Outcome
Both brokers joined and launched the desk. The client relationship grew to six appointments, including its Operations Director.
Battery MetalsUnited States
An International Hire for a US Desk
The Search
A limited domestic talent pool prompted an overseas search for a leader with relevant cobalt and lithium experience.
The Outcome
The selected individual relocated from overseas to take up the US appointment.
Equity ResearchSwitzerland
Four Specialist Research Appointments
The Search
An investment and research business needed analysts with detailed knowledge of specific industry sectors.
The Outcome
Searches across competing research houses and funds led to four completed appointments in different specialist verticals.
Dry Freight DerivativesGlobal Remit
Securing Global FFA Leadership
The Search
An interdealer broker needed a global leader with FFA expertise and experience building a desk. We mapped the senior market internationally.
The Outcome
The leader joined and developed the operation. We subsequently placed a junior professional into the London team.
Dairy TradingUnited States
One Brief, Two Complementary Hires
The Search
A dairy trading house wanted broader coverage of whey and powders. The search identified two candidates with complementary experience.
The Outcome
The client appointed both, expanding beyond the original single-hire requirement.
Marine FuelsSingapore
Leadership in a Scarce Technical Market
The Search
A bunker business needed testing and analysis leadership with specific laboratory and marine-fuel expertise. We searched specialist laboratories and in-house testing operations.
The Outcome
The replacement joined, maintained continuity in the testing function and remained with the business.
