La Fosse Associates Launches Pro Bono Practice

May 20, 2019 – U.K.-headquartered executive search firm La Fosse Associates has launched a new pro bono practice to serve charities and not-for-profit organizations. The practice will place cybersecurity professionals into advisory positions at charities and non-profits that need advice and support, for free.

“Care is a founding principle of La Fosse, which includes caring for others, not just our clients and candidates,” said CEO James Parker. “So it’s great to see that so many share this view. We’ve been able to use the strength of our network to match some fantastic charities to some of the best expertise in the country. A heartfelt thank you to everyone in and out of La Fosse who has donated time and resource to make this happen.”

“This is an exciting opportunity for charities, and we’re hoping to expand the practice to data and broader technology, with a focus on bringing more diversity to advisory roles,” said Aaron Lee, specialist consultant in La Fosse’s charity and NFP (not-for-profit) practice. “If you’re a charity who might benefit, please do get in touch.” 

Placements to date conducted by the newly formed practice include:

• Amnesty International: Steve Wright(data protection officer at the Bank of England). 

• The Natural History Museum: Simon Hodgkinson(group chief information security officer at BP). 

• Comic Relief: Thom Langford, information security advisor (founder at (TL)2 Security Ltd).
• United Response: Yolande Young(IT director – information security at BP).
• Cancer Research: Moty Jacob(chief information security officer at Traiana).

“Each security leader is helping to steer charities away from potential pitfalls and threats that could lead to funds and research not reaching their desired destination,” La Fosse Associates said.

Mike Robinson, head of technology at Amnesty International, said his organization was grateful for the assistance. “As a human rights charity we are exposed to the same threats as any other commercial organization – more so at times, given the work we carry out,” he said. “We can’t operate with integrity without knowing we are doing everything we can to keep our donors and activists’ personal data safe and secure. La Fosse’s pro bono advisor practice has provided us with invaluable access to advice and mentorship from an industry-leader in the security space, allowing us to continue to campaign for our causes safely and effectively.” 

Mr. Wright, who worked with Amnesty International, said that the new practice gave him opportunities previously unavailable. “La Fosse’s creation of a platform for pro bono work in cybersecurity is an innovative solution to solve the real problems these organizations face, and will allow me to give back to a cause more than I ever would be able to in donations,” he said. “It’s important we help NFPs such as Amnesty as much as we can to enable them to carry out the crucial work they do.”

Equity Gifting  

La Fosse is co-owned, with 40 percent of equity being gifted to staff over time. The firm has a compound annual growth rate of 38.2 percent, more than three times the industry average, said La Fosse. The firm recruits across a range of areas: executive leadership; interim management; change and transformation; digital and development; ERP and CRM systems; information and cybersecurity; strategy and architecture; BI, data and analytics; private equity; and VC-backed start-ups.

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Recently, the firm opened a life sciences division. Veteran recruiters Stephanie Murtagh and Leslie Reeves joined the firm to lead the new practice as managing director and client services director, respectively. Both have extensive industry expertise and a proven track record of developing and scaling teams at pace. Since joining La Fosse, they have recruited what the firm describes as a strong team of experienced recruiters with track records across a number of specialties, including global pharma, biotech, CROs and medical devices. 

La Fosse Associates also recently announced the introduction of a new division placing chairman and non-executive director (NED) roles. The division is led by Jack Denison, who will be working with Louis Rado, founder of the NED Network. The team is working with clients across various industries, particularly in private equity. They are currently engaged on a number of assignments, said the firm, including a chairman role at a high-profile FTSE 250 business.

“We’ve seen a remarkable demand, reflecting the value chairmen and non-executive directors add in both fast-growing young firms and established players,” said Mr. Denison. “With the increasing success of our Interim function, establishing this practice was the next logical step. It will allow us to continue providing our clients with the best possible assistance in a competitive market and we are looking forward to the challenge.”

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Andrew W. Mitchell, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media