Russell Reynolds Associates Seeks CEO for U.K.-based Ordnance Survey
January 10, 2019 – Russell Reynolds Associates has been selected by U.K. mapping authority Ordnance Survey (OS) to lead its search for a new CEO. Patrick Johnson, the search firm’s country manager for the U.K., is leading the assignment.
“This is an exciting time to have the opportunity to lead a business of great significance within the U.K.,” said Kiernan Murphy, chairman of OS. “We have a heritage of over 227 years but also a real chance to be the key underpinning layer in the fifth industrial revolution. There are many opportunities here to be grasped. Location data is the hidden architecture driving business, building stronger communities, supporting governments and keeping the nation safe – OS is proud to be shaping Britain’s place as world leading geospatial nation.”
“OS is looking for a new chief executive officer to lead the continuing transformation and profitable growth of the business in the U.K. and internationally,” Mr. Murphy said. “Through developing a high-performance leadership team and culture you will be ensuring the long-term future of the organization by developing a sustainable commercial business and embedding the importance of OS data across public services.”
OS operates in a rapidly evolving market where the demand for, and use of, geospatial data is being fundamentally impacted by technological change. The new CEO will lead an important national asset that plays a crucial commercial and civic role in the U.K., said Mr. Murphy.
Candidate Profile
The mapping authority seeks a credible, confident individual at one with themselves, possessing political acumen and strong ambassadorial skills with a collaborative approach and open management style, said the search firm.
Russell Reynolds Associates described the type of leader that Ordnance Survey wants:
▪ Candidates must come from a significant leadership role with a successful track record leading a commercial organization of comparable scale and complexity to OS.
▪ Candidates must have experience in a management role in a national and international business focused on services where product innovation, high standards of operational performance and developing new commercial opportunities are critical competitive differentiators.
▪ The ideal choice would be a proven business builder with a track record of systematically leading strategic transformation, creating top line growth and delivering operational improvement.
▪ Prospects should also have knowledge of business-to-business or business-to-consumer markets and organizations where technology, data and digital change is creating new commercial opportunities and transforming business models.
▪ They should also show clear evidence of leading strategic investments in new business opportunities, technology, R&D and operational expansion, including international opportunities, in the pursuit of sustainable, profitable future growth.
▪ Candidates must have some experience of operating in the public sector context would be helpful, either of developing commercial services while under public ownership or delivering cost-effective services to public sector and commercial customers.
Ordnance Survey creates, maintains, distributes and serves definitive and authoritative geospatial and cartographic data, products and services, both in U.K.’s national interest and to a global customer base.
Top Five Search Firm
Russell Reynolds Associates’ public sector, trade and associations practice group serves a wide variety of public sector and not-for-profit organizations, related public bodies, regulators and government-owned companies. It also fills the executive leadership needs of global charities, healthcare providers and local government and trade associations.
Russell Reynolds’ consultants have extensive experience with recruiting, developing and advising exceptional board members, CEOs and specific senior functional leadership for non-profit organizations around the world. The firm also conducts in-depth organizational culture assessment and measures the cultural fit of key leadership and candidates in the following areas: arts and culture, global development, higher education, non-profit health and human services, public sector, social justice and advocacy, as well as trade and professional associations.
Mr. Johnson is a London-based member of Russell Reynolds’ board practice and the global non-profit practice. With more than 20 years of executive search experience, both in the U.K. and internationally, he has advised on a wide variety of senior executive, chairman and non-executive director positions across the civil service, charities, regulators, healthcare, academia and the wider public sector, as well as undertaking chairman and non-executive director roles in the private sector. Mr. Johnson previously worked within PA Consulting Group’s human resources practice, after a period in the oil industry.
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
