By Christopher E.D. Graham FCIPD -CGC For much of the last two decades, private equity operated in unusually favourable conditions. Low interest rates, abundant liquidity and rising valuation multiples meant strong returns could be generated as much through financial engineering as through operational improvement. A firm didn't need to transform a business to make money on it; it simply needed to buy well and sell into a rising market. That environment no longer exists. Highe

By Christopher ED Graham FCIPD, ACTP - CGC In performance-driven environments, results matter. That is understood. What is less often examined is how organisations treat those who have delivered those results over time particularly when the relationship comes to an end. There is a widely held assumption that longevity, loyalty, and sustained performance create a degree of protection. In practice, that assumption does not always hold. Across both sport and business, individual

Christopher E D Graham FCIPD, ACTP - CGC Senior leadership appointments are often discussed as though they hinge on capability. By the time an executive reaches the final stages of consideration for a C-suite or senior leadership role, however, competence is rarely the central question. Experience, technical ability, and track record have already been examined. The more consequential question is usually left unspoken. Will the organisation’s culture allow that leader to succe

CGC The speaker is rarely junior. More often, they are a Managing Director, a senior partner, a regional CIO, or a transformation lead with decades of delivery behind them. They have led multicounty programmes, signed off seven figure budgets, and survived more reorganisations than they care to remember. And yet here they are. Out of role. Searching. Waiting for calls that do not come… What surprises them most is not the job loss itself. Senior leaders understand restructur

Christopher Graham, Founder & Managing Partner, CGC Recruitment is hard. Getting it right requires clarity, leadership, time, and intent. So naturally, if your goal is to attract the weakest possible candidates, frustrate the good ones, and burn your employer brand to the ground , there are some proven best practices you should absolutely follow. Below is a helpful guide on how to fail spectacularly at hiring , a checklist observed far too often in the wild. 1. Pay Low Recrui