City-based H&P Executive Search has announced the appointment of Shannon McKechnie as Commercial Partner. This strategic hire marks the first appointment of its kind for the firm, signalling a greater commitment towards building deeper, long-term, and high-impact client partnerships as the firm scales.
McKechnie joins H&P with over 20 years of recruitment experience and more than a decade holding senior and director positions, including that of Managing Director with her previous executive search employer.
In her new role, she will lead a dedicated commercial function focused on client care, strategic alignment, and consistency of service at a global level across the Legal sector.
The position has been created to ensure that H&P’s most valued clients receive a more joined-up, intentional, and high-impact experience as the firm continues its rapid growth.
“Over the last six months, we recognised the need to evolve how we approach and nurture our key client relationships,” said Jack Hayes, Founder and CEO of H&P Executive Search. “We brought Shannon onboard because key to the success of this role is the ability of the postholder to really challenge our current thinking and not just deliver against it.
“In the short period of time she has been with us, Shannon is already proving to be the right person to do this by helping to re-shape and re-think all client relations. This role will naturally evolve and become something that the business can build around as we continue to scale.”
Shannon McKechnie added: “In a world of hyper-growth, executive search firms often run the risk of becoming transactional as consultants hunt for the next mandate. Few firms invest in a role such as this and those that do tend to treat it as a business development position – at H&P it is quite the opposite.
“It’s about understanding client priorities and aligning our expertise, market intelligence, access, and unique brand of execution accordingly to deliver the long-term value they seek from their most important hires.”
The appointment comes at a key point in H&P’s growth trajectory, as the firm continues to expand its footprint within the Legal market, supporting ambitious organisations with critical leadership hires both in Europe and increasingly across the US.
