News and Insights

When the time comes for a Chief Executive to step down, the energy spent on succession planning and the money and effort taken to find the right heir should hopefully result in an apt appointment. Yet, according to plenty of research online, the statistics suggest there’s a 40 – 60% likelihood of an executive leaving an organisation within the first 18 months. Other researchers suggest it’s the first 100 days that are critical and will dictate whether a senior leader will commit to a role. I know from experience working in the field of executive search, a succession of senior … Read More

Tell us about the man outside of the office Originating from the West Midlands, Ashley is a keen golfer and avid Aston Villa fan who is hoping to get his handicap down to single figures this summer whilst watching Villa climb to the dizzy heights of the premiership; in that order of preference!! Ashley claims to be a spiced rum connoisseur and has travelled as far as The Caribbean to experience only the best first hand!!   Give us an insight into the career to date Graduating from University with a degree in Marketing and Advertising Management, Ashley joined the … Read More

by Matthew Lewis, Business Manager at TS Grale On Friday 20 April, some news broke that surprised me and I suspect many sports followers – Arsene Wenger was to step down as Arsenal manager at the end of the season. Arsene has been in post for nearly 22 years and for many, Arsene is Arsenal itself. He was the man in charge when the club won three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups, including the Double in 1998 and 2002. According to the BBC, Wenger was the first manager “since 1888-89 to lead a team through an English top-flight … Read More

From the automotive industry through to sales and marketing, an issue concerning many senior executive leaders right now is staff wellbeing. As a result of governmental policy changes, the rise of digitisation, Brexit, and a host of other factors, the shifting landscape of industry is making for an unsettling yet demanding era. In my view, more than ever, a happy and healthy workforce is vital for business to flourish. Apparently, we are living in a time of the so-called “sandwich generation” – people in their 40s and 50s looking after young children and elderly parents concurrently, while technologically connected to … Read More

Whatever the size of an organisation, the repercussions of poor succession planning can be enormous. It is defined by the CIPD as “the process of identifying and developing potential future leaders or senior managers, as well as individuals to fill other business-critical positions, either in the short- or the long-term.” Avoiding the issue According to a recent article by the Financial Express, succession management is very pertinent right now. As investors get increasingly impatient about RoI, dissatisfaction focussed on leaders has led to the average tenure of CEOs globally reduce from six to 2.5 years – a significant shift. It … Read More

On 28 February, the annual Industry 4.0 Summit returned to Manchester, in spite of the Beast from the East! For me, this is a key event in the calendar. Over two days, the Summit attracted a range of hardy representatives braving the weather, all interested in one broad subject: the future of manufacturing. The impact of Industry 4.0 on manufacturing and the wider economy was central to discussions around Brexit, skills shortages, and new technologies. It was the latter subject – from cyber security and the Internet of Things to mass customisation and big data – that dominated debates, a … Read More

I’ve just finished digesting the latest PwC annual survey of CEOs and, as always, it makes for an interesting read. Now in its 21st year, the survey has become a well-respected barometer of mood at an executive level. This year, feelings seem to be in a state of flux. The outcomes were released ahead of the official opening of the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Apparently, the global consulting firm PwC surveyed almost 1,300 CEOs located in 85 counties. Undertaken between August and November 2017, the survey aims to inform and stimulate “the debate on how businesses are facing today’s … Read More

We are delighted to announce that we have moved into our new office today! Our new address is 14 King Street, Leeds, LS1 2HL We launched TS Grale in 2016 and through hard work and our continued drive to provide best-in-class service to our customers we have grown dramatically. It has been a wonderful 2 years and we are delighted that this move is the start of a new chapter in our history. This year through investment in our Executive, Commercial, Manufacturing and Supply Chain focused business units, we are looking to grow significantly. To achieve our ambitions, we are … Read More

by Jason Saunders, Partner, TS Grale Executive With more than 20 years managing and directing divisional businesses, I have lots of first-hand experience advising on executive assessment and attraction strategies for Board and Senior Management recruitment. So, it won’t be a surprise that in my opinion a company’s executive leaders should be regarded as some of its most valuable assets.  With years of industry insight, it’s this top tier of management that can aspire and inspire, even when sailing organisations through the choppiest of waters. | In spite of this fact, we are regularly being told by the media and … Read More

What will our leaders need to look like in ten years’ time? This is an important issue because when we recruit executives and managers, we are thinking about their potential for the future. We are carrying out research with our clients to gather their views for a paper on this – with a particular focus on manufacturing and industrial sectors – and would welcome wider views if you want to contact us. As I write, we are this week surrounded by the spectacular failure of one of the UK’s largest businesses, Carillion, and it got me thinking – what type … Read More