About Us
A specialist partner for exceptional leadership.
Marlin Standard is an international executive search and talent intelligence consultancy, helping ambitious organisations appoint the leaders who shape what comes next.
01 — Our Story
Built on standards, not volume.
Marlin Standard was founded in 2002 on a simple belief: senior appointments deserve the same rigour, discretion and care as any strategic decision a business makes.
Over two decades on, that belief hasn’t changed — only the depth of expertise behind it. We work with a deliberately focused client base, combining research-led search with genuine market intelligence to find leaders who can deliver — not just candidates who fit a job description.
Integrity
Precision
Partnership
02 — What We Do
Core services.
Focused disciplines, each delivered with the same research-led approach.
Executive Search
Discreet, research-led searches for the leaders who define strategy, culture and performance.
Senior Commercial & Sales Leadership
Revenue leaders who can build teams, open markets and convert ambition into sustained growth.
Board & Leadership Appointments
Chair, non-executive and C-suite appointments that strengthen governance and direction.
Specialist Technology & Transformation Search
Leaders for AI, data, cloud and transformation programmes where capability is scarce.
03 — Our Models
Ways to work with us.
Choose the engagement that matches the role, the timeline and the level of confidentiality required.
- 01
Exclusive Contingency
No upfront fee. Pay on success.
We headhunt proven talent for a specific role. You only pay when a candidate is successfully placed. The assignment is exclusive to Marlin Standard, but it won’t affect the rest of your hiring programme.
[fee structure to be confirmed]
- 02
Partnership
A focused, cost-effective search for critical hires.
A dedicated, search-led model for strategic and business-critical appointments. Not a typical retained search — a more flexible approach with a modest start-up investment to activate a dedicated project team, credited towards a reduced final fee.
[fee structure to be confirmed]
- 03
Growth Alliance
Lower fees with every successful placement.
A long-term partnership for businesses making multiple hires. The fee reduces with each successful placement, giving you better value as your team grows.
[fee structure to be confirmed]
- 04
Subscription Talent Service
Ongoing hiring support for a fixed monthly fee.
We manage Sales, Pre-Sales and Leadership hiring for a fixed monthly fee — a dedicated recruitment partner, ongoing hiring support across multiple roles, and regular data & intelligence reporting.
[fee structure to be confirmed]
04 — Industries & Sectors
Breadth of sector expertise.
We search across a range of sectors, applying the same methodology wherever leadership matters.
- 01
AI and Frontier Technology
Generative and agentic AI, enterprise AI platforms, machine learning, conversational and voice AI, computer vision, AI governance and automation.
- 02
Data and Analytics
Data engineering and platforms, business intelligence, advanced analytics, data governance, lakehouse solutions and real-time intelligence.
- 03
Cloud and Digital Infrastructure
Cloud transformation, hybrid and multicloud platforms, infrastructure modernisation, managed cloud, FinOps, observability and AI infrastructure.
- 04
Cybersecurity and Digital Trust
Cloud and application security, identity and access management, threat intelligence, managed security, cyber resilience, AI security, digital risk and brand protection.
- 05
Enterprise Software and SaaS
ERP, CRM, finance and HR software, industry-specific SaaS, workflow and integration platforms, revenue technology and customer experience.
- 06
Software and Product Engineering
Custom software and digital product engineering, application modernisation, platform engineering, DevOps, quality engineering, embedded software and AI-assisted development.
- 07
Consulting and Business Services
Strategy and technology consulting, transformation, people and change, finance transformation, systems integration, BPO, managed services and customer operations.
- 08
Climate and Industrial Technology
Green technology, energy management software, sustainability platforms, industrial IoT, digital twins, smart infrastructure and engineering technology.