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Privacy Notice – Client Data (Organisations)

Last updated: 9th Feb 2026

Overview

  • We will only collect and process the right amount of your personal data from you for the specific purposes that we need it.
  • We only use your personal data for clearly defined purposes.
  • We have identified the legal basis for the processing of your personal data.
  • The service we provide means we do need to share your personal data.
  • We endeavour to keep your personal data safe and secure at all times.
  • We may have to transfer your personal data outside of the UK and EU.
  • We only keep your personal data for a set period of time.
  • You can keep in control of your personal data through the various rights you have.
  • We are happy to speak to you about what we do with your personal data.

Changes made to our privacy notice

We exercise our right to update this Privacy Notice at any time, including to keep up to date with data protection law and accurately reflect Irving Knight Group’s practices surrounding data processing. Any changes made to our Privacy Notice come into effect when posted on this page (date of latest update can be found at the top of this page).

Personal data collected

For us to find the most suitable candidates for your organisation we need to collect and use certain information about you, or individuals who work at your organisation. The information that we collect from you is:

  • Your organisation name and contact details (address, central telephone number, etc);
  • Contact details of the individual we are liaising with at your organisation (name, telephone number, email address);
  • Contact details of the individual within your organisation’s accounts department (name, telephone number, email address);
  • Details of the job vacancy and type of candidate you require; and
  • Any other information an individual from your organisation chooses to tell us.

Data processed by Irving Knight Group is collected in several ways. This information can be provided by you directly, provided by a third party or collected automatically via our website.

By using our website and sending any email communications our systems may obtain your IP address

Collecting the data directly from you

You may provide your personal data to us via one of the following ways:

  • Contacting us directly to discuss your vacancy requirements (usually by phone or email);
  • Submitting a vacancy via the client services area of our website; or
  • If you are a current/previous client when we have contacted you directly (usually by phone or email).

Collecting the data from other sources

We may gather some of your personal data, such as name and contact details, from publicly available sources online. For example, professional networking sites, such as LinkedIn, or job boards if you are advertising a vacancy.

What we use your personal data for and the legal basis we rely on

We process your personal data for the following purposes:

Recruitment purposes

To identify suitable candidates for the job vacancy you have and to ensure the contractual arrangement between our two organisations operates effectively.

We rely on the following legal basis for this:

  • Contractual obligation – Article 6(1)(b) of GDPR

Marketing purposes

As an existing client, to re-contact you in the future to see if you have any new job vacancies to fill or to send anonymised candidate profiles of individuals who we think may be suitable for your organisation.

As a prospective client to contact you to discuss any potential job vacancies you may have or to send anonymised candidate profiles of individuals who we think may be suitable for your organisation.

We rely on the following legal basis for this:

  • Legitimate Interests - Article 6(1)(f) of GDPR

We don’t think it unreasonable for clients, both prospective and existing/lapsed, to want to know about our services and how we can help recruit the right person for your job vacancy or for you to know of any potential candidates that we feel may make suitable employees of your organisation. In fact, it can benefit your organisation to know when a highly skilled executive level individual is looking for new employment opportunities.

You can change your marketing preferences at any time - within our emails, you will find an unsubscribe button within the footer of the email, this button will take you to the following options:

  • Unsubscribe: You can permanently unsubscribe from all marketing emails. Once unsubscribed, you will no longer receive marketing communications from us.
  • Mute Option: You can choose to mute marketing communications for a period of three (3) months. During this time, we will pause all marketing emails to you. At the end of the three-month period, communications will automatically resume unless you choose to unsubscribe or extend the mute period via the unsubscribe button found within any of our emails.

We will process all unsubscribe and mute requests promptly and in line with UK GDPR requirements. Your preferences will be recorded and stored securely in accordance with UK GDPR requirements for consent management. These options apply only to marketing communications and do not affect essential service-related messages.

For any additional information about your marketing preferences, please contact our Data Protection Manager.

Who we will share your personal data with

We will only share relevant and necessary personal data of our clients with the individuals who you would like to be introduced to or invite for an interview.

When a new recruitment business is set up under Irving Knight Group, all data subjects and their data processed whilst working for Irving Knight Group will be transferred across to the new company. The new business is still owned and controlled in the majority by Irving Knight Group.

Your personal data may be accessed and seen by our third-party outsourced IT provider, whilst they undertake work on our behalf. We have a data processor contract in place which sets out both parties’ responsibilities and obligations under GDPR. Data will not be used by third parties for any of their own purposes.

If you enter personal data into our website then it may be accessed and seen by our third-party website host and web data storage provider, whilst they undertake work on our behalf. We have a data processor contract in place which sets out both parties’ responsibilities and obligations under GDPR.

How we keep your personal data safe

Irving Knight Group takes the security of your personal data seriously and we have put in place the most appropriate organisational and technical measures to safeguard personal data. Our measures include:

  • Encrypting devices and servers where appropriate
  • Password access to computers and mobile devices
  • Secure premises
  • Restricting access to those staff who need to see the information
  • Internal policies and procedures on data protection and information security
  • Staff training
  • The relevant procedures to report and deal with potential data breaches

When we use third-party providers to process and/or store personal data we undertake relevant assessments of their business to establish their level of compliance with GDPR and only use those that provide sufficient guarantees to implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to safeguard personal data.

Our website, emails, databases and data storage are all on servers based in the UK and EU.

If you suspect your personal data has been lost or misused, please contact our Data Protection Manager (contact details can be found at the bottom of this page).

Transferring personal data outside of the UK and EU

If a candidate, who is located outside of the UK and EU (a ‘third country’), applies for your job vacancy we will need to provide them with some of your data in relation to that job. This means that we sometimes must transfer client personal data to a third country.

If there is no adequacy decision in place for the country we are transferring client data to, we will only transfer the personal data if:

  • the transfer is necessary for the conclusion or performance of a contract between ourselves (i.e. we are contracted to find a suitable candidate for the job vacancy you have); or
  • we have obtained your explicit consent to transfer your personal data.

How long we will keep your personal data for

We keep client data for as long as we have an active communication with you, and once this ceases we will keep your personal data for 10 years since last updated before it is deleted from our systems and securely destroyed.

We have documented retention periods for all the information we obtain and process. If you would like to request a copy, please contact our Data Protection Manager.

Your rights

You have various rights in relation to how we process your personal data, as defined by the General Data Protection Regulations

  • You can access the personal data we keep about you and be given specific information about the processing, also known as the Right to be informed.
  • You can ask us to update inaccurate personal data we hold about you, also known as the Right of access or a data subject access request.
  • You can ask us to delete your personal data but only when specific grounds apply, also known as the Right to erasure. Please note that your ability to exercise this right may not always be possible due to legal requirements, in which case you will be informed of this.
  • You can ask us to restrict the processing of your personal data, also known as the Right to restrict processing.
  • You can ask us to update any inaccurate information we hold about you, also known as the Right to rectification.
  • You can object to the processing of your personal data if you do not agree with our legitimate interest grounds and for direct marketing purposes, also known as the Right to object.
  • You can transfer your personal data from us to another service provider but only when certain grounds apply, also known as the Right to data portability.

Rights in relation to automated decision-making including profiling does not apply as we do not undertake any automated decision-making, including profiling.

Should you wish to exercise any of your rights please contact our Data Protection Manager. All requests will be processed within one month unless the request is excessive in which case you will be informed and kept updated throughout.

We do not charge a fee for responding to the above requests unless the request is unfounded or excessive; or if requests are repetitive.

If you are not happy with the way we have been processing your personal data or have not dealt with one of your rights correctly when you have asked us to you may lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO). The ICO has several ways in which you can contact them, including post, email, and online forms. To find out how click here.

Our contact details

You can contact our Data Protection Manager via one of the following ways:

Trustpilot

FAQs

We’re here to make Executive Search easy to understand. Find answers to the most common questions below.

Our priority is fit, not speed. We take time to understand your background, goals, and motivations, then provide clear insight into each opportunity so you’re only considered for roles that truly align with your experience and ambitions.

We specialise in senior, specialist, and leadership appointments across the markets we serve. Our focus is on roles where experience, judgement, and cultural alignment are critical — typically mid- to senior-level management through to executive and board appointments.

You’ll gain honest market insight, access to high-quality opportunities, and clear guidance throughout the process. Our aim is simple: to help you make the right move, at the right time, with confidence.

No. Our services are completely free for candidates. We are retained by our client partners to manage their hiring processes, meaning there is never a cost to you at any stage.

Our role is to represent your interests professionally, provide guidance throughout the process, and help you assess opportunities objectively — without any financial obligation.

No — if anything, it gives you an advantage. We provide context, insight, and advocacy that ensure your experience and motivations are clearly understood from the outset. Our role is to strengthen your candidacy and guide you through a transparent, well-managed process.

We operate as a retained, partnership-led search firm rather than a transactional recruiter. That means fewer searches, deeper engagement, and a far higher level of commitment to outcomes. By combining sector specialism, market intelligence, and a disciplined search methodology, we deliver hires that are aligned not only to role requirements, but to culture, strategy, and long-term growth plans.

We don’t rely on databases or job advertising alone. Our searches are driven by proactive market mapping, targeted outreach, and insight gained from long-standing sector networks. Candidates are assessed on capability, leadership style, cultural alignment, and long-term potential — not just CV fit — ensuring a robust and well-informed shortlist.

Confidentiality is fundamental to how we operate. Every search is handled with discretion, clear communication, and controlled market engagement. As your representative in the market, we protect your brand, manage messaging carefully, and ensure sensitive information is only shared when appropriate — safeguarding both your business and your candidates throughout the process.

Our retained model is designed to deliver outcomes, not volume. Because we invest the time to fully understand the role, the business, and the wider context, we achieve a consistently high completion rate across our searches. More importantly, our focus is on long-term retention and impact, not short-term placement metrics.

While our process is designed to minimise risk, we recognise that circumstances can change. In the rare event a placement doesn’t succeed, we work closely with our client to address the situation and agree the most appropriate next steps. Our commitment is to the partnership and the outcome — not just the initial hire

Let's talk

Contact Irving Knight Group for Executive Search Enquiries