How do you match candidates to the right opportunities?

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.

What types of roles and industries do you specialise in?

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.

How does working with Irving Knight benefit me?

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.

Do I need to pay for your services?

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.

Will using your services put me at a disadvantage compared to direct applicants?

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.

What makes Irving Knight different from other recruitment firms?

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.

How do you find and assess candidates?

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.

How do you approach confidential searches?

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.

What is your success rate in filling roles?

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.

What happens if a hire doesn't work out?

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.

For more information on our Flavor & Fragrance services, get in touch with

Oliver Kiddy

Managing Director

Hundreds of 'Excellent' reviews

Flavor & Fragrance Executive Search

Helping Flavor & Fragrance companies unlock their next stage of growth

Specialisms We Cover

Aroma Bakery Beauty Beverage Color Confectionary Dairy Flavors Fragrances Savoury Seasoning Snacks Spices Sweet

The global Flavor and Fragrance market exceeds $30 billion in value and is expected to grow at a CAGR up to 7% driven by innovation and consumer demands.

Flavours and spices have been used for thousands of years globally. In ancient times simple herbs and seasonings were used to flavour food – now the industry is comprised of hundreds of manufacturers. Years of innovation has led to the products we see on our supermarket shelves today, and we’re excited to be in the position to support the continuous growth this industry sees. We recognise the importance of having a solid understanding of the industry whether that be through technical jargon, key industry relationships or simply the passion for what we do.

Partnering with global giants alongside high paced innovators, the Flavors and Fragrance team has a proven track record supporting a plethora of functions globally. Bringing the best in class leaders across to key players in the industry, the Irving Knight Group has supported innovation from afar by elevating talent strategies in every corner of the globe.

5000 years of history and 8.3 billion peoples identity

The Flavors and Fragrances sector sits at the intersection of science, creativity, and consumer demand. As tastes evolve and brands respond to shifting preferences around naturality, health, sustainability, and sensory experience - innovation in formulation, ingredients, and processing is accelerating across the industry.

We work with Flavors and Fragrances organisations operating across food, beverage, and consumer applications, supporting both established market leaders and high-growth specialists. Our understanding of this space spans R&D, Innovation, Manufacturing, Regulatory, and Commercial functions. By aligning specialist and leadership talent with product and growth strategies, we help our clients bring differentiated, market-ready solutions to consumers worldwide.

Case Study

Finding a needle in the haystack

12 months of searching. 100 candidates reviewed. $35m territory vacant. No offers presented. This is the mandate that was presented to Oliver when working with a client for the first time. This client had exhausted all options and in a last ditch attempt to find the needle in a haystack, they approached Irving Knight directly through our website.

Case Study

Finding a needle in the haystack

Oliver discussed the requirements needed for the role but more importantly took the time to understand why the client had not found the right candidate for the position. It was not about sales acumen nor checking a box for 10 years’ experience in the F&F industry. This was about culture, reputation and the mentality to manage and generate growth in a prosperous territory after major changes to the clients organization for the first time in 20 years. As the gatekeeper and expert for the clients needs, we looked away from a CV or LinkedIn page. Understanding the candidates mentality and qualitative achievements allowed us to present a niche pool of unapproached candidates to our client with a time to fill of just under 5 weeks.

Download the Flavor & Fragrance Brochure

Download our brochure

Learn more about our services, approach and the sectors we operate in.

Did you know?

Hiring the wrong candidate costs more than just time—it can waste salary, training resources, and opportunities. The Department of Labour estimates a bad hire can cost up to 30% of the role’s first-year earnings.

We hire right

Organisations are often reluctant to use external recruiters due the percieved cost. Think about it like this - what financial benefit could a top candidate bring to your business unit? You could make a 100x return on your investment.

97% Placement Rate 1
1.78:1 CVs Sent to Interviews 2
Avg. 32 Day Engagement to Placement 3

1. Based on all roles engaged on by a client on an exclusive basis from Jan 4 2025 - Dec 31 2025.

2. All CVs Sent from Jan 4 2025 - Dec 31 2025.

3. From Jan 4 2025 - Dec 31 2025.

Stats

387 active opportunities

1,908 placements made across 25 sectors

262,736 companies in our CRM

"At Irving Knight, we don't just fill positions; we build lasting partnerships. Our commitment to understanding your unique needs ensures that we deliver leaders who drive success and embody your company's values. When it comes to identifying the high-performers of tomorrow, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Our bespoke approach ensures every search is personal, diverse, and tailored from the ground up — delivering an individual, unrivalled experience for both clients and candidates. "

- Joe Davey, Group CEO of Irving Knight Group

Kyle Corrigan

Technical Account Manager

It was a pleasure working with Joseph when searching for the next chapter in my career. Proactive, energetic and prof...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Keith Parvin

Automation Division Director

I found Joseph to be extremely professional in every way when going through a recent recruitment process, always doin...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Nika Kuchaidze

Senior Continuous Improvement Chemist, US

Oliver Kiddy

Flavors & Fragrances

Andreia Sa

Director, Italy

I would like to sincerely thank Evan Ball for all the support throughout the process. He provided assistance at diffe...

Ewan Ball

Food Ingredients & Biotechnology

Franz-Leo Nedo

Territory Sales Manager

Joseph is an expert in recruting people. He has in-depth practical knowledge and helpful by solving potential issues....

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Tim Mitchell

Plant Manager, US

Stewart did an amazing job representing me for a new opportunity.

Stewart Boyd

Construction Materials & Mining

Jane Scates

Packaging Engineer, US

Henry was a true professional, perfect attention to detail at every step of the process. Would definitely recommend!

Henry Spooner

Packaging, Paper, Recycling

Sara Benoit

Regional Account Manager, US

Irving Knight Group is a fantastic company. I was contacted by Aidan Kerr regarding a sales position opportunity in t...

Aidan Kerr

Chemicals

Joerg Schlagmann

Senior Global Manager

Great expert: supportive, challenging and always empowered for his customers and his work! Not more to say: just exce...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Michel Cas

Sales Manager, France

Incredibly human oriented executive search, candidates handled with great care and respect, precise and concise infor...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Tim Staniels

Territory Sales Manager, US

Joseph was very easy to work with. He was motivated and attentive during his recruitment process, very responsive to ...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Christoph Snaga

Investment Manager, Germany

Christopher from Irving Knight handled the overall process well and we managed to get to a successful completion smoo...

Christopher Clay

Real Estate & Homebuilding

Todd McBroom

District Sales Mgr, US

Great Experience!! This was my first time dealing with a recuiter and could not have been a better experience. Jack ...

Jack Purnell

Jack Purnell

Material Handling & Automation

Anja Florbach

Digital & Commercial Excellence Manager

Thank you so much Joseph! You have given me a great support. It was really nice to be in contact with you and I thin...

Irving Knight Group delivers executive search across 20+ core industries.

Oliver Kiddy

Helping Flavor & Fragrance companies unlock their next stage of growth

Specialisms We Cover

The global Flavor and Fragrance market exceeds $30 billion in value and is expected to grow at a CAGR up to 7% driven by innovation and consumer demands.

5000 years of history and 8.3 billion peoples identity

Finding a needle in the haystack

Finding a needle in the haystack

Download our brochure

Did you know?

We hire right

Stats

Kyle Corrigan

Technical Account Manager

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Keith Parvin

Automation Division Director

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Nika Kuchaidze

Senior Continuous Improvement Chemist, US

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Kay Witte

Global Director Performance Excellence

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Vincent Dehousse

Head of Sales & Marketing, Netherlands

Cian ODonnell

CDMO & CRO

Veronica Hagborg

Senior Director Global HR, Sweden

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Corinne Grice

Strategic Account Manager, US

Luca Dowdell

Lubricants, Oil & Gas

Kaitlin Lammers

Account Manager

Oliver Kiddy

Flavors & Fragrances

Guillermo Leal

Global Director of Pricing, US

Oliver Kiddy

Flavors & Fragrances

Andreia Sa

Director, Italy

Ewan Ball

Food Ingredients & Biotechnology

Franz-Leo Nedo

Territory Sales Manager

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Tim Mitchell

Plant Manager, US

Stewart Boyd

Construction Materials & Mining

Jane Scates

Packaging Engineer, US

Henry Spooner

Packaging, Paper, Recycling

Sara Benoit

Regional Account Manager, US

Aidan Kerr

Chemicals

Joerg Schlagmann

Senior Global Manager

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Michel Cas

Sales Manager, France

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Tim Staniels

Territory Sales Manager, US

Joseph Davey

Group CEO