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For more information on our Personal Care services, get in touch with

...

Oliver Kiddy

Managing Director

Hundreds of 'Excellent' reviews

Personal Care Executive Search

Helping Personal Care companies unlock their next stage of growth

Specialisms We Cover

Aroma Chemicals Body Wash CBD Beauty Contract Manufacturing Cosmetic Ingredients Cosmetics Dermatological Care Detergents Fine Fragrances Fragrances Hair Care Laundry Care Mass & Luxury Goods Nail Care Natural Beauty Oral Care Personal Care Skin Care Skin Care Vegan Beauty

The global personal care market is valued at over USD 500 billion, with continued growth driven by consumer demand for efficacy, sustainability, transparency, and innovation in formulation, ingredients, and manufacturing models, including increased reliance on specialist contract manufacturers.

Personal care sits at the intersection of science, consumer behaviour, and brand trust. As demand grows for high-performing, sustainable, and compliant products, the sector faces increasing pressure to innovate rapidly while managing complex formulation, regulatory, and supply chain requirements. The expansion of contract manufacturing, alongside advances in ingredients, packaging, and digital brand engagement, is reshaping how personal care products are developed and brought to market.

Our commitment to the personal care market sets us apart from traditional executive search firms. We work with brand owners, ingredient suppliers, and contract manufacturers to secure specialist scientific, technical, and commercial talent. By aligning expertise with product strategy, manufacturing models, and regulatory expectations, we help our clients accelerate innovation, scale effectively, and build resilient teams capable of succeeding in a highly competitive global market.

Personal care products live in daily routines.

Brands in this space succeed by delivering products that feel consistent, familiar, and reliable while keeping pace with changing consumer expectations and fast-moving trends. From concept through launch, decisions are shaped by brand promise, speed to market, and the ability to scale without compromising experience.

What differentiates personal care businesses is how well ideas translate into products people return to. Roles aligned with brand understanding, execution pace, and consumer insight help organisations maintain relevance and loyalty in highly competitive markets
Case Study

Filling a niche Vice President role for a market-leading fragrance company.

We picked up a vacancy with a leading fine fragrance house in the US, in which the hiring team had used external partners to help fill the role. After a saturated search and 6 months of no success we came on board to find the needle in the haystack.

Having a large network in the industry already, we were able to reach out to a candidate in another industry that aligned with fragrance who I knew would be a fit for the role.

Case Study

Filling a niche Vice President role for a market-leading fragrance company.

After working hard through the Christmas period to finalise the process, the candidate was placed in January 2021. His expertise and fresh approach to the industry has helped grow the business and continue their success story.

Download the Personal Care Brochure

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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

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Andrew Coutts

Director Global Strategy, US

First Class Service Emma shared details of a relevant opportunity and did a great job helping to manage lengthy nego...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Dipen Shah

Account Manager, Canada

I was assisted by Aiden Kerr on getting a new job in the chemical industry. He was fantastic in terms of timing, comm...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Kerry Maye

Regional Sales Manager

Working with Joseph was a wonderfully positive experience from our first contact, through acceptance of my job offer....

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Christoph Snaga

Investment Manager, Germany

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

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Kay Witte

Global Director Performance Excellence

Joseph was instrumental in making my last professional opportunity happen. He was easy to work with, responsive, and ...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Valeria Pozzi

Procurement Category Manager, Italy

Working with Oliver has been a real pleasure!His highly professionalism and transparency made me comfortable to consi...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Michel Cas

Sales Manager, France

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

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Brian Carpenter

VP Continous Improvement, US

Stewart was instrumental in helping me through this process and alleviating my concerns as I’ve been out of the workf...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Andreia Sa

Director, Italy

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

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Jon Steele

CFO, US

Grace taught an old dog some new tricks! I had been in my previous position for 30 years. I loved my job for most of...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Rishi Sarkar

Environmental Process Engineer, US

Irving Knight helped place me with a company that I could have a positive impact on that aligned with my career goals...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Veronica Hagborg

Senior Director Global HR, Sweden

I have had the opportunity to co-operate with Joseph in a process and I found him very proactive in keeping me inform...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Nika Kuchaidze

Senior Continuous Improvement Chemist, US

It was a pleasure working with Joseph on transitioning to a position with a new company. Communication was prompt,...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Tim Mitchell

Plant Manager, US

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

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Kaitlin Lammers

Account Manager

Oliver made the hiring process smooth from start to finish. He was consistently responsive, understanding, and suppor...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Joerg Schlagmann

Senior Global Manager

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

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Vincent Dehousse

Head of Sales & Marketing, Netherlands

Great experience working with Cian from Irving Knight—professional, responsive, and genuinely supportive. Highly reco...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Corinne Grice

Strategic Account Manager, US

Luca was an absolute gem to work with ! He reached out to me on linkedin with several different opportunities & was a...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

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...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Matt Engelbrecht

VP Industrial Ops, US

Working with Lily was a phenomenal experience. She was fully transparent, professional, and provided timely communica...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Andrew Coutts

Director Global Strategy, US

First Class Service Emma shared details of a relevant opportunity and did a great job helping to manage lengthy nego...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Dipen Shah

Account Manager, Canada

I was assisted by Aiden Kerr on getting a new job in the chemical industry. He was fantastic in terms of timing, comm...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Kerry Maye

Regional Sales Manager

Working with Joseph was a wonderfully positive experience from our first contact, through acceptance of my job offer....

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Christoph Snaga

Investment Manager, Germany

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

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Kay Witte

Global Director Performance Excellence

Joseph was instrumental in making my last professional opportunity happen. He was easy to work with, responsive, and ...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Valeria Pozzi

Procurement Category Manager, Italy

Working with Oliver has been a real pleasure!His highly professionalism and transparency made me comfortable to consi...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Michel Cas

Sales Manager, France

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

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Brian Carpenter

VP Continous Improvement, US

Stewart was instrumental in helping me through this process and alleviating my concerns as I’ve been out of the workf...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Andreia Sa

Director, Italy

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

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Jon Steele

CFO, US

Grace taught an old dog some new tricks! I had been in my previous position for 30 years. I loved my job for most of...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Rishi Sarkar

Environmental Process Engineer, US

Irving Knight helped place me with a company that I could have a positive impact on that aligned with my career goals...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Veronica Hagborg

Senior Director Global HR, Sweden

I have had the opportunity to co-operate with Joseph in a process and I found him very proactive in keeping me inform...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Nika Kuchaidze

Senior Continuous Improvement Chemist, US

It was a pleasure working with Joseph on transitioning to a position with a new company. Communication was prompt,...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Tim Mitchell

Plant Manager, US

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

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Kaitlin Lammers

Account Manager

Oliver made the hiring process smooth from start to finish. He was consistently responsive, understanding, and suppor...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Joerg Schlagmann

Senior Global Manager

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

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Vincent Dehousse

Head of Sales & Marketing, Netherlands

Great experience working with Cian from Irving Knight—professional, responsive, and genuinely supportive. Highly reco...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Corinne Grice

Strategic Account Manager, US

Luca was an absolute gem to work with ! He reached out to me on linkedin with several different opportunities & was a...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

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...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Matt Engelbrecht

VP Industrial Ops, US

Working with Lily was a phenomenal experience. She was fully transparent, professional, and provided timely communica...

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Approach

Explore Our Approach

Why Us

Why Irving Knight

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