Daniel Nicholls

How would you describe your job to someone who knew nothing about the Executive Search industry?

In simple terms, we try to attract the top executive talent for our clients. Our clients often have strategic, leadership and/ or commercial issues for which they would like us to find individuals who are able to resolve. We map specific sectors to identify which people would be most likely able to address our client’s brief. We present our client proposition to those candidates, vetting the group who express interest, enabling us to present our clients with a pool of highly-capable individuals for them to choose from.

What inspired you to work in the industry?

Initially, I began recruiting in Japan, which gave me an interesting window into balancing two distinct cultures. I recruited senior Japanese executives with Western business and cultural sensibilities, to work for foreign multinational corporations. It is a very interesting dynamic, assessing people’s ability to traverse two very different cultures successfully.

Who is the most influential person you’ve ever met?

My mother. She had an incredible work ethic, was a risk-taker and was able to instantly engage anyone in a memorable conversation.

What’s the one thing that gets you out of bed in the morning?

I still enjoy the thrill of the chase that comes with Search. That sense of finding a candidate who you think will be right for the client and the validation you get as they successfully go through all the recruitment stages to an accepted offer.

What’s your biggest career achievement to date?

Setting up my own search firm in Japan soon after the global financial crisis (or Lehman Shock in Japanese). It was a challenging time, but we grew and through some savvy partnerships were able to expand our coverage to more than 10 countries in the world.

What’s the best thing about working at Watermark?

The culture. It’s highly professional and respected for the quality of what it delivers.

If you never had to work again, how would you spend your time?

I’d relocate to a southern European island and enjoy the slow life.