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Paul Harper Search Hires Ezek Search Founding Director & Senior Team


One of Financial Services most respected Executive Search brands, Paul Harper Search & Selection has today announced it is hiring the Founding Director & Selected members of the Senior Team from Ezek Search & Selection following an announcement that Ezek Ltd is to close.


Paul Harper, Founder and Managing Director of Paul Harper Search & Selection states ‘This is a great opportunity for our combined teams to create something very special. We want to come out of this unusual climate bigger, better and stronger and to be able to better serve the Financial Services sector’.


Like Paul Harper Search which celebrated its 21st birthday last month, John and his team have been working in the Financial Services market for over 20 years and, whilst working in the same sector, offer complementary services. They are widely acknowledged as being Financial Services specialists and have built up a loyal client following as well as enviable candidate bases.


John Biggs previously Chair and Founding Director of Ezek Ltd will become Chair of Paul Harper Search & Selection. He said, “I have known Paul & his business for many years and always believed we hold similar ethics and values”. Charles Evans, former Managing Partner at Ezek and now Corporate Partnerships Director at Paul Harper adds ‘There was significant synergy between our respective businesses which can only serve to deliver additional benefits to clients and candidates alike’. Vicki Parker, Ezek’s longest serving Recruitment Partner will also be moving across to join her colleagues shortly.


The enlarged business will now have an even greater range of Financial Services expertise, supporting specialist mid to senior level and boardroom appointments in: Wealth Management, Asset Management, Life Assurance, Pensions and Investments and Wealth Platforms.
In addition to these, the combined teams also bring expertise in Corporate/EBC and the Fintech space as well as Intermediary M&A activity which Paul has further plans for later this year.


Paul Harper continues ‘We are predicting considerable activity as we start to emerge out of the current unprecedented economic climate. Companies will need to change their business models, how they operate and their staffing requirements which we are already beginning to see. The Financial Services Sector and the people within it are key to the economic success of this country and by combining the skills and specialisms of Paul Harper we are better able to serve this key market’.

Key Facts

  1. Paul Harper Search & Selection was established in July 1999
  2. John Biggs established Ezek Search & Selection in July 1996.
  3. Ezek Ltd has announced it is closing shortly.
  4. John Biggs, Founding Director and Chair of Ezek, Charles Evans, Managing Partner and VickiParker, Partner are all moving to Paul Harper Search & Selection to take up similar roles in the enlarged Business.
  5. Paul Harper Search & Selection are & Ezek Search & Selection were both leaders in Financial Services Executive Search, managing assignments for mid, senior, specialist and C-Suite appointments.
  6. Paul Harper Search & Selection specialisms are Sales & Distribution, Proposition, Fund Management, Financial Planning and Wealth Management.
  7. Ezek Search & Selection specialisms were Sales & Distribution but also Head Office functions including Marketing, Compliance, Finance, Technology, Operations, Technical, Interims & Contract and NEDs.
  8. The Financial Services market has held up well through COVID-19 lockdown. 21% of Financial Advisers expect to leave the industry in the next 5 years so there is still a shortage of Financial Advisers & Wealth Managers.