Leadership Advisory

We bring creative solutions to the table.

Our purpose is simple: we are here to advise and support people and organisations to realise their potential so that together we can impact lives and communities for the better.

Amid today’s relentless competitive pressures, changing market dynamics, and rising customer expectations, the most successful organisations will be those with the right people in top leadership roles, working cohesively. These organisations will have a culture aligned with their strategic direction and a commitment to developing future leaders.

Leadership Advisory Services Best in Scotland

We develop long-term strategic partnerships with our clients which help build winning leadership teams and create substantial value.

In addition to search, we offer strategic introductions to our wider network, leadership assessments, and team development services. Our firm’s commitment to our clients begins with bringing creative solutions to the table with a focus on quality. We help our clients unlock their leadership team’s potential, encouraging innovative and diverse thinking to capitalise on emerging talent.

We are also well-positioned to support with remuneration benchmarking. Ensuring your reward structure is incentivising often requires real-time market testing to remain competitive in the quest to attract and retain top talent. Our bespoke market benchmarking service ensures that you have all the right data to hand when making decisions around Executive reward.

Our Leadership Advisory Services…

Succession Planning

Board Assessment & Team Diligence

Psychometric & Ability Testing

Remuneration Benchmarking

Contact Our Executive Search Specialists

We’d be delighted to provide further information. Get in touch with our team to find out how we can help you.

CONTACT

Board Succession Planning

Effective succession planning starts well in advance of any succession need and is core to a robust HR strategy. We assist our clients in identifying the future desired impact of key leadership roles and subsequently reverse-engineer assessment processes that help to identify the skills and experience that potential future leaders will need to build to be ready to step up when the time comes.

As expert advisers on leadership selection and the best succession practices, Livingston James is uniquely qualified to assist Boards with the important and complex task of succession planning, in addition to C-suite search and onboarding support, to allow new leaders to accelerate their performance in line with company expectation and ensure our attention is always focused on the impact of the role. Please get in touch with our team for more information.

Board Due Diligence

We understand how to motivate your Board.

Having confidence in your leadership team is pivotal.  At Livingston James we understand the impact high performing teams can have on achieving business objectives, and more importantly, on purpose and behaviours. Unfortunately, we have also witnessed the negative impact that low performing teams can have on business performance and culture.We create customised assessment processes which are tailored to support the needs of our clients. We offer advice on Board composition and structure, which are both critical in maximising long-term positive impact on business performance and longevity. Our service is tailored to meet each client’s unique needs to gain comprehensive understanding of the various factors that influence decision-making. These factors include senior leadership purpose, motivations and key drivers, company culture, team compatibility, and comparison against others in the market.

We partner with investors and corporate clients to deliver leadership assessment and referencing, often at a time when a business needs clarity and confidence in its leadership capability; for example, after an injection of capital, during an acquisition, or in leadership development and succession planning scenarios.

We also offer our clients Psychometric and Ability Testing to gather information on leadership profiles and preferences.

Find out more about our testing services.

News & Insights...

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Could an Uncertain World Mean More CEOs from a Human Resources Background?

Navigating New Terrain: Edinburgh Boardroom Lunch Event with Ian Reid (CBE)

Family Business NED Forum Breakfast Event with Livingston James and KPMG

Latest News from Livingston James

Famous for excellence.

Our dynamic team has experience advising in a wide range of industries and sectors.  We have led and developed businesses from board level, managing people and processes across countless specialisms and geographies. We can bring a unique perspective to your business needs.

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ALS Dental
Bairds Malt
Bella and Duke
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bute energy
Care Inspectorate
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D2Zero
Denholm
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emtelle
EY
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Green Gen
Insights Group
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Loch Lomond Group
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Macphie logo
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Pelion
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Right There
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Skills Development Scotland
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Who Cares Scotland

Recent Case Studies...

Appointing two pivotal senior leadership roles for Albyn School

Glasgow 2026 Case study: Appointing the Executive team to deliver a new kind of games.

Protected: Stewart-Buchanan Gauges Case Study: Supporting a fellow employee-owned business with leadership succession

J.W. Filshill Case Study: Advising a Scottish headquartered wholesale business to embrace technological advancements and maintain its position as a market leader
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GROUP CEO

JAMIE LIVINGSTON

At Livingston James, an unwavering focus on the impact of our appointments is at the heart of everything we do.  We work in partnership with our clients and candidates to bring together leadership teams that transform organisations and careers for the better. 

Jamie Livingston

Together we achieve more.

Livingston James Group comprises two bespoke sub brands: Livingston James – our executive search and leadership advisory practice, and Rutherford Cross – our specialist finance recruitment practice. This wider group structure complements our robust search and assessment process, allowing clients to access our deep-rooted network and expertise.

Livingston James
Rutherford Cross

Contact Our Executive Search Specialists

We’d be delighted to provide further information. Get in touch with our team to find out how we can help you.

CONTACT US

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Latest from the blog

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A global leader in retinal imaging technology, Optos designs and manufactures world‑leading devices that enable earlier and more comprehensive detection of retinal disease. This is a pivotal leadership role, providing strategic and operational ownership of quality across global operations, with full accountability for Quality Assurance, Quality Control, and the continued delivery of safe, compliant, and high‑quality products.

Livingston James Retained by The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh to Appoint Director of Digital Enablement

The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is embarking on a major digital transformation, modernising its systems, platforms, infrastructure and digital capabilities to create a seamless, resilient, user‑centred digital experience for members, exam candidates, volunteers and staff. Leading and developing a newly created multidisciplinary Digital Enablement Directorate, you will drive cultural and operational transformation focused on enhancing ways of working, strengthening governance and embedding user‑centred, evidence‑based design principles.

Livingston James Partners with Optos to Appoint Director of Quality

A global leader in retinal imaging technology, Optos designs and manufactures world‑leading devices that enable earlier and more comprehensive detection of retinal disease. This is a pivotal leadership role, providing strategic and operational ownership of quality across global operations, with full accountability for Quality Assurance, Quality Control, and the continued delivery of safe, compliant, and high‑quality products.