About Harry
Harry leads Hedley May’s Corporate Affairs and Sustainability practice, drawing upon his own deep expertise in this area, combined with the firm’s exceptional track record in finding world-class leaders across the globe.
Contact Harry on tel: +44 (0) 20 7858 9443 or harry.friend@hedleymay.com
Background
Harry has over 20 years of executive search experience at Board and Executive Committee level. He has worked for some of the largest global brands and public companies in the UK and throughout Europe, as well as, for privately-owned and private equity-backed businesses.
Harry has specialised in Corporate Affairs since the inception of his search career, closely following how organisations shape and protect their brands. He has keenly monitored how the function’s remit has expanded so that today’s leader must exercise judgement around a broad range of issues from geopolitics to sustainability, to diversity and inclusion.
Harry’s focus, alongside his wider experience of appointing NEDs, CEOs and CFOs, has led to a deep understanding of how the best Corporate Affairs Officers and Chief Sustainability Officers are influential in their organisations.
Prior to joining Hedley May, Harry was a Partner at one of the UK’s leading boutique executive search firms where he was a member of the Board practice and led the executive leadership practice. He took an active role in promoting diversity and inclusion and supporting clients with broader ESG initiatives.
Harry is a passionate advocate for the re-shaping of the executive search industry and the role it can play in promoting diversity in the workplace. In the UK, he has worked with guidelines from the Davies Review, Hampton-Alexander and Parker Reviews while supporting clients in achieving governance adherence in these areas.
Harry has championed the promotion of emerging talent to the boardroom and executive committee and has a reputation for encouraging lateral thinking when it comes to searching for talent on behalf of clients.
Harry has lived and worked internationally for most of his career and speaks fluent Spanish.
Expertise
Our People
Hedley May is the power of its people. We work hard to create a culture in which everyone feels valued, are supported to thrive, and can live the values we believe in. We know the search for great people is driven by great people.
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The Belonging Project
We launched the Belonging Project, conducting over 100 interviews globally with a diverse range of people. Our research reaffirmed our core belief: organizations that create a strong sense of Belonging are more successful – in business, employee satisfaction and longevity. Belonging is the proven cornerstone of success.
Community
When we founded Hedley May, we made a commitment to make a positive impact on our broader communities. We focus on providing opportunity to the underserved through mentorship, internships, workshops and other career development initiatives. We are also dedicated advocates and supporters of numerous social mobility programs.