What We Do

We help the most ambitious high-growth companies in the world, at critical stages of their journeys, to hire their most impactful senior talent. 

Our story

Founders Keepers started out as a small team with a big idea. Since then, we’ve grown our relationships and our reputation.

  • We have built leadership teams for some of the world's most successful ventures and helped amazing people to fulfil their ambitions and potential. 
  • We've only been able to pull this off because of our stellar team and their strong principles. Together, they define what we believe in, who we partner with and how we work. 
  • Founders Keepers has come a long way, but we're just getting started.

We’ll continue to forge talented and diverse leadership teams for the most exciting, high-growth organisation out there.

Our approach

We believe that matching the right leader with the right company requires genuine understanding. So, before we go head hunting, we ensure there's a meeting of minds. 

  • Through the application of art, science, IQ and EQ we strive to uncover what really matters for both sides. We dig into the brief and the business, the criteria and competencies, the position and profile.
  • To establish exactly what's needed to flourish in the role, we go beyond the job description to understand the culture of your business and what sets someone up for success in your company. 
  • Going deep on referencing early in the process and keeping up the dialogue as things progress keeps us aligned with your expectations.

This approach also means we can source, screen, and select a truly diverse and dynamic pool of candidates across every dimension - and help to get them on board, with speed and certainty.

Our process

Our process relies on a combination of art and science with recruiting IQ and EQ.

Briefing

Pull all stakeholder opinions, contract conflicting views, define core focus of the role, clarify compensation.

Set strategy &
competencies

Define objectives, target audience, decision criteria and competencies, process dates, role profile. Present and discuss benchmark candidate

Engage

Approaches, sourcing, market review, prospect identification, initial screening.

Assess

Formal agency interviewing, informal referencing, competency scoring, shortlist submission.

Select

Client interviews, feedback collection, initial decisions.

Decide

Final interviews, feedback review, decisions support, formal referencing, closure.

Founders Keepers commitments
  • Clear milestones, agreed up front
  • Diverse shortlist
  • Familiarise with company culture
  • Visible, transparent process
  • Weekly status calls
  • Thorough vetting of candidates
  • Informal referencing using FK trusted sources and advisory network
  • Availability and urgency
  • Influence and relationships
Client commitments
  • Honesty and openness of information
  • Commitment and time in the process
  • Permission to be pushed
  • Prompt and detailed feedback
  • Treating candidates properly
  • The right offer

Our Commitment

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion

There’s a war for great tech talent...especially diverse talent.

Studies continue to show the economic and social benefits of an inclusive workforce. As talent experts, we choose not to perpetuate the status quo. That way of doing business is out of sync with the future ahead of us - where hungry, curious, inquisitive problem solvers are founders, executives, and investors.

That’s why we’re committed to ensuring diversity & inclusion in your shortlist:

We follow the Parker Review’s recommendations to encourage BAME candidate representation on boards and in senior leadership.

We're a member of the Hampton Alexander Voluntary Code on Diversity, a pledge of best practice in removing gender bias from board recruitment.

In 2021, 47% of our senior appointments were women.

Our proportion of candidates that were ethnically diverse reached 19%, up from 11% in 2020.

We work closely with our colleagues at accelerateHER to champion and promote women of all ethnicities in technology and digital businesses.

D&I in our team

At Founders Keepers we practice what we preach. In our team you’ll find people from all walks of life. Shared values - like professionalism, transparency, and openness - have brought us together. Fostering such a welcoming environment keeps us honest and competitive so we can achieve the best results for our clients.

Our values

Our values support our vision and shape our culture...

Impactful

We always aim to maximise the positive impact we have on our clients, candidates, our team mates, and the digital and tech community.

Expert

We are curious and we prioritise knowledge acquisition. We are always listening, learning and adapting.

Honest

We share information, insight and advice frequently and constructively and manage tough situations with courage and candor.

In it together

We care about supporting and helping one another. Together, we have the power to solve seemingly unsolvable problems. We do it all the time.

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