This week on The RAG Podcast, I’m joined by Nick Hoadley, founder of Insurance Search, a specialist executive search practice in the global insurance market.

Nick quit a successful broking career nine years ago and launched a recruitment business with zero agency experience. Since then, he has shifted from 100% contingent to 100% retained, built a lean team, and maxed out a seven-figure practice while holding 50 to 60% profit margins. He is now expanding in the US with a partner model designed to scale without fixed overheads.

We talk about:

- How he went from insurance broker to founder with no prior agency experience

- The playbook for moving from 100% contingent to 100% retained

- Why a podcast and thought leadership now drive executive mandates worldwide

- Building a lean delivery engine, research and board search that sustains 50% plus margins

- The US partner model that scales without headcount or fixed overhead

- What to productise next, from human capital research to peer forums

- Practical advice on letting go of delivery to win bigger work

If you are aiming to grow an executive search practice while protecting profit, this is the episode to watch.

Chapters

00:00:30 Nick Hoadley's Journey

00:01:00 From Contingent to Retained

00:01:28 Impact of Podcasting

00:01:57 Aligning Personal and Professional Goals

00:02:27 AI and the Future of Recruitment

00:02:57 Building Client Trust

00:03:27 Scaling with a Partner Model

00:03:59 The US Market Expansion

00:04:28 Conclusion and Future Outlook

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