Financial services braced for job losses
Financial Times - April 18, 2008
…Samuel Johar, chairman of Buchanan Harvey, the FTSE 100 headhunter, says the pain is not being spread evenly but will affect all areas of the City.

“This is the first time in a few decades that the financial services sector will bear the brunt of the downturn,” Mr. Johar says. “In 2001 the brunt of the pain was borne by the technology, media and telecoms sector, and in 1991 it was borne by the manufacturing sector. This time financial services is the downturn.”…

…“The recruitment firms with big exposures to financial services will have a very tough time,” Mr. Johar says…

McAdam team faces tough challenges on road ahead
Financial Times - March 22, 2008
...Samuel Johar, chairman of Buchanan Harvey, an executive recruiter, says: "There is euphoria surrounding these appointments but ultimately the jury is out.

"This is a bold and interesting move. McAdam managed to improve performance and sell a company. But that doesn't mean he can do it again."

A Suitable Candidate for Re-engineering
Financial Times – September 27, 2007
... This view is shared by Samuel Johar of Buchanan Harvey, the head-hunter. "Philip Bowman is a top-quality chief executive when a company is planning to be restructured and sold. He created a lot of value at Allied Domecq and Scottish Power. But he is not the chief executive a company would appoint to grow a business for the long term."…

Mackenzie Seeking to Rally Parry Opponents
Financial Times - July 5 2007
...Samuel Johar, of Buchanan Harvey, the executive search firm, said: "To have several directorships and then take on an executive chairmanship of a public company, however small, does pose the question of whether he would be able to devote sufficient time and effort to all of the roles."…

CFO Eeyore Must Become Tigger of No 10
Financial Times – June 25, 2007
..."The chief executive's job is to be ambitious, take risks and grow the organisation," says Samuel Johar of Buchanan Harvey, the executive search firm. "The finance director's entire training is to control risk and be risk-averse."
Mr Johar says that while the finance director might seem the natural successor when the top job becomes vacant - an insider whose record is known - clients usually prefer someone with general management experience. "Most finance directors think they could become chief executives, but they couldn't. One in 10 will have the necessary qualities - but they are the exception rather than the rule."…

Sports World Seeking Chairman
Financial Times – January 31, 2007
...Samuel Johar, chairman of the executive search firm Buchanan Harvey, said: "It would be a more acceptable arrangement from an investor's point of view if there was an independent chairman and maybe Mike Ashley could be a deputy chairman like Stefano."…

Private Sector Beckons
Financial Times – January 17, 2007
…Samuel Johar, chairman of Buchanan Harvey and Co, the headhunter, said: "He could easily be taken on as a senior executive [at a listed group], though not so obviously as a CEO. "As a non-exec he could expect to get on to boards too."...

Woolworths Issues Profits Alert
Financial Times – December 6, 2006
…Samuel Johar, chairman of the executive search firm Buchanan Harvey, said: "If Woolworths does not deliver through Christmas then the chief executive's position has to be uncertain."...

Too Soon to Make Light of Corporate Governance Burden
Financial Times – November 7, 2006
...As Samuel Johar of the UK headhunters Buchanan Harvey puts it, "FTSE 100 chief executives have the power of patronage. They can write cheques for hundreds of millions and make or break careers. That's why they have the world chasing them"...

Search Firm Appointed to Find ITV’S New Boss
Financial Times – August 12, 2006
..."The first thing ITV needs to do is to get its core business right," said Samuel Johar, chairman of Buchanan Harvey, the executive search firm. "They need to get somebody who can get the creative side right. The City would give a real thumbs-down if they appoint another finance guy now."

Lord Browne Sets His Successor a Deadline
Financial Times - July 26, 2006
…..Samuel Johar, chairman of Buchanan Harvey & Co., the headhunter, said: "I think it is the correct decision for Lord Browne to step down. A certain amount of apprehension by somebody who has spent his entire working life in one company is understandable."
But he added that the board lacked independence and that this had contributed to it mishandling the situation and allowing the rift to leak. "Usually companies time the retirement of the chief executive and chairman in a way that there is a suitable gap between the two departures. BP is in the somewhat strange situation whereby the chief executive will have served 13 years by 2008 and the chairman will have been in situ for more than nine years," he said.
For Lord Browne, who yesterday confirmed what everyone already knew when he said "I am absolutely hooked on business," those will be soothing thoughts as he watches his underlings home in on his desk while he plots his own second act.

Prebensen Settles after Turbulent Start
Financial Times - March 22, 2006
…"He has lost one of his lives," says Samuel Johar, chairman of head-hunters Buchanan Harvey, but then events like Katrina are not going to happen every year."…

Capita Co-Founder Quits over £1m Loan to Labour
Financial Times - March 24, 2006
…Samuel Johar, chairman of Buchanan Harvey, the head-hunting firm, said: "If Rod had stayed on, Capita could have suffered from public sector organisations distancing themselves when handing out contracts."…

Vodafone’s Network Battler
Financial Times – March 11, 2006
…"It has been difficult for Sarin to make a clean break with Vodafone's past," says Samuel Johar, chairman of headhunter Buchanan Harvey.  "When he started in 2003 there was an overlap with the old guard.  How does one make an about-turn and say the former strategy was wrong?"…

Accountancy Firms Hope to Finesse their Hands with Choice of Leaders
Financial Times - February 21, 2006
…"KPMG's choice is in stark contrast to E&Y, who've appointed a very young, energetic guy," says Samuel Johar, chairman of Buchanan Harvey, an executive search firm.
The E&Y choice, he notes, is consistent with a notable trend among listed companies.  "Look at the FTSE 100, too, and we're seeing dynamic and charismatic guys such as Andy Hornby at HBOS and Willie Walsh at BA become chief executives," he says…

Bad News May Have Deterred Candidate
Financial Times – February 8, 2006
… Samuel Johar, chairman of Buchanan Harvey, executive headhunter, said: "Mr. Cousins must be doing his due diligence to the extent that the damage from the recent financial irregularities has been quantified and the totality of it is known.
"He will want to be reassured that there are no more skeletons in the cupboard," he added.  …

Compass Faces Criticism Over Executive Pay
Financial Times –  February 4, 2006
… Samuel Johar, chairman of headhunter Buchanan Harvey, said: "The priority should be for them to get the best guy.  What is insensitive is when an underperforming company pays its long-time executives too much.  …

Headhunters Lured to Different Climes
Financial Times –  February 3, 2006
…"There will be a certain number of Indian and Chinese companies who see London as an attractive city to do business in," says Sam Johar of Buchanan Harvey.  …

Meet The New Breed Of Chief Executive: Closer To Kindergarten Than Retirement Age
Financial Times – 7th January, 2006
…According to Samuel Johar, of Buchanan Harvey, the executive search firm, “over the last 10 or 15 years there has been a distinct trend towards appointing younger chief executives.  Fifteen years ago, a chief executive of a FTSE 100 company in his 30s would have been unheard of.  If you include people in their early 40s, there are even more”…
… Mr. Johar reckons today's pressures on chief executives require a level of energy and enthusiasm that the more, shall we say, mature person, may not have.  Twenty years ago, he suggests, chief executives delegated far more and travelled far less than they do today…
… Mr. Johar, of Buchanan Harvey, says: “It is a good thing in the sense that chronological age is no longer considered to be a huge factor in the evaluation of somebody's ability to do a job.  Also it means there are more 55-year-olds ready to take on non-executive jobs.”…

Royal Mail Offers Headhunters Tempting Job
Financial Times – 27th October,2005
… Samuel Johar, chairman of Buchanan Harvey & Co, the London headhunter, said: "An organisation like Royal Mail is an acquired taste which does not appeal to everybody.  It appeals to a certain kind of high-calibre person who deliberately wants to go in a different direction and opt out of the rat race of plcs." The high-profile nature of being a director of a company that affects virtually everyone in the land, allied to the regulatory constraints inherent in the role, would deter some otherwise highly qualified candidates, Mr. Johar said.  "You need to tap the right kind of creature." …

Headhunted, Shortlisted .  .  .  and Fired
Financial Times – 8th October, 2005
… Samuel Johar, chairman of Buchanan Harvey & Co, the London headhunter, lamented the trend for shortlists to find their way into the newspapers… … Mr.  Johar believes so, while stressing that company chairmen have to maintain the confidentiality of the search…

Compass – Contract Caterer in Crisis
Financial Times – 29th September, 2005
 … Samuel Johar, chairman of head-hunter Buchanan Harvey, says: "They would do well to get somebody like Kevin Beeston, executive chairman of Serco." …

Under Which Shell a New Chairman?
Financial Times – 20th May, 2005
… Samuel Johar, chairman of headhunter Buchanan Harvey, has a provocative name to throw into the ring.  What about Lord Patten, whose European commitment and political skills are beyond doubt? As one of the fathers of the proposed European Union constitution, Kerr is well acquainted with Patten…

Who might go for Myners after M&S?
Financial Times – 18th May, 2005
… Among companies on the lookout for a chairman is Lloyds TSB Group, where a search by Anna Mann has not yet found a successor to Maarten van den Bergh.  Lloyds TSB "would be a good company for someone like Paul Myners", says Samuel Johar, chairman of the executive search firm Buchanan Harvey…
… Recent tension between Myners and other M&S directors may have dimmed his lustre somewhat.  "It never helps you in this sort of situation to end up in a little bit of a public spat," Johar says…

Rising Regulation Leaves No Time to Run the Business
Financial Times – 3rd May,2005
…Samuel Johar, chairman of the headhunting firm Buchanan Harvey, said: “Do the best Oxbridge graduates want to go to private equity and hedge funds rather than listed companies? The answer now is yes.”
There will, however, always be those willing to shoulder the burden.  Johar said: “It’s all about being a captain of industry, about being part of the business establishment.  The private-equity guy has to stand in the rain waiting for a taxi like the rest of us.”…

Invensys Chief Tripped But Avoids Being Fall Guy
Financial Times – 8th April,2005
… "The hand of cards he was dealt was an atrocious one," says Samuel Johar, chairman of Buchanan Harvey.  "Yes, he underestimated, but given the scale of the problems he's done a creditable job." …

Evaluation: Boards Look Outside for Help
Financial Times – 10th March,2005
… Samuel Johar, chairman of headhunter Buchanan Harvey, agrees.  Many outside consultants use board evaluations to “massage the ego” of the chairman, he says.   Some chairmen only want to hear sycophantic evaluations from their consultants, often from broad questionnaires sent round to all directors.   “Every consultant in town has devised a [board evaluation] product and started flogging it to clients,” he says.  Such assessments might cost £30,000 a year.

Mr.  Johar says he charges a premium price of £100,000.  His service includes interviews with all directors and close co-ordination with chairman to identify the company’s current skill-set and the challenges facing the business over the next four to five years.
If skills are lacking, new directors should be hired, he believes.  Directors who no longer serve a useful function should retire when their three year contract is up.

Responsibilities of Non-Executive Directors: Companies are Mining ‘The Marzipan Layer’
Financial Times – 10th March,2005
… Samuel Johar, chairman of Buchanan Harvey, the City headhunter, says fees for being chairman of an audit committee have been rising rapidly and can be expected in time to be £25,000-£30,000 a year more than the £40,000 customary for an ordinary non-exec.  This reflects the fact that the work commitment may well be double…

Long Hours and Flat Bonuses Bring High-Flyers Down
Financial Times – 18th February, 2005
… Samuel Johar, chairman of Buchanan Harvey, the head-hunters, said that the arrival of the large US investment banks in the City of London had changed people's attitudes towards a career in banking.  "The American banks have become more dominant and expect their employees to remain on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week in return for becoming a multi-millionaire," he said…

Unilever House Gets Modern Facelift, Old Corporate Structure May Be Next
Financial Times – 5th February, 2005
… As Samuel Johar, chairman of Buchanan Harvey, the headhunters, says: "Every lunch I have at the Savoy at the moment, captains of British industry worry about what happened at Shell and whether the same is going to happen at Unilever."…

Women Step Up Drive to Break into British Boardrooms
The Sunday Times - 12th December,2004
… Samuel Johar, chief executive of Buchanan Harvey, the City headhunter, said: “The real problem is that not enough saplings were planted 20 years ago or have been nurtured since.  Yet everyone is out there trying to harvest mature trees.” …

A Headhunter that Fails to Bag the Game
Financial Times – 8th October 2004
… However, the group’s experience outside the US appears to be at odds with other headhunters.  Samuel Johar, chairman of Buchanan Harvey & Co says: “From our point of view, the search market is buoyant and there is quite a lot of activity at senior levels, main board appointments of leading public companies.  We see the trading conditions as much more favourable than 2001, 2002 and even 2003, so far.” Another leading London headhunter also says the market is showing no sign of weakness…

Learning to Live in the Fish Bowl
Financial Times – 5th August 2004
…Samuel Johar, chairman of Buchanan Harvey & Co, the headhunter, says that in the 1990’s there was concern that there would be a brain drain from business to private equity.  “Private Equity had a lot to offer people because of the sheer wealth that could be garnered in a short amount of time, but this is not happening as much any more.”…

Realising investments through initial public offerings has also become harder.  Uncertainty in global equity markets means many companies are no longer able to list their investments at the same types of multiples they experienced during the late 1990’s.  This means the carry – the share of the profits that flow to the private equity partners – is smaller.  “A lot of cream has been taken off the cake and people are having to work much harder for their profits at private equity firms,” Mr. Johar says…

Search Firms Eye Executive Candidates
Financial Times – 3rd June 2004
…Samuel Johar, chairman of Buchanan Harvey & Co.  said: “M & S is unstable and therefore anybody conducting a search would look there because its people would be more responsive to an approach.”…

…Paul Myners, a non-executive director of M & S has become interim chairman.  Head Hunters said the new chairman would need to work with Mr.  Rose as well as protect shareholder’s interests in the face of a bid from Mr.  Green.  However, Mr.  Johar suggested serious candidates may be reluctant to come forward until the status of the company was resolved…

Bidders Sniff As Rentokil Row Rumbles On
Financial Times – 21st May 2004
…But Samuel Johar, chairman of headhunter Buchanan Harvey, said: “An excellent business career and record has probably been slightly blighted by the same old problem of people staying on for too long.  Sir Clive should have left when he gave up the Chief Executive’s role.  Then he would have walked into another FTSE 100 company as chairman.”…

Spinners Turn Their Backs On Money Business
Financial Times – 15th April 2004
…Samuel Johar, chairman of headhunters Buchanan Harvey, says many political advisers are of "high calibre" who would have done well in banking or management consultancy, but want to stay close to politics and government.  "They are not unsuitable per se.  There is an established career path for corporate positions.  There isn't really a slot into which they can slide particularly well."…

Power Struggle Starts for Crown of Headhunting
The Sunday Times – Business – 11th April 2004
...Samuel Johar of Buchanan Harvey headhunters said: “When someone gets a good reputation, businessmen naturally gravitate towards them.  Leading chief executives and leading human-resources managers follow the big names.”

The smaller headhunting firms also contain highly successful figures.  There are John Viney and Milena Djurdjevic at Zygos Partnership as well as Johar at Buchanan Harvey. 

The appointment of Sir Ian Prosser as chairman of J Sainsbury was Mann’s final big recommendation.  When he was rejected in less than a week, it left a big stain on her reputation and on that of the company.  Johar said: “Prosser’s non-appointment has to go down as one of the most embarrassing episodes for both a company and its advisers...”

Whitehead Mann hunts growth in America and Asia
The Sunday Times (Business) – 11th April 2004
…Samuel Johar of Buchanan Harvey, a rival, has launched a stinging attack on Whitehead Mann, particularly its failed appointment for the chairmanship of J.  Sainsbury: “The company was damaged by the embarrassing non-appointment of Sir Ian Prosser to J Sainsbury,” he said…

…“Headhunters who for too long have rubber-stamped pre-determined appointments will become a thing of the past.”

Head-Hunters Feel the Heat in Quality Quest
Financial Times – 21st February 2004
…Samuel Johar, chairman of head-hunters Buchanan Harvey & Co., says formal references are taken once a candidate has received an offer.  But informal references and soundings are taken all the way through the search process.  These could range from talking to former colleagues or picking up market intelligence over lunches and dinners...

Top Slots in the Corporate Sector that are in Need of Quality Personnel
Financial Times – 14th February 2004
Samuel Johar, chairman of Buchanan Harvey & Co, the headhunter says: “We do have a wave of vacancies.  It does not say anything.  It is just coincidence.” But he does note that some of the companies with vacancies to fill, notable ITV, the BBC, BAE Systems and WHSmith, have specific challenges that new appointees will have to tackle.

Old Boy Network Begins To Feel The Pressure
Financial Times – 14th February 2004
…“There is certainly a network based on mutual back scratching which does not necessarily involve schools and colleges but, essentially, comes together by virtue of the jobs that executives are in,” says Samuel Johar, chairman of Buchanan Harvey & Co, the headhunter… …“Very few people felt at the time that John McGrath and Lord Blyth were ideal candidates,” says Mr. Johar.  “It has now been demonstrated, at least in the case of John McGrath, that he was not the right individual.”…

The Chief Executive’s Chair Comes Under Siege from Younger Fitter Individuals
Financial Times – 30th December 2003
…Also only 36 is Dominique Yates, business development director at Imperial Tobacco.  Based in France, Mr. Yates is responsible for all the acquisitions, joint ventures and alliances for the £12bn-a-year cigarette group and has yet to land a board position.

Samuel Johar, of head-hunters Buchanan Harvey & Co, who placed Mr. Yates at Imperial, thinks it will not be long before he gets there. 

…Two more senior executives tipped for the top by Mr. Johar are John Manzoni, 41, and Tony Hayward, 46.  Both are at BP, and Mr. Johar says one will probably succeed Lord Browne and the other will be quickly snapped up…

No Loss of Good Spirit in Spite of the Loss of a Good Job at the Top of the Tree
Financial Times – 16th December 2003
Samuel Johar of Buchanan Harvey & Co, the headhunters, thinks he is more likely to be considered for the chairmanship of a FTSE 250 company.  “His performance and calibre is probably better than one is likely to conclude by purely looking at the performance of Safeway.  He would do well, though, to take up a chair of a FTSE 250 and a couple of non-executive directorships and, depending on his performance, he could land a FTSE 100 in two to three years time.”he says.

Norris Says Jarvis Role Won’t Halt Mayor Bid
Financial Times - 26th November 2003
...Samuel Johar, chairman of headhunter Buchanan Harvey & Co, said: “He clearly appears to be hedging his bets and if he was totally confident of winning the mayoral election, he would probably not be taking on the chairmanship of Jarvis.”…

Just Wasting Away in Public View
Financial Times - 17th November 2003
 ...Samuel Johar, chairman of headhunters Buchanan Harvey & Co., also said yesterday: “If Steven Norris still considers himself to be a serious candidate for the mayor of London role, then he would have to think twice before taking on the chairmanship and becoming the public face of Jarvis.”…

Top jobs for the girls? Far too few in our lifetime
The Observer; 16th November  2003
…Samuel Johar, chairman of headhunters Buchanan Harvey& Co, says “Some boards now give mandates stipulating that they want a woman to fill the vacancy.  ‘Previously, these boards would not have taken the risk of appointing someone different’ said Johar.  ‘Now they think the safe thing is to have a woman on the board’ But, he says, that kind of knee-jerk appointment is no more healthy than the previous reluctance to consider a woman.”…

How to Get Your Stationary Chain Moving?
Financial Times -  16th October 2003
…Samuel Johar, chairman of headhunter Buchanan Harvey & Co, said: ‘Cleary there is a perception she will be more receptive to calls now than she may have been 18 months ago, because at the time she was still in the race to become chief executive of WH Smith.”..

A Diamond at the Heart of Barclays Capital
Financial Times - 10th October 2003
… “Bob Diamond will certainly be on top of the list for most headhunters, given his track record in developing Barclays Capital,” said Samuel Johar, chairman of headhunters Buchanan Harvey & Co.’’…

Marconi Appoints Finance Director
Financial Times – 24th July 2003
… “This is a bit of a coup for Marconi”, said Samuel Johar, chairman of Buchanan Harvey & Co, the executive search firm.  “Pavi combines operational and corporate experience and is also one of the more commercial finance executives.  They've done well on this one.”…

De La Rue Chief Expected to Quit
Financial Times - 12th July 2003
… Samuel Johar, chairman of Buchanan Harvey, the headhunter, said yesterday: "Mr.  Much arrived at De La Rue with a halo round his head resulting from his time at T&N but he has not lived up to his reputation." …

Hero’s Reward Awaits Outgoing Chairman.
Financial Times – 18th June 2003
… So what next? Samuel Johar, executive search consultant, is in no doubt he will get a good job, but probably not heading a FTSE 100 company.  He says: “He could probably be divisional head of a FTSE 100 or lead a FTSE 250.  He could also go with finance and lead a buy-in somewhere.  He’s certainly got the credibility to do that.”…

People
Financial Times - 5th June, 2003
Serco has appointed David Richardson, finance director of Whitbread, the FTSE 100 leisure group, a non-executive director.  He will also take up the chairmanship of the audit committee next April when Rhidian Jones stands down.  The search was led by Buchanan Harvey.

Reed’s Reviver Has no Need for Rocket Science
Financial Times – 8th May 2003
… “A lot of people forget quite how much on the back foot he was – not for months but for years,” says Samuel Johar, chairman of executive search firm Buchanan Harvey.  …

Executives to Provide a Run for Their Money
Financial Times - 20th April 2003
… According to Samuel Johar, chairman of Buchanan Harvey, the headhunters, executives may soon even be able to hold their own in the Square Mile: “Until this year, chief executives were usually the lowest paid person in the room when they met their advisers.” …

No Easy Task in Filling These Boots
Financial Times - 28th March 2003
… While some headhunters argue that tough times deter movement, Samuel Johar, chairman of Buchanan, Harvey & Co, disagrees: "Leading companies should be able to appoint chairmen and chief executives even in this climate." …

City to Upturn Gravy Train in Quest for Recruits
Financial Times - 25th January 2003
… Samuel Johar, who runs Buchanan Harvey, which specialises in finding non-execs, says in general non-exec searches are often not as sophisticated as those aimed at finding executive directors.  He says: “Unfortunately, they tend to be done in a slightly amateurish manner – the headhunters ring up their existing contacts and clients and give them a non-executive post as a reward.” … Mr. Johar says there are a lot of bright graduates going into the United Nations and not for profit organisations.  “They could be non-execs but only in certain types of companies like BP, which needs international experience.  But we have never recruited any of them because the demand has not been there.” …

Boardroom Shake-Up: Quality of Recruiting Service is Set to Improve
Financial Times - 21st January 2003
… Samuel Johar of Buchanan Harvey & Co.  called for any changes to allow companies a “significant transitional period”.  “The pool of non-executives must expand.  A mass scramble for more non-executives will not be good for businesses, if what they want is quality.” In the US where there are more non-executives on companies’ boards than executives, this has not always promoted good corporate governance.  …

Tough Turnround Man Pleases C&W Investors
Financial Times - 10th January 2003
… “Richard Lapthorne is tough operator,” says Samuel Johar, chairman of headhunters Buchanan Harvey & Co.  “He will not shrink from taking difficult decisions." …

C&W Set for Ejection from the FTSE 100
Financial Times - 11th December 2002
… “The non-executives have been deficient in carrying out their responsibilities and have presided over Graham Wallace’s incorrect strategy at Global, “said Samuel Johar, chairman of headhunters Buchanan Harvey & Co.  “Given that Sir Ralph Robins [chair-man] was responsible for appointing Graham Wallace as chief executive and that he presided over the appointment of David Nash as chairman, let’s hope he does a better job of choosing the new chairman.” …

C&W Surprised by Shareholders’ Savagery
Financial Times - 14th November 2002
… Samuel Johar, chairman of headhunters Buchanan Harvey & Co, said C&W’s board may have held back from looking for a replacement to Mr. Wallace, as some of the directors had been instrumental in his appointment in the first place.  Mr. Johar said: “It looks to be a case of not rocking the boat for anyone.  The board certainly needs new blood.  The problem is that as the company gets into worse shape this is always harder to do.” …

A Powerful Mix of Tenacity and Focus
Financial Times - 21st October 2002
… Samuel Johar, of Buchanan Harvey, the headhunter, who has close contacts with current and former Diageo executives, suggests strategic thinking is not Paul Walsh’s strongest suit.  “He is an excellent hands-on chief executive, a very good team player and team leader, but his strengths lie in managing the operating performance rather than blue-sky thinking.” Strategy he suggests, is more the line of Lord Blyth, the chairman who recently decided to increase his involvement at Diageo.  …

Who Pays the Piper Calls the Tune
Financial Times - 3rd October 2002
… Samuel Johar, a headhunter with Buchanan Harvey, said: “Trinity has made the right decision.  Otherwise, people would still be asking Ric Piper about what happened at WS Atkins for the next six to 12 months.  “It does not reflect terribly well on the board that it is only by an accident of timing that they have avoided making the wrong appointment.  Then again, there is no way they could have known what was going wrong at WS Atkins.” …

Headhunter Comes Out of the Corporate Shadows
Financial Times - 18th September 2002
… “In my experience, the best headhunters then to be slightly maverick characters,” says Samuel Johar, chairman of Buchanan Harvey & Co, which has only four partners.  “The problem with very large international firms is that if you want to run 70 offices out of 40 countries, you need a tightly controlled process-driven environment.  Creative people with flair do not sit happily in a sausage factory.” … “Anna has been the top headhunter in London for almost a decade,” says Mr.  Johar.  “However, headhunting is a generational thing.  Headhunters grow with their number of contacts, and when those contacts begin to retire the headhunter ends up running in ever decreasing circles.” …

Nash Draws on Wide Experience
Financial Times - 16th May 2002
… “He is not necessarily very strong on interpersonal skills,” said Samuel Johar, chairman of Buchanan Harvey & Co.  an executive search firm.  “But having been finance director at GrandMet he has enormous experience of acquisitions and restructurings.” …

Merger Mania Brings City Workers a Bonus Bonanza
The Sunday Times -  17th December 2000
… “The bonuses of the very top people are greater than their salaries many times over,” said Samuel Johar a partner at Buchanan Harvey, a head-hunting company.  “It’s not just the top people who are getting the money.  A lot of people are enjoying huge rewards.” …

City Elite Faces Bonus Squeeze as the Big Deals Dry Up
The Times - 9th December 2000
… Samuel Johar, a partner with Buchanan Harvey, a headhunting partnership, said that the number of banks offering guaranteed bonus packages was on the increase.  One Deutsche Bank banker is rumoured to have been taken on to the payroll with a three-year guaranteed bonus of $10 million.  One Deutsche Bank banker is rumoured to have been taken on to the payroll with a three- year guaranteed bonus of $10 million.  “These guarantees are definitely increasing,” says Johar.  “It is all right when the banks are doing well and generating large revenues, but when there is a downturn they can impact on profits and, when the guarantees run out, some of the better people could easily be poached anyway.” … “ING should never have bought the bank in the first place,” says Johar.  “Commercial banks very rarely make a good job of running investment banks.” …

City’s Banking Elite to Pick Up £5m Bonuses
The Sunday Times -  12th November 2000
… The cash give away is not limited to the best performers.  “At the moment it’s so buoyant that an utter twit who happened to have got into a good job will be making half a million or a million-pound bonus,” said Samuel Johar, of the headhunters Buchanan Harvey.  …

Banks’ Big Bonuses May Threaten Shareholder Value
Financial Times - 22nd December 1999
… But, with so many bonuses guaranteed in advance, there is concern about what would happen if the banks’ business was to turn down.  Most banks’ bonuses are guaranteed for two or three years – as many as five in some cases – according to Samuel Johar, partner at Buchanan Harvey and Co, headhunters in London.  “A lot of banks fell into a trap of guaranteed bonuses, which they now can’t get out of,” says Mr. Johar.  “But a guaranteed bonus is not a bonus but a fixed cost to a company, and banks deceive nobody but themselves.” …

John Lewis Appoints Outsider to the Board for the First Time
Financial Times - 9th July 1999
… Samuel Johar, managing director of executive research consultants Buchanan Harvey, said appointing an outsider was a step in the right direction for John Lewis.  “It must be a move that was overdue,” he said.  “It is a good thing for any business to have people from outside who are not necessarily steeped in its ways and who can add a fresh perspective.” …

Granada’s Robinson Seen as the Man to Chair M&S
The Sunday Times - 27th June 1999
… Samuel Johar, chairman of the headhunters, Buchanan Harvey, said: “M&S needs someone with credibility in the financial community, someone who has shown he can acclimatise himself to sectors of which he may not have had direct experience, and someone who has proved himself a hard-nosed businessman, Gerry Robinson is a name that springs to mind” …

Walsh Captures Top Job at Diageo
The Sunday Times - 9th May 1999
… “Phil is exceptionally bright, highly personable and very commercial,” said Samuel Johar of Buchanan Harvey, the headhunter.  “He is certainly of the calibre to make the transition from finance director to chief executive.” …

Cult of the US Manager
Financial Times - 14th April 1999
… The best excuse for acquiring US talent, says Samuel Johar, Managing director of executive search consultants Buchanan Harvey, is that in sectors such as telecoms the US market is more highly developed.  The same case could be made, at a pinch, in retail banking.  … By contrast, outsiders are a high-risk option, says Buchanan Harvey’s Mr. Johar, and it takes a great deal of money to lure them across the Atlantic.  … And as the search consultant Mr. Johar says, there must be a suspicion that something is very wrong with a company that cannot find the talent from within its own ranks.  …

Sainsbury Finance Director to Leave
Financial Times - 31st March 1999
… “All you need is someone who can adapt to a very fast-moving market,” said Sam Johar, of Buchanan Harvey, a recruitment consultant.  He suggested Keith Hamill of WH Smith or David Keens of Next as possible candidates.  …

How to Succeed at the Succession Game
The Observer - 6th December 1998
… Samuel Johar of headhunters Buchanan Harvey produces a longer list.  ‘A lot depends on the company.  For example, at [the drinks group] Diageo, what they needed after the merger was someone who was very good on the detail of the performance.  They have that in John McGrath: he’s not a strategist.  ‘But it doesn’t seem to me that Marks & Spencer is crying out for a great retailer.  They also need someone who is a bit of a strategist.’ That said, the top of his list of essential qualities is credibility within the City and the investment community.  “They need to be able to manage investor relations.  The reputation and image of the company and its outside communications is very important.’ Investor-friendliness is not, however, a guarantee of success.  Taylor and Teare were much feted in their previous posts: Taylor at the Financial Times’ Lex column and then demerging Courtaulds; Teare at Rugby Group and English China Clays.  Both appointments were also greeted with great enthusiasm, which then evaporated, rather more quickly in Teare’s case than Taylor’s.  … Johar believes chief executives must command the confidence and support of their fellow directors, executive and non-executive, and be able to build a good team around them.  ‘It is amazing how many cannot do that,’ he says.  ‘They need skills to complement their own.’ …

Taylor’s Mysterious Departure Could Make it Tough for Bank to Size Up a Successor
Financial Times - 28th/29th November 1998
… From the outside, one headhunter put forward the name of Keith Oates, who is quitting as deputy chairman of Marks and Spencer after losing out in a power struggle at the retailer.  “The guy with retail and financial services experience is Keith Oates,” said Samuel Johar of Buchanan Harvey, the executive search firm, pointing to his role in building an M&S financial service business valued at £2b.  …

The Pay of Top FTSE 100 Executives Has Soared by 45% Since Last Year.  The Average Boss Now Earns £1m
The Sunday Times - 25th October 1998
… But should America drive British pay levels? Samuel Johar, a Buchanan Harvey headhunter, thinks not “American pay has a very indirect influence on Footsie directors.” Says Johar.  “It is disingenuous to suggest there is a free market between the UK and US because there isn’t.  The industry that comes closest to that is financial service where people do move quite a lot between New York and London.” …

The Backroom Boy Hoping for a Sporting Chance
Financial Times - 20th/21st June 1998
… Samuel Johar, a partner at Buchanan Harvey, the headhunter, says Mr. Hirst’s ICI background gave him all the qualifications to run Premier Farnell – except one.  “There is a problem of lack of confidence in the investment community; and there he has got a steep learning curve,” he says.  “He hasn’t got the reputation of credibility that is needed.  He has really got to prove himself.” …

A Sticky Issue Snowballs into Major Controversy
The Financial Express - 12th March 1998
… Are there lessons for the UK in the Dutch experience? “I think what has happened at Shell has been long overdue.  It was a brave decision to take.  It used to be more prevalent in the UK but now you would be hard pushed to find examples of people hanging on too long as chairmen or non-executive directors.” Says Samuel Johar, a partner at Buchanan Harvey, a head-hunting firm.  …

Retailers Run Short of Candidates to Mind the Shop
Financial Times - 4th September 1997
… “Retailing in Britain is dominated by supermarket groups, which generally have a flat structure.” Says Samuel Johar of the recruitment consultants, Buchanan, Harvey & Co.  “They tend not to have several different chains, which divisional CEOs, which would normally offer a good supply of candidates.” Furthermore, those diversified retailers which do exist are rapidly falling out of favour, largely because of the high-profile difficulties of companies such as Sears.  “Just because Sears is not performing well does not mean everyone there is a dumbo,” says Mr. Johar.  “But unfortunately its performance has been so poor that everyone is tarnished.” …

Global Ambitions of People with Energy
Financial Times - 14th June 1997
… “Eric has a fine strategic mind and he is a very good man manager,” says Mr. Sam Johar, managing director of Buchanan Harvey, the headhunters.  “But he needs a good number two.  He has a frightfully low boredom threshold and he is also hopelessly disorganised.” …

Job Bets are on the Men from Grandmet
Financial Times
… The job of finance director to the combined group goes to the youthful Mr. Philip Yea.  Aged 42 and appearing younger still.  Mr. Yea is “exceptionally bright, with a strategic mind-set,” according to Mr. Sam Johar of headhunters Buchanan Harvey.  …