IESF Member Country:
Canada
Mandrake is a Canadian advisory group operating through a network of consultants in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa. It supports organisations with executive search, management selection and assessment, as well as coaching and career transition, combining knowledge of provincial markets with the ability to deliver international assignments through IESF.
Normand Lebeau
President at Mandrake
Executive recruitment in Canada – what should you know before entering this market?
Canada combines considerable cultural diversity with clear differences between provinces. The role’s location, regulatory environment and language requirements will differ between Ontario, Quebec and Western Canada, so the choice of base has a direct impact on access to leaders.
Companies seek leaders equipped for inclusive leadership and digital transformation. Managing hybrid teams spread across a vast territory is a core capability. Recruiting senior managers in Canada increasingly has a cross-border dimension, particularly in technology, clean energy and financial services.
Entering the Canadian market requires a decision on whether the role needs French, established relationships in a particular province and regular office presence. Senior leadership recruitment in Canada, especially recruitment in Quebec, should account for these criteria from the outset. Executive search in Canada also requires a clear definition of regional responsibility and the working model.
The province changes the candidate profile
Canada is not a uniform market. Montreal, Toronto and Calgary require different networks, language capabilities and experience. Before the search begins, the company should define where the leader will build the business and which local stakeholders they will work with.
Diversity is a business capability
The ability to lead multicultural teams is expected at executive level. A candidate should be able to create an inclusive environment, use different perspectives and make decisions without losing momentum in a geographically dispersed organisation.
Hybrid teams require digital maturity
Flexible working is a lasting feature of the market. Leaders need to manage performance, communication and engagement effectively at a distance. Stating that they are open to hybrid work is not enough without experience of leading distributed teams.
International
Executive Search
with local expertise
Your business has no borders. Neither do our recruitment projects. Through IESF, we connect you with leaders in markets worldwide, combining local expertise with a consistent standard of cooperation
and quality.
Planning a recruitment project or looking for another service in Canada?
Through the IESF network, we’ll help you find the right support, connect you with a trusted local partner and make it easy to get started.
Explore more insights on international markets
Looking for an executive search partner abroad?
Tell us where you plan to hire, which role you need to fill and what the business context is. We will introduce you to the relevant local partner within the IESF network.
Stay ahead of the market. Executive search insights delivered to your inbox.
Subscribe for curated market reports, case studies, and expert analysis directly from our team.
