Appointing a Head of Technology for Hairhouse

The Challenge

Hairhouse is a national retail and salon brand with over 100 stores, operating in a highly competitive and evolving consumer landscape. With an increasing focus on omnichannel retail, customer experience, and digital enablement, the business identified the need for a strategic Head of Technology to modernise its platforms and unlock future growth.

The brief required a rare combination of capabilities:

• Strong retail and omnichannel experience
• Proven delivery across ERP and eCommerce platforms (NetSuite, Shopify)
• Ability to lead a lean internal team while managing external partners
• Commercial acumen and the ability to operate as a true business partner to the executive team

Complicating the search was the nature of the role itself - requiring a leader equally comfortable setting strategy and executing in a lean, fast-paced environment.

Our Approach

We ran a targeted executive search, underpinned by deep relationships across the retail technology leadership market.

Having previously partnered with Hairhouse on the appointment of their former Head of Technology, we brought a strong understanding of the business, its technology landscape and how the role had evolved. This, combined with our established network, enabled immediate access to high-calibre, relevant talent - removing the lag typically associated with market mapping and outreach.

We delivered a targeted, highly aligned shortlist within two weeks of briefing and secured a successful appointment within four weeks - demonstrating the impact of speed to market, deep networks, and access to proven talent in a highly competitive landscape.

Our process included:

• Rapid activation of a deep network of proven retail technology leaders
• Targeted outreach to candidates with experience in platform modernisation, data and AI, and project delivery
• Rigorous assessment of both technical capability and cultural alignment
• Advisory on market positioning, salary benchmarking, and role framing to maximise attraction

This combination of insight, access, and pace enabled us to move with precision and deliver a high-quality outcome within a compressed timeframe.

The Outcome

We successfully appointed a Head of Technology within four weeks of taking the brief - significantly ahead of typical market timelines for roles of this nature.

The successful candidate brought:

• Strong retail pedigree and deep experience across ERP and eCommerce ecosystems
• Hands-on delivery of platform upgrades and integrations
• Proven ability to engage and influence executive stakeholders
• A pragmatic, delivery-focused mindset aligned to Hairhouse’s growth ambitions

Impact

The appointment positions Hairhouse to:

• Accelerate its digital and omnichannel strategy
• Modernise core platforms, including ERP and eCommerce
• Enhance customer experience across online and in-store channels
• Build a scalable technology foundation to support future growth

In a competitive and talent-short market, speed to market is often the difference between securing top talent and missing out. This search demonstrates the value of deep, established networks and long-term partnerships - enabling access, pace, and ultimately, a successful outcome.