Sarah North

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

ABOUT SARAH NORTH

Most recently led Group Talent at NatWest Group, overseeing succession, talent planning and leadership development for colleagues across multiple brands and regulated entities. Previously led Group Executive Search, hiring C-suite and Board leaders.Currently advising boards and executive teams on leadership development, succession and capability, while exploring my next full-time enterprise leadership role. Open to consulting and fractional opportunities.At NatWest, I supported the bank’s transformation from government to private ownership, ensuring leadership continuity through high-stakes change. Designed succession frameworks that withstood PRA/FCA scrutiny for Senior Manager Function and critical roles, providing demonstrable diversity and depth up to ExCo level.What makes my work different: I combine headhunter precision with in-house strategic perspective to build talent intelligence that gives boards trusted insight into leadership bench strength and risk. I integrate succession, development, performance and diversity into coherent systems that reduce risk, strengthen resilience and outlast individual appointments.My approach connects measurable performance with reflective leadership capacity, ensuring leaders develop the judgement, resilience and adaptive capability required in high-complexity environments. Increasingly, this includes cross-sector work that strengthens capacity to work across silos and system boundaries.Influenced by systemic leadership frameworks including Theory U. Known for calm composure, strategic clarity, and practical follow-through when the stakes are high and the path is uncertain.What I bring- Board-level succession planning and leadership risk insight in regulated, high-scrutiny environments- Building adaptive leadership capacity in complexity and transformation- Designing enterprise frameworks that strengthen diverse pipelines and increase internal depth- Strategic systems thinking paired with practical execution - frameworks leaders actually adopt and use- Leading high-performing talent teams and managing significant budgets- Focused, practical action that builds proof points and shifts cultureCredentials: MA, University of Oxford; Executive Coaching Diploma (AOEC); Fluent French