Newly-formed executive search firm MHA Partners is in the final stages of negotiations with Soveys, Canada’s second biggest retailer, for an 18-month contract to work exclusively as the preferred search partner for Sovey’s executive appointments. One of the directors of Leeds-based MHA Partners, Rob Devlin, told Recruiter he believes his company will find out later this week if it has been successful in its bid.

Following the search and subsequent appointment of Richard Lancaster as senior trading director of UK food retailer Morrisons (recruiter.co.uk, 12 December 2008), Devlin says MHA is arranging final interviews for eight additional senior candidates who are set to join Morrisons in the first quarter of the year.

MHA Partners will also be launching its website next Monday (19 January) – www.maxhenryuk.com.

Both Devlin and Mark Bradshaw, founder of Max Henry Associates and director of MHA Partners, were former colleagues at executive search and selection recruiter Ellis Fairbank.