The founder director of Michael Page’s executive search practice in London, who has been appointed managing partner at Maven Partners, says the company is hoping to establish a long-term brand that will include opportunities for employee ownership.

Matthew Leedham, who has also been appointed to the board of the specialist tax and finance executive search firm, told Recruiter: “There are two types of business: a life-style business where the owners look to create something that is ‘steady state’ and provides them with a reasonable income, and one where you look to grow something more significant.

“We are looking in the future for employee ownership participation in the growth of the business.”

Leedham wouldn’t be drawn on the precise mechanism for establishing employee ownership. Nor the timetable, describing this as the “the $64m question”. “The whole world order is changing,” he explained, “but we firmly believe there will be some interesting opportunities. We will look to do it as soon as it’s practical.”