Q3 2026 — 7 mandates openMedian close · 11 wksLast placement · CFO, Listed FMCG · Mumbai23 years · since 2003Currently accepting retained briefs
Q3 2026 — 7 mandates openMedian close · 11 wksLast placement · CFO, Listed FMCG · Mumbai23 years · since 2003Currently accepting retained briefs
Premier Executive Search · Since 2003 · New Delhi

We place CEOsinside the brands you know.

For twenty-three years, People Connect has recruited senior and middle-management leadership for Accenture, Microsoft, GE, Whirlpool, Rio Tinto, Mercer — and many of India's most ambitious organisations.

“The most consequential hire is the one we make for you.”Mandate № 0142 · Closed in 11 weeks
Live
07 / 12
Active mandates · Q3
Mandate ledger / Selection2026 — H1
Hover · Mandate
Retained Executive SearchContingency SearchBoard MandatesCXO PlacementsCross-borderSelection ConsultingRecruitment SystemsPanel InterviewingConfidential SearchesRetained Executive SearchContingency SearchBoard MandatesCXO PlacementsCross-borderSelection ConsultingRecruitment SystemsPanel InterviewingConfidential Searches
0
Years of Indian and cross-border executive search.
0+
Senior placements across sector and geography.
0+
Industry sectors and functional domains served.
0%
Retained mandates closed within 14 weeks.
01
01 — Capabilities
What we do

Six disciplines. One conviction.

Every engagement is hand-picked, partner-led, and methodically run. We don't farm. We don't bulk-mail. We find one person.

01

Retained Executive Search

Partner-led, exclusive mandates for CEO, C-suite, and direct-report roles. The most rigorous, methodical form of search we offer.

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02

Contingency Search

Senior and middle-management placements on success-fee terms. The same methodology, scaled for volume mandates and time-sensitive roles.

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03

Board Level Searches

Independent directors, non-executive chairs, board members and committee leads. Discreet, governance-grade processes.

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04

Selection Consulting

Structured assessment, referencing, and recommendation against your shortlist — independent of who sourced the candidate.

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05

Recruitment Systems & Processes

Design and stand-up of in-house talent functions: org design, scorecards, interview rubrics, and operating cadence.

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06

Panel Interviewing

Our founder and senior partners are available to chair or sit on final-round panels for board-critical hires.

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TrustedBespokeDiscreetPartner-ledConvictionTrustedBespokeDiscreetPartner-ledConviction
02
02 — Practice
Sectors we serve

Forty industries. Specialist depth.

Domain-aware partners who can speak the language of your boardroom — and your operating reality — from day one.

01 / 06
Financial Services
Banking · NBFC · Insurance
02 / 06
Technology & Digital
SaaS · Platforms · AI
03 / 06
Consumer & Retail
FMCG · D2C · Luxury
04 / 06
Industrial & Mfg.
Auto · Chemicals · Steel
05 / 06
Healthcare & Life Sci.
Pharma · Hospitals · Diagnostics
06 / 06
Professional Services
Consulting · Legal · Audit
From the founder
Sarjeev Sethi
Founder · IIFT, New Delhi · Since 2003

You cannot paint the entire world with a single brush. Every mandate we accept is bespoke — designed around your business, your culture, and the leader you actually need.

03
03 — Trust
Selected clients

The brands you know. And many you don't.

A representative selection of the global and Indian organisations we have partnered with over twenty-three years. Many engagements remain confidential by mandate.

Accenture·Microsoft·GE·Whirlpool·Rio Tinto·Mercer·Heinz·Yum! Restaurants·SAP·Britannia·United Breweries·SABMiller·ITC Foods·Agro Tech·CA Technologies·ITC Infotech·
Accenture·Microsoft·GE·Whirlpool·Rio Tinto·Mercer·Heinz·Yum! Restaurants·SAP·Britannia·United Breweries·SABMiller·ITC Foods·Agro Tech·CA Technologies·ITC Infotech·
Technology & ConsultingCurrent
AccentureSenior leadership, India practice
TechnologyCurrent
MicrosoftCross-border CXO and senior hires
Industrial · EnergyCurrent
GEIndia entities — multi-year retainer
Consumer DurablesCurrent
WhirlpoolSenior commercial and operations
Mining & ResourcesCurrent
Rio TintoCountry leadership and functional heads
Professional ServicesCurrent
MercerPractice and consulting leadership
Consumer · FMCGLong-term
HeinzIndia business — senior placements
Consumer · QSRLong-term
Yum! RestaurantsBrand and operations leadership
TechnologyPast
SAPIT sector senior placements
TechnologyPast
CA TechnologiesEngineering leadership
TechnologyPast
ITC InfotechIT services — senior hires
Consumer · FMCGPast
ITC FoodsSenior commercial and marketing
Consumer · FMCGPast
Agro Tech Foods (Conagra)India leadership team
Consumer · FMCGPast
BritanniaOperations and supply leadership
Consumer · BeveragesPast
United BreweriesCommercial and marketing heads
Consumer · BeveragesPast
SABMiller IndiaBrand and operations
Also engaged with
Listed ConglomeratesPE-backed Scale-upsGlobal MajorsFamily EnterprisesMultilateral Bodies

▼ Most engagements remain confidential. References available on request.

04
04 — Method
How we work

Six stages. One mandate.

Every retained engagement runs to a fixed cadence. You always know where the search stands.

i.

Brief & Immerse

Two-day intake with the hiring principal, board, and key stakeholders. Role architecture and success criteria.

ii.

Map the Market

Comprehensive landscape — sector, geography, adjacent industries. Long-list with deep rationale per name.

iii.

Approach & Engage

Discreet outreach by a partner. We carry your story. We protect your discretion.

iv.

Assess & Calibrate

Structured interviews, referencing, and against-criteria scoring. No proxies. No résumé theatre.

v.

Short-list & Decide

Three to five rigorously qualified candidates. Comparative analysis. Panel facilitation if required.

vi.

Close & Onboard

Offer architecture, counter-offer management, family relocation, and 100-day check-ins post-join.

05
05 — Perspective
Field notes

From the practice.

Short, opinionated dispatches on the state of senior hiring in India and beyond.

Field Note · 0909Field note
May 2026 · 6 min read

Why your last CFO search took 26 weeks (and how to take 11)

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Field Note · 0808Field note
Apr 2026 · 8 min read

The independent director problem nobody on your board will name

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Field Note · 0707Field note
Mar 2026 · 11 min read

India 2030: the four functions that will be impossible to hire

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Have a mandate?

Let's discuss the hire that matters most this year.

A short call with our founder. No deck, no pitch — a frank conversation about the role, the market, and whether we're the right firm for the job.