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For more information on our Artificial Intelligence services, get in touch with

...

Oliver Kiddy

Managing Director

Hundreds of 'Excellent' reviews

Artificial Intelligence Executive Search

Helping Artificial Intelligence companies unlock their next stage of growth

Specialisms We Cover

Algorithms Big Data CADD Cloud Computing Computational Biology Computer Vision Data Mining Deep Learning Drug Discovery Electronic Health Records Genomics Life Sciences Machine Learning Neural Networks Predictive & Analytics Python Radiology Regression SaaS SaMD Software Engineering Therapeutics Ultrasound

The global artificial intelligence market is valued at over $200 billion and continues to grow rapidly, driven by widespread adoption across enterprise, industry, and consumer applications.

Artificial intelligence is reshaping how organisations operate, compete, and scale. From machine learning and data science to automation, computer vision, and generative AI, the pace of innovation is accelerating across every sector. As AI moves from experimentation to mission-critical deployment, businesses face increasing pressure to build robust, ethical, and commercially viable AI capabilities.

We work closely with organisations operating across the AI ecosystem, from early-stage innovators to global enterprises embedding AI at scale. Our focus is on building long-term partnerships, underpinned by a deep understanding of both technical capability and commercial impact. By aligning specialist talent with strategic objectives, we help our clients develop the leadership, engineering, and research expertise required to turn AI investment into real-world value.

We apply a specialised, focused approach to the AI market.

Artificial Intelligence is rapidly catching up with the life sciences’ sector and big pharma. Growth within the market is shaped largely through biomedicine and healthcare. The outbreak of COVID-19 has made profound and enduring impacts on the health and life sciences industry. Consequently, the AI market in Life Sciences Market was valued at $1,255.3 million in 2020 and is estimated to be worth $5,402.1 million by 2026 presenting a compound annual growth rate of 29.13%. Now more than ever, it is important for us to apply a specialised focused approach to help our clients maintain the rapid growth of this market.

Our flexible structure and attention to detail whilst offering service of the highest quality to our clients, is what makes us stand out from the rest and we know that we must keep up with the latest trends and developments within the market to do so. We recognise that each company we work with has their own individual needs and we want to successfully support them in their missions to build successful teams.
Download the Artificial Intelligence Brochure

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Learn more about our services, approach and the sectors we operate in.

Did you know?

Hiring the wrong candidate costs more than just time—it can waste salary, training resources, and opportunities. The Department of Labour estimates a bad hire can cost up to 30% of the role’s first-year earnings.

We hire right

Organisations are often reluctant to use external recruiters due the percieved cost. Think about it like this - what financial benefit could a top candidate bring to your business unit? You could make a 100x return on your investment.

  • 97% Placement Rate 1
  • 1.78:1 CVs Sent to Interviews 2
  • Avg. 32 Day Engagement to Placement 3

1. Based on all roles engaged on by a client on an exclusive basis from Jan 4 2025 - Dec 31 2025.

2. All CVs Sent from Jan 4 2025 - Dec 31 2025.

3. From Jan 4 2025 - Dec 31 2025.

Stats

387 active opportunities
1,908 placements made across 25 sectors
262,736 companies in our CRM

"At Irving Knight, we don't just fill positions; we build lasting partnerships. Our commitment to understanding your unique needs ensures that we deliver leaders who drive success and embody your company's values. When it comes to identifying the high-performers of tomorrow, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Our bespoke approach ensures every search is personal, diverse, and tailored from the ground up — delivering an individual, unrivalled experience for both clients and candidates. "

- Joe Davey, Group CEO of Irving Knight Group

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Joerg Schlagmann

Senior Global Manager

Great expert: supportive, challenging and always empowered for his customers and his work! Not more to say: just exce...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Ashley Maclean

Systems Sales Engineer, South Carolina

Jack Purnell with Irving Knight was the best recruiter I’ve worked with - by far. He communicated clearly, was respec...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Franz-Leo Nedo

Territory Sales Manager

Joseph is an expert in recruting people. He has in-depth practical knowledge and helpful by solving potential issues....

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Michel Cas

Sales Manager, France

Incredibly human oriented executive search, candidates handled with great care and respect, precise and concise infor...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Kerry Maye

Regional Sales Manager

Working with Joseph was a wonderfully positive experience from our first contact, through acceptance of my job offer....

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Vincent Dehousse

Head of Sales & Marketing, Netherlands

Great experience working with Cian from Irving Knight—professional, responsive, and genuinely supportive. Highly reco...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Dipen Shah

Account Manager, Canada

I was assisted by Aiden Kerr on getting a new job in the chemical industry. He was fantastic in terms of timing, comm...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Jane Scates

Packaging Engineer, US

Henry was a true professional, perfect attention to detail at every step of the process. Would definitely recommend!

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Andreia Sa

Director, Italy

I would like to sincerely thank Evan Ball for all the support throughout the process. He provided assistance at diffe...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Anja Florbach

Digital & Commercial Excellence Manager

Thank you so much Joseph! You have given me a great support. It was really nice to be in contact with you and I thin...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Veronica Hagborg

Senior Director Global HR, Sweden

I have had the opportunity to co-operate with Joseph in a process and I found him very proactive in keeping me inform...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Christoph Snaga

Investment Manager, Germany

Christopher from Irving Knight handled the overall process well and we managed to get to a successful completion smoo...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Corinne Grice

Strategic Account Manager, US

Luca was an absolute gem to work with ! He reached out to me on linkedin with several different opportunities & was a...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Tim Staniels

Territory Sales Manager, US

Joseph was very easy to work with. He was motivated and attentive during his recruitment process, very responsive to ...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Valeria Pozzi

Procurement Category Manager, Italy

Working with Oliver has been a real pleasure!His highly professionalism and transparency made me comfortable to consi...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Kay Witte

Global Director Performance Excellence

Joseph was instrumental in making my last professional opportunity happen. He was easy to work with, responsive, and ...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Daniel Villanueva

Key Account Manager

Joseph is a dedicated professional and a stand up person to work with. His patience and his understanding certainly s...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Tim Mitchell

Plant Manager, US

Stewart did an amazing job representing me for a new opportunity.

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Rishi Sarkar

Environmental Process Engineer, US

Irving Knight helped place me with a company that I could have a positive impact on that aligned with my career goals...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Nika Kuchaidze

Senior Continuous Improvement Chemist, US

It was a pleasure working with Joseph on transitioning to a position with a new company. Communication was prompt,...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Joerg Schlagmann

Senior Global Manager

Great expert: supportive, challenging and always empowered for his customers and his work! Not more to say: just exce...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Ashley Maclean

Systems Sales Engineer, South Carolina

Jack Purnell with Irving Knight was the best recruiter I’ve worked with - by far. He communicated clearly, was respec...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Franz-Leo Nedo

Territory Sales Manager

Joseph is an expert in recruting people. He has in-depth practical knowledge and helpful by solving potential issues....

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Michel Cas

Sales Manager, France

Incredibly human oriented executive search, candidates handled with great care and respect, precise and concise infor...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Kerry Maye

Regional Sales Manager

Working with Joseph was a wonderfully positive experience from our first contact, through acceptance of my job offer....

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Vincent Dehousse

Head of Sales & Marketing, Netherlands

Great experience working with Cian from Irving Knight—professional, responsive, and genuinely supportive. Highly reco...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Dipen Shah

Account Manager, Canada

I was assisted by Aiden Kerr on getting a new job in the chemical industry. He was fantastic in terms of timing, comm...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Jane Scates

Packaging Engineer, US

Henry was a true professional, perfect attention to detail at every step of the process. Would definitely recommend!

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Andreia Sa

Director, Italy

I would like to sincerely thank Evan Ball for all the support throughout the process. He provided assistance at diffe...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Anja Florbach

Digital & Commercial Excellence Manager

Thank you so much Joseph! You have given me a great support. It was really nice to be in contact with you and I thin...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Veronica Hagborg

Senior Director Global HR, Sweden

I have had the opportunity to co-operate with Joseph in a process and I found him very proactive in keeping me inform...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Christoph Snaga

Investment Manager, Germany

Christopher from Irving Knight handled the overall process well and we managed to get to a successful completion smoo...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Corinne Grice

Strategic Account Manager, US

Luca was an absolute gem to work with ! He reached out to me on linkedin with several different opportunities & was a...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Tim Staniels

Territory Sales Manager, US

Joseph was very easy to work with. He was motivated and attentive during his recruitment process, very responsive to ...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Valeria Pozzi

Procurement Category Manager, Italy

Working with Oliver has been a real pleasure!His highly professionalism and transparency made me comfortable to consi...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Kay Witte

Global Director Performance Excellence

Joseph was instrumental in making my last professional opportunity happen. He was easy to work with, responsive, and ...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Daniel Villanueva

Key Account Manager

Joseph is a dedicated professional and a stand up person to work with. His patience and his understanding certainly s...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Tim Mitchell

Plant Manager, US

Stewart did an amazing job representing me for a new opportunity.

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Rishi Sarkar

Environmental Process Engineer, US

Irving Knight helped place me with a company that I could have a positive impact on that aligned with my career goals...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Nika Kuchaidze

Senior Continuous Improvement Chemist, US

It was a pleasure working with Joseph on transitioning to a position with a new company. Communication was prompt,...

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Approach

Explore Our Approach

Why Us

Why Irving Knight

Trustpilot

FAQs

We’re here to make Executive Search easy to understand. Find answers to the most common questions below.

Our priority is fit, not speed. We take time to understand your background, goals, and motivations, then provide clear insight into each opportunity so you’re only considered for roles that truly align with your experience and ambitions.

We specialise in senior, specialist, and leadership appointments across the markets we serve. Our focus is on roles where experience, judgement, and cultural alignment are critical — typically mid- to senior-level management through to executive and board appointments.

You’ll gain honest market insight, access to high-quality opportunities, and clear guidance throughout the process. Our aim is simple: to help you make the right move, at the right time, with confidence.

No. Our services are completely free for candidates. We are retained by our client partners to manage their hiring processes, meaning there is never a cost to you at any stage.

Our role is to represent your interests professionally, provide guidance throughout the process, and help you assess opportunities objectively — without any financial obligation.

No — if anything, it gives you an advantage. We provide context, insight, and advocacy that ensure your experience and motivations are clearly understood from the outset. Our role is to strengthen your candidacy and guide you through a transparent, well-managed process.

We operate as a retained, partnership-led search firm rather than a transactional recruiter. That means fewer searches, deeper engagement, and a far higher level of commitment to outcomes. By combining sector specialism, market intelligence, and a disciplined search methodology, we deliver hires that are aligned not only to role requirements, but to culture, strategy, and long-term growth plans.

We don’t rely on databases or job advertising alone. Our searches are driven by proactive market mapping, targeted outreach, and insight gained from long-standing sector networks. Candidates are assessed on capability, leadership style, cultural alignment, and long-term potential — not just CV fit — ensuring a robust and well-informed shortlist.

Confidentiality is fundamental to how we operate. Every search is handled with discretion, clear communication, and controlled market engagement. As your representative in the market, we protect your brand, manage messaging carefully, and ensure sensitive information is only shared when appropriate — safeguarding both your business and your candidates throughout the process.

Our retained model is designed to deliver outcomes, not volume. Because we invest the time to fully understand the role, the business, and the wider context, we achieve a consistently high completion rate across our searches. More importantly, our focus is on long-term retention and impact, not short-term placement metrics.

While our process is designed to minimise risk, we recognise that circumstances can change. In the rare event a placement doesn’t succeed, we work closely with our client to address the situation and agree the most appropriate next steps. Our commitment is to the partnership and the outcome — not just the initial hire

Let's talk

Contact Irving Knight Group for Executive Search Enquiries