Norman Broadbent hires Giblin as chairman

He joins after working as an outside consultant looking at the organisational structure of the firm's parent, BNB Resources, which in February raised 3m (€4.7m) from existing shareholders in a move it described as essential to its financial position.

With over 30 years experience in executive search, Giblin is the second key appointment this year, after the firm brought in Doug Bugie from recruiter Humana as chief executive in March.

Giblin, an American, first moved to London in the 1970s to establish the European operations of recruiter Russell Reynolds. A decade later he moved to Samuel Montagu, the UK bank later bought by HSBC, as a managing director in administration.

He has since been president of two search firms - Carre, Orban and then Nicholson International.

Giblin said he had a particular interest in corporate governance, including the roles of non-executive directors and board and committee composition.

He said that despite difficult market conditions, Norman Broadbent was pushing ahead with a recruitment drive in venture capital, energy services and financial services, particularly the capital markets and wealth management sectors.