How Norton Rose Fulbright Strengthened Its DE&I Capability Across the EMEA Region

Norton Rose Fulbright, a global law firm with a strong track record in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), sought to recruit both a DE&I Manager and a Head of Culture and Inclusion for the EMEA region. Despite previous efforts, the firm had not identified candidates with the right level of seniority, expertise, or vision to meet their ambitious DE&I goals.

Recognising Green Park’s deep specialism in inclusive leadership appointments, Norton Rose Fulbright partnered with us to deliver high-calibre, pioneering talent. Our team worked closely with key stakeholders to align expectations through our proprietary GP Scope methodology, while also providing robust insight into the market landscape and salary benchmarking.

 

The Challenge

Norton Rose Fulbright provides a comprehensive range of legal services to leading corporations and financial institutions worldwide. With more than 3,000 lawyers across 50+ global locations, the firm is known for its values of quality, unity, and integrity, and operates across core sectors including financial services, energy, infrastructure, transport, life sciences, and technology.

Despite its well-regarded DE&I reputation in the legal sector, Norton Rose Fulbright faced significant challenges in appointing senior DE&I talent across EMEA. The firm needed candidates who would not only build on their existing platform but also bring fresh thinking and trailblazing leadership to their inclusion strategy.

 

The Project

Following a competitive tender process, Green Park was appointed to lead the search. Our experts conducted in-depth stakeholder interviews to build a nuanced understanding of each role and what success would look like. In line with our ‘Skills-First’ methodology, we expanded the search beyond traditional legal markets to identify candidates with the right blend of transferable experience and inclusive leadership capability.

Our researchers conducted a comprehensive talent mapping process, reviewing 164 market-relevant profiles, which were narrowed to 111 at the first stage. After further screening and evaluation, 28 individuals advanced to longlist review across both roles, with 12 exceptional candidates selected for shortlist consideration.

 

The Results

Nine candidates progressed to final shortlist interviews, offering a rich breadth of lived experience, sector diversity, and leadership capability. The inclusive composition of the shortlist empowered Norton Rose Fulbright to make an informed decision, ensuring the selected individuals not only met the brief but also aligned with the firm’s cultural values.

Ultimately, two outstanding appointments were made. Both hires bring the strategic vision, credibility, and passion needed to support the firm’s evolving DE&I goals across the EMEA region.

 

Jean Slater Romp, Head of HR at Norton Rose Fulbright, commented:

“Working with Green Park has been a pleasure from start to finish. Having struggled to recruit for these roles, we recognised we needed to work with a specialist organisation who had a deep understanding of our challenges, a strong network of exceptionally qualified candidates, and a well-regarded reputation in the market. The partnership provided by Green Park ensured efficient and timely delivery of an excellent slate of candidates — we could have confidently appointed several of those presented.”