Sixty Eight People
Sixty Eight People is a UK-based, hospitality-exclusive executive search firm founded in 2019, placing C-suite, central-function, and senior leaders into hotels, restaurants, pubs, and luxury operators from hubs in Manchester and London.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersManchester, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Sixty Eight People does
Sixty Eight People Ltd. is a UK-based, hospitality-exclusive executive search firm founded in 2019 by Abi Dunn and operating from hubs in Manchester and London. The firm places senior, central-function, and C-suite leaders (including board-level and commercial director roles) into hotels, restaurants, QSR, pubs, managed venues, contract caterers, and luxury lifestyle operators. Its named client roster spans Rosewood, Greene King, Dishoom, The Hoxton, Flat Iron, Wahaca, Mollie's, Lane7, Tattu, Caravan, Bleecker, Blank Street, Farmer J, The Inn Collection Group, and a National Restaurant Group, alongside an explicit 'every corner of hospitality' vertical claim.
The firm delivers four service lines: Retained Search (exclusive mandate, proactive market mapping, committed timeline - the core model), Executive Search (C-suite and board appointments), Bespoke Projects (talent mapping, succession projects, multi-hire programmes), and Contingent Search (alternative commercial model at the right level). All engagements run through a four-stage process - Role Brief, Market Mapping, Shortlist & Assessment, Close & Retain - with a 12-week structured aftercare. The commercial model is professional services fee-based, quote-priced per engagement, with no disclosed pricing tiers.
The business is built on relationship-led headhunting rather than database search or job advertising; every search starts with a target list built from scratch and prioritises passive candidates. The team comprises former hospitality operators (including ex-Simon Rogan, ex-Wahaca, ex-Nando's operators) across four specialist divisions: Luxury & Lifestyle, People & HR, Commercial & Finance, and Operations & Regional Leadership. The firm operates with no proprietary technology platform, no AI tooling, no external funding, and a bootstrapped, founder-owned structure with 27 total employees. Distribution is entirely direct: enquiry-driven website funnels, LinkedIn, content marketing, and a high-referral network effect within the UK hospitality community.
Sixty Eight People firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sixty Eight People
- Legal name
- Sixty Eight People Ltd.
- Website
- https://sixtyeightpeople.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sixty Eight People is a UK-based, hospitality-exclusive executive search firm founded in 2019, placing C-suite, central-function, and senior leaders into hotels, restaurants, pubs, and luxury operators from hubs in Manchester and London.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sixty Eight People industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Executive Search Services
- NAICS
- Executive Search Services (561312), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Interim Executive & Fractional Leadership Placement (BPACAAAJ)
Keywords
Where Sixty Eight People is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Manchester
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Sixty Eight People business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Retained Search: Full partnership model with exclusive mandate, proactive market mapping, and committed timeline. Core revenue stream and most thorough approach for senior roles.
- Executive Search: Senior appointments at C-suite and board level. Identifying and approaching best people in market whether or not actively looking.
- Bespoke Projects: Structured around specific client needs - talent mapping exercises, succession projects, or multi-hire programmes. Scoped and priced accordingly.
- Contingent Search: For the right brief at the right level. Same rigour and sector knowledge as other services with different commercial model. Always discussed upfront.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Sixty Eight People product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sixty Eight People is a hospitality-specialist executive search firm that recruits senior, central, and C-suite leaders for hotels, restaurants, and hospitality groups. It delivers retained search, contingent search, and bespoke project engagements, combining headhunting methodology with a 12-week aftercare programme. Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Manchester with a London hub, the firm operates with a small in-house team focused exclusively on hospitality leadership hiring.
Product overview
Sixty Eight People offers a unified executive search service for the hospitality sector. The company provides four interconnected service offerings: Retained Search (full partnership model, exclusive mandate, proactive market mapping with committed timeline), Executive Search (C-suite and board level senior appointments), Bespoke Project (talent mapping, succession projects, multi-hire programmes), and Contingent Search (alternative commercial model with the same rigour). All services operate through a four-stage process: Role Brief, Market Mapping, Shortlist & Assessment, and Close & Retain with 12-week structured aftercare.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Retained Search Exclusive, retained executive search mandate in which Sixty Eight People is engaged solely by one hospitality client to identify and secure a senior leader, with fees structured as a retainer plus success component. Designed for senior, central, and C-suite hospitality hires where dedicated consultant time and a confidential headhunt approach are required.
- Contingent Search
- Bespoke Project
Quantifiable outcome
- Most placements remain in role or are promoted after 12 months
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Sixty Eight People
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Sixty Eight People technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Sixty Eight People partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sixty Eight People competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Leisure People: UK recruitment firm focused on hospitality, leisure and retail sectors. Direct competitor for mid-to-senior hospitality roles with comparable sector specialisation.
- The MBS Group: UK-based executive search firm focused on hospitality, retail, fashion and consumer brands. Closest direct comparable — sector specialist boutique competing for the same C-suite and senior leadership mandates in hospitality and lifestyle brands.
- Berkeley Scott: UK hospitality and healthcare recruiter. Direct competitor for hospitality permanent and interim hires, though with a broader functional remit (not C-suite only).
- Macdonald & Company: UK specialist recruiter in hospitality, real estate and property sectors. Comparable boutique model with sector-specific search, though broader than hospitality alone; overlaps directly on hospitality operator mandates.
- Hesketh James: Boutique UK executive search firm focused on hospitality, leisure and retail. Comparable scale and sector specialisation, competing for senior appointments in hotels, restaurants and consumer brands.
Broad incumbents
- Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search firm with dedicated consumer markets practice covering hospitality. Larger, broader competitor that touches hospitality at C-suite and board level.
- Spencer Stuart: Global executive search firm with hospitality and leisure coverage within its consumer practice. Competes for board-level hospitality mandates rather than full vertical coverage.
- Korn Ferry: Global executive search and organisational consulting firm. Broad incumbent offering hospitality leadership searches as part of a much wider consumer/retail practice; competes on large retained mandates.
- Odgers Berndtson: International executive search firm with UK headquarters and consumer/retail practice that includes hospitality operators. Larger generalist that overlaps on senior hospitality appointments.
Others
- Caterer.com: UK hospitality jobs platform and recruitment media business. Adjacent ecosystem participant — different delivery model (advertising-led) but addresses the same hospitality hiring market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sixty Eight People social profiles
Digital presenceSixty Eight People financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sixty Eight People leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Sixty Eight People funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sixty Eight People M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sixty Eight People
What does Sixty Eight People do?
Sixty Eight People is a hospitality-specialist executive search firm that recruits senior, central, and C-suite leaders for hotels, restaurants, and hospitality groups. It delivers retained search, contingent search, and bespoke project engagements, combining headhunting methodology with a 12-week aftercare programme. Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Manchester with a London hub, the firm operates with a small in-house team focused exclusively on hospitality leadership hiring.
Is Sixty Eight People a public or private company?
Sixty Eight People is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Sixty Eight People founded?
Sixty Eight People was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sixty Eight People based?
Sixty Eight People is headquartered in Manchester, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Sixty Eight People make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Retained Search is the primary driver. The others are executive Search, bespoke Projects and contingent Search.
Who are Sixty Eight People's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Leisure People, The MBS Group, Berkeley Scott, Macdonald & Company and Hesketh James. Broad incumbents are Heidrick & Struggles, Spencer Stuart, Korn Ferry and Odgers Berndtson. Caterer.com is listed as an others.
Does Sixty Eight People have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sixty Eight People.
What industry is Sixty Eight People in?
Sixty Eight People's product category is Executive Search Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAAAJ, Interim Executive & Fractional Leadership Placement. Its NAICS code is 561312 and its SIC code is 7361.