Sam Leighton-Smith BA Hons

Director

Healthcare Board

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Sam Leighton-Smith

Sam is the Group Managing Director at Compass Recruitment Solutions, and operates through CCO’s Board, and Executive Leadership practices, advising on some of the sectors most prominent hires.    

Sam formed Compass Carter Osborne (formerly Compass Executives) in 2011 to focus solely on executive appointments within the independent health and care sector. Since then, CCO has become a multi-award-winning organisation which has extended its offering into Life Sciences as well as its Geographical reach.  

Sam is very investor focussed with the majority of his work coming via private equity houses, family offices, infrastructure funds or REIT’s.  

Sam holds a Law and Politics degree from the University of Kent as well as additional qualifications in the practice of recruitment. In his spare time Sam enjoys all sports, travelling and has an active interest in politics and current events.  

“We used Compass Carter Osborne to find a CEO for our specialist education business. We chose them because of their sector knowledge and evident hustle. We had high hopes for how they would perform, and they more than met those. They understood that the task isn't just about finding the right candidates, but in building enthusiasm for the role. Every candidate we met had been well researched, and had the opportunity well explained to them. Compass Carter Osborne successfully delivered a number of very strong candidates, and helped us secure an outstanding candidate for the role. I would recommend them without hesitation.”
Ion Equity - Partner
“Compass Carter Osborne really delivered for us in our search for a new CEO for Outcomes First Group. It was a vitally important assignment given that we were recruiting a successor for a long standing and highly successful CEO in a sector-leading business. Compass Carter Osborne went above and beyond in developing a deep understanding of the business and our requirements, and in only presenting candidates that closely met these. They think very creatively and their focus was very sharp; they particularly understood the culture of the business. The search was speedy and well organised, with a very high standard of verbal and written feedback. They have a granular knowledge of the sector and because of the way in which they work, we were fully involved throughout and achieved a great result. A really excellent search - thank you.”
Outcomes First Group - Chair