Rupert Haffenden joined Pacific International in 2017, aged 20, straight from the yachting industry. At the time, the firm had a small team in a Bankside office in London. Today, he is an Associate Director leading our energy practice in a global Executive Search business of nearly 60 people. His journey mirrors the firm’s own: from a small London team to an international talent partner trusted by clients across energy and clean technology as well as other key sectors.
In this conversation with Margaret Jaouadi, Rupert talks about staying resilient through market cycles, why repeat business matters more than one-off wins, and what keeps him pushing after ten years. What emerges is the story of someone who never settles and measures success by the people he grows alongside.
Quickfire
Early bird or night owl? I’ve turned from a night owl into an early bird, and working in search drove that. In London, we’re an hour behind much of Europe, so I get up early to fit in calls before everyone starts their day. We also do a lot of work in the US, which means the occasional late night. But on balance, early bird.
Favourite cuisine? Italian. Lasagne and pizza are absolute staples. That said, you will never hear me turn down a burger if it’s on the menu.
Seaside or mountains? Mountains. Before Pacific, I spent years working at sea, and I’ve had my fill of it. I’ve fallen in love with mountain sports, especially running and cycling, and I want to spend my time away from work there.
Summer or winter? I love being outdoors, so summer should win. But this past summer in London tested me without air conditioning, so I’m almost looking forward to cooler weather. The shorter days, less so.
The last series you binged? An HBO documentary series about an underground reptile smuggling ring in the 90s and early 2000s. It’s almost a follow-on from Tiger King. Fascinating, but definitely niche.
If you could live anywhere in the world? My heart lies in East Putney. But Switzerland ticks every box: three cultures, amazing food, clean air, peace and incredible scenery. Who knows, maybe it’s where a future Pacific office will be.
Your go-to productivity hack? It’s no secret here that I’m a big believer in AI. I don’t think there’s a task I do without some involvement from Claude, and I’m a big fan of the agents that support me day to day.
Beyond that, block time on your calendar and stay disciplined about it. It sounds basic, but in my role it’s easy to get pulled in lots of directions. Since joining Pacific, I’ve worked in sprints, and that’s almost how I run my life now. It gives me structure, like a school curriculum, and keeps me focused on the task in front of me.
If you weren’t in executive search, what would you do? I love identifying problems, solving them, and optimising things. Outside work, I get obsessed with sport, from tracking down the best kit to upgrading everything I own. So I want something physical, something where I can coach and give back, and something data-driven. Probably a performance coach of some type.
Staying resilient through market cycles
Margaret Jaouadi
How would you describe your career journey, and what has kept you at Pacific for nearly ten years?
Rupert Haffenden
Rewarding, above all because of the people. I still stay in touch with individuals I worked with when I started in 2017, and I still support them in some way.
What has kept me here is how much my role has grown. I came into the industry with a very limited view of what executive search was. Funnily enough, my dad worked in recruitment for many years in the 90s, so I grew up around it but never pictured myself in it. When the opportunity came up, it felt like a full-circle moment.
In 2017, the business had a small team of experienced headhunters in our Bank office, and I was a 20-year-old coming out of yachting with little real work experience. Since then, we’ve grown to nearly 60, opened additional offices, and my responsibilities have grown with it.
I always want to better myself, and Pacific has given me the platform to do that. Every year I have to raise my game, whether that’s sales performance, professionalism or learning to manage and coach people in different ways.. That growth has lined up with my interest in energy and clean technology, a market that never stands still and keeps me on my toes.
Margaret Jaouadi
What have you learned from your biggest challenge and your greatest success?
Rupert Haffenden
In a sales role, there are no days off. You’re always accountable. My biggest challenge came in 2023 and 2024. I had built a very strong network and client base in the solar market, and then the industry hit serious difficulties. It tested my resilience.
I’ve been through several cycles: COVID, the European solar market slowdown, rising competition from China, and the upturns that follow. When a market slows overnight, you have to stay positive and prove to yourself that you can deliver in different markets and geographies. Every year the energy sector brings new entrants and technologies, from the decline of European module manufacturing to green hydrogen to the surge in power demand from AI and data centres. Staying at the forefront of those changing dynamics, and bringing clients genuinely useful insight from my conversations with senior leaders, is something I take real pride in.
My greatest internal success was my promotion to Associate Director, in recognition of work I delivered consistently over a couple of years. I’m now really pleased to see colleagues like Paul, Haley and Sahar stepping into that role too. As Pacific grows, I want to be surrounded by equally driven and successful people. For me, that’s what success really looks like.
Margaret Jaouadi
What keeps you motivated?
Rupert Haffenden
Never settling. We’re always looking to do better: deliver higher-quality service, deliver faster, and be more precise. We genuinely live our values: being precise, agile, connected, and full of good energy.
I also care about long-term partnerships. I’m not a fan of delivering one search for a client and never speaking to them again. I want real relationships, and many of my clients will vouch for that. Being a reliable partner, professionally and beyond, is what drives me. And the energy sector is particularly good at keeping you on your toes.
Margaret Jaouadi
What, in your view, is the key to a strong company culture?
Rupert Haffenden
Communication. We’re lucky to have warm, personable people at Pacific who are on a similar wavelength. We come from all walks of life, backgrounds and countries, but we all share a Pacific way of doing things.
That culture shows up for clients and candidates too. Candidates often tell us they enjoyed working with us because we communicated clearly and set expectations. That positive experience supports talent retention and long-term business relationships. The proof is in the pudding: 86% of projects come from repeat business with existing clients.
Margaret Jaouadi
What is essential for maintaining client loyalty?
Rupert Haffenden
I’m a big believer in results first. Clients retain us because we deliver, and we do it to the best of our ability: precisely, on time, and to a high standard. The service we deliver is what brings clients back.
Yes, we do it with a smile. Yes, we build real relationships with hiring managers. We spend time in their offices and meet people at exhibitions. We’re on the ground with clients and with the candidates we place in their businesses. That is what builds lasting relationships, and loyalty follows.
Margaret Jaouadi
What are your goals, and what excites you most about the years ahead?
Rupert Haffenden
My goal is to keep building our energy practice and working with frontier technologies that support the energy transition and decarbonisation. That might be a large industrial business making the transition, or a fast-moving, VC-backed start-up looking for its next leader. I want to grow our practice while genuinely supporting these organisations, because the work itself interests me.
What excites me most is Pacific’s journey. Compare where we were ten years ago with where we are today, and it’s a completely different business, for the better. Who knows where we’ll be in another ten years? I hope to be here to see it.
Margaret Jaouadi
And on a personal note?
Rupert Haffenden
If you’re coming to London and fancy a running partner or a cycling trip, please get in touch. You can also follow me on Strava and give me some kudos.
For a confidential chat about how Pacific International can assist you with your Strategic and C-suite hiring or Diversity challenges, please contact Rupert Haffenden or one of our Heads of sector.