Southern Water's Senior Public Affairs Manager position had been on the market for four months before Murray McIntosh was engaged; the search closed in six weeks. A year later, following the promotion of that appointee to Head of Public Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement, Murray McIntosh led the search for their successor: the preferred candidate withdrew a week before starting, and a second was secured within three weeks.

Public affairs professionals with a genuine interest in the water sector are scarce, until more insight to candidates can be provided. Its reputation built by public perception puts many strong candidates off before they look closely. A geographic preference for candidates within 15 miles of Worthing added a further constraint, in a market where the strongest talent was almost entirely London-based.

The post was newly created, and it was not yet clear whether it would become permanent, or a fixed-term. This ambiguity made the opportunity a harder proposition for strong candidates. 

Murray McIntosh's recommendation was to broaden the search rather than narrow the brief, opening up the location criteria and drawing in candidates from adjacent, similarly regulated sectors. That approach gave Southern Water access to candidates the wider market had not reached.

Southern Water's Director of Corporate Affairs introduced Murray McIntosh directly and retained the search exclusively, rather than running it alongside multiple suppliers.

• Location: accepting London-based candidates commuting to Worthing one day a week, rather than restricting the search geographically.
• Cross-sector sourcing: extending the search to candidates with transferable experience in adjacent, similarly regulated industries such as gas.
• Process: a two-stage process, an initial online interview followed by an in-person second stage, kept the search moving quickly.
• Continuity: when the original appointee was promoted, Murray McIntosh returned to run the search again alongside Southern Water's internal team, and moved quickly to secure a replacement after a late setback.

The first search closed in six weeks. The successful candidate presented an unconventional profile, having moved from public affairs into stage management for musical theatre before returning to the profession, a career path unlikely to surface through a conventional water-sector search.

That result gave Southern Water the confidence to return to Murray McIntosh, rather than open a wider agency process, when the role needed filling again a year later.

The second appointee was already working in the water sector, giving Southern Water continuity of sector knowledge as it merged public affairs with stakeholder engagement under its newly promoted Head.

The relationship reflects how Murray McIntosh supports water-sector clients on their hardest appointments: earning direct access through trust rather than volume, and having the ability to respond quickly when circumstances change.