Recruit the right Customer Service Director
Recruiting the right Customer Service Director is essential for any organisation committed to delivering exceptional service, retaining loyal customers, and building a reputation for operational excellence. The role goes beyond managing contact centres or frontline teams — it requires a leader who can translate customer insight into action, lead cultural change, and embed service quality at the heart of the business. With experts like Oliver guiding the recruitment process, companies can secure a Customer Service Director who not only enhances day-to-day performance but also strengthens long-term customer relationships and brand trust.
For organisations seeking a Customer Service Director, working with experienced professionals who understand service leadership and have access to a wide network of proven candidates is critical. This targeted, insight-led approach ensures the successful appointment of a service leader who brings energy, credibility, and a customer-first mindset.
Introducing your expert for recruiting the right Customer Service Director.
Oliver Adderley
Managing Director, Adderleys Executive Search
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Tel: 0207 874 7204
Email: oja@adderleys.com
Oliver brings over twenty years of experience in executive search, with a specialised focus on recruiting senior level talent across various industries. His extensive network of senior leadership talent throughout the United Kingdom uniquely positions him to identify and attract top-tier candidates for this critical role.
Throughout his career, Oliver has collaborated with a diverse range of businesses, from multinational corporations and renowned brands to small and medium-sized enterprises. His expertise in executive search and recruitment marketing, combined with his deep understanding of the recruitment landscape, has consistently driven successful outcomes in securing high-calibre leadership.
Oliver’s track record in recruiting Customer Service Directors is marked by his ability to understand the nuanced requirements of each organisation, ensuring a perfect alignment between candidate capabilities and company needs. His strategic thinking and problem-solving skills enable him to navigate the complexities of the recruitment process, devising innovative solutions that meet the unique challenges of each search.
With his broad-spectrum experience and intimate familiarity with the intricacies of executive recruitment, Oliver is perfectly positioned to lead the search for a new Customer Service Director. His comprehensive knowledge and versatile skill set ensure that he can deliver exceptional results, contributing significantly to the company's ongoing success and leadership continuity.
The Importance of a Skilled Customer Service Director
The Customer Service Director plays a central role in shaping the customer experience, leading multi-site operations, and ensuring that service delivery supports both brand reputation and commercial performance. As organisations increasingly compete on service quality and customer retention, strong service leadership has become a defining factor in long-term success.
A high-performing Customer Service Director is responsible for the strategic direction and operational oversight of all customer-facing teams — often including contact centres, complaints handling, service operations, and digital support channels. They define the service vision, set performance standards, and ensure consistent delivery across multiple channels and platforms. They also play a critical role in building a service culture that is values-led, responsive, and continuously improving.
In sectors such as utilities, housing, regulated services, not-for-profit, retail, and financial services, the Customer Service Director is often accountable for performance against customer KPIs including CSAT, NPS, FCR, and AHT. Their remit may also include change leadership, digital transformation, customer journey mapping, and delivering service improvements that directly impact customer satisfaction and brand loyalty.
How Adderleys Can Help
At Adderleys, we understand that recruiting a Customer Service Director is about more than managing operations — it’s about appointing a leader who can elevate customer experience, improve retention, and support cultural transformation. Since 1991, we have supported organisations across the UK in appointing exceptional customer service leaders through a search process that combines rigour, insight, and market knowledge. Here’s how we support successful appointments in customer leadership:
Service Strategy and Vision: We identify candidates who can define and implement a clear customer service strategy — aligning service delivery with the broader goals of the business and brand.
Operational Leadership: From managing contact centre teams to handling complex multi-site service environments, we look for leaders with strong command of service metrics, staff development, and continuous improvement.
Customer Journey and Experience: Great service starts with empathy and ends with loyalty. We assess candidates’ ability to lead customer journey design, digitisation of service, and the integration of omnichannel support.
Cultural and People Leadership: We prioritise individuals who build high-performing service cultures — motivating teams through visibility, values, and development, while embedding customer focus at every level.
Regulatory and Risk Awareness: In regulated sectors, we seek leaders who can ensure compliance while also improving service outcomes — especially where service failures carry reputational or financial risk.
Our Unique Approach
Adderleys brings together deep executive search experience with an understanding of what exceptional customer leadership looks like across sectors. Our national network spans senior service professionals across housing, financial services, membership organisations, retail, outsourcing, and regulated markets — giving our clients access to leaders with proven experience in service delivery, transformation, and team engagement.
While many search firms are focused solely on the capital, Adderleys has developed a strong regional footprint, helping organisations across the UK appoint service leaders who combine operational expertise with cultural fit. Whether your customer function is undergoing transformation, stabilising after rapid growth, or rebuilding after challenges, we tailor our approach to meet your organisation’s stage and structure.
Our network includes Customer Service Directors, Heads of Customer Experience, and CX transformation leads with expertise in team leadership, performance management, complaints handling, contact centre operations, and customer engagement strategy.
At Adderleys, we believe outstanding service starts with outstanding leadership. And we’re here to help you appoint a Customer Service Director who will elevate your customer experience, drive team performance, and reinforce your reputation as a business that puts people first.