Placing the right leader in the right roles, so we can build a more sustainable future.
We work on a small number of searches at a time to find the leaders who will transition your business or portfolio company. For businesses who see sustainability as strategy and as value creation.
Meet Fern
Fern Freeman is the founder of Search With Purpose. She leads every project, every conversation, and every search.
Fern built SWP to focus on the roles that matter most: the ones driving the sustainable transition and shaping a better way to do business—one that delivers real value for people and planet.
Before founding SWP, Fern built her career at Spencer Stuart and one of the UK’s leading boutique search firms. But she wanted to do things differently — with more focus and purpose.
More than search. It’s leadership strategy.
For Fern, this work has never been about filling vacancies.
It's about unlocking potential by placing high-impact leaders where they can make the biggest difference.
That’s why she developed a founder-led search process rooted in research, rigour, and clarity — and why she stays involved long after the placement, through team assessments, onboarding, and leadership development.
Developing leadership for what comes next.
Fern also launched The Academy — a space for future CSOs, ESG leads, and senior operators stepping into sustainability leadership positions.
It’s where technical expertise grows into leadership — with tools, support, and real-world focus.