Our Team

Will Hannaford

Managing Partner & CEO
Gaurav Sethi

Managing Partner & Founder
James Rudofsky

Partner & Chief Operating Officer
Justin Pearson

Chairman
Charlie Steel

Partner
Erin Holbrook

Partner
Genevieve Fraser

Partner
Rizwaan Ahmed

Partner
Tom Bradbeer

Partner
Wendy Martin

Partner & Head of People
Tom Chambers

Principal
Charles Buchan

Consultant
David O'Connor

Consultant
Isa Blanco-Bush

Consultant
Jade Blumenzak

Consultant
Zack Hanerfeld

Consultant
Chichi Okafor

Senior Associate
Chinello Nwakwesi

Senior Associate
Devraj Harilela

Senior Associate
Ellie Bartley

Senior Associate
Christina Ganotakis

Associate
Ellery Lassiter

Associate
Eric Land

Associate
Michael Hobson

Associate
Vyn Goh

Associate
Yasra Khurram

Associate
Angus Gorrie

Head of Data & Knowledge Management
Max Denton

Data & Research Analyst
Nataliia Zinets

Data Entry Administrator
Ivy Panesar

Operations Manager
Sabrina Reavley

Executive Assistant
Sheldon VanKooten

Executive Assistant
Will Hannaford

Will Hannaford

Managing Partner & CEO

Will joined Maven in February 2019 to help to drive the next stage of its growth – from global specialist financial services executive search firm to multi-industry talent solutions provider. His energy and positive outlook owe as much to winning a past battle with cancer, as to his lifelong love of cycling.

Will co-manages the firm with Gaurav globally and his personal areas of expertise span Global Markets, Investment Management, Investment Banking and Technology. Prior to joining Maven, he was a Partner and Global COO at Hogarth Davies Lloyd for 12 years, having started his career in a multinational recruitment company.

A craft beer aficionado and diehard Liverpool fan, Will studied Maths and Philosophy at King’s College London.

Gaurav Sethi

Gaurav Sethi

Managing Partner & Founder

Gaurav founded Maven in 2007 with no sense whatsoever of the financial crisis to come. Since then, despite this lack of clairvoyance, he's driven the growth of a business that began with one small office in London into a global executive search firm with an established presence in London, New York and Hong Kong.

Gaurav has led searches across the Investment Banking, Investment Management and Global Markets businesses and now focuses on Maven's most senior mandates and relationships. Before founding Maven, he ran the Asia-Pacific practice for a large multi-national search firm.

Prior to the start of his professional life, Gaurav spent several years in academia, earning two Master’s degrees from the Universities of Edinburgh and Cambridge.

When not working, Gaurav can be found diving into a new hobby, which could be anything from golf to Mandarin – though he has now resolved to enjoy the latter vicariously through his children instead.

James Rudofsky

James Rudofsky

Partner & Chief Operating Officer

James joined Maven’s London office as  Chief Operating Officer and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the US, EMEA and APAC entities. Prior to this, James worked at UBS Investment Bank where he latterly managed the EMEA Investment Banking Recruitment team and Global Markets Recruitment team. In these roles he worked closely with the senior leadership of the business as well as on projects across Diversity & Inclusion and assisting in the launch of the apprenticeship program in the UK. 

In 2004, James graduated with an honour’s degree in Business Studies before working at global executive search firms focussing on the financial markets. 

Justin Pearson

Justin Pearson

Chairman

Drawing on his knowledge and experience of recruitment business ownership over the last 20+ years, Justin works with Maven's senior leadership team on the global growth of the organisation.

Prior to joining Maven, Justin founded the HC Group, an executive search firm focused on the international energy and natural resource sector. Following a successful management buyout in 2019, Justin now pursues a portfolio career advising executive search leaders on how to scale their organisations.

A father of four, Justin enjoys wide a variety of extracurricular activities; rugby coaching at Horsham RFC, mountain biking in the Surrey Hills, sailing and skiing when time allows.

Charlie Steel

Charlie Steel

Partner

Charlie joined Maven as a Partner in May 2022 to lead the firm’s EMEA Investment Banking and Private Equity team.

Prior to joining Maven, Charlie spent seven years at a boutique executive search firm, where he was a Director responsible for senior level executive search across M&A and Capital Markets, as well as VC, Growth and Private Equity.

In his pre-parenthood days Charlie played AFL for Great Britain, now he is most content watching Glasgow Rangers with his family and friends, or practicing the art of patience on the golf course. Charlie has also served on the board of Spark Inside, a charity that is pioneering the use of professional coaching in prisons to promote rehabilitation and reduce reoffending.

Erin Holbrook

Erin Holbrook

Partner

Based in New York City, Erin leads our Investment Management team in the Americas. Before joining Maven, Erin built and led the Global Equities practice at a boutique search firm, where she and her team were able to successfully partner with some of the world’s leading hedge funds and fund-seeding platforms. She has also covered the Commodities sector, successfully placing physical and financial North American Oil Trading talent across trading houses, hedge funds, and banks.  

Specializing in placing Portfolio Manager and Analyst talent across asset classes, her approach is to be both a partner and advisor for clients and candidates alike.

Erin earned an MSc in Commerce from the University of Virginia’s McIntire School in 2015. Prior to that, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science at Bucknell University. While she ran competitive track for four years at university, she now gets her competitive energy out in intermural soccer and attending Buffalo Bills games.

Genevieve Fraser

Genevieve Fraser

Partner

Genevieve joined Maven in March 2023 and is a Partner in the Investment Banking team. She joined from Russell Reynolds, where she was a member of the global Financial Services Practice, splitting time between Investment Banking and Private Equity mandates. Prior to that, Genevieve was a member of the Investment Banking team at Heidrick & Struggles, working to identify and attract key talent across sectors and geographies.

Genevieve holds a Bachelor’s degree from Yale University, where she majored in Art History. She spends her spare time shuttling her three children to and from activities and is an active board member at both The Pingry School and Christ Church Nursery School in New Jersey.

Rizwaan Ahmed

Rizwaan Ahmed

Partner

Since joining Maven’s London office in 2011, Rizwaan has played an important role in driving the firm's growth across investment banking, global markets and private equity. Now in New York, Rizwaan spends most of his time developing key relationships in the Americas and globally across the Investment Banking team.

Rizwaan holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Management & Economics from Queen Mary University of London. A one-time international cricketer and keen traveller, with a special affection for holidays in Antalya, he is a big sports fan, as well as a devoted father.

Tom Bradbeer

Tom Bradbeer

Partner

Tom joined Maven in February 2022 to further build and lead the Quantitative Finance, Technology & Data team. Tom’s work is defined by true headhunting with absolute discretion, and he has proven this during his involvement in securing the movements of some of the brightest and most influential technologists in the industry. 

Prior to joining Maven, Tom built his career in executive search specialising in technology roles, where he demonstrated his ability in successfully delivering on global senior and lead technology searches for a variety of financial institutions including hedge funds, high-frequency trading firms, and investment banks. A keen sportsperson, having competed nationally at cricket and football, Tom devotes his weekends to lowering his golf handicap.  

Wendy Martin

Wendy Martin

Partner & Head of People

Wendy joined Maven in August 2021 from Caldwell Partners where she was a member of the global Financial Services & Private Equity Practice. After two years as a Partner in the Investment Banking team, she became our Head of People in September 2023 with an internal focus on leading learning, development and mentoring across all levels of our teams globally, and an external focus on the search for the best talent to join Maven. 

She began her career in Equity Sales for a major European Investment Bank and moved into executive search in 1998, setting up the Equities practice for a London boutique, before co-founding her own firm in 2013.  A lover of the outdoors, Wendy spends as much time as she can running, walking her dog, and cheering on her two boys from the side of a cold and muddy sports pitch. She read Modern Languages at the University of Bristol and speaks German and French.

Tom Chambers

Tom Chambers

Principal

Tom joined Maven's London office as a Principal in May 2023, as part of the Quantitative Finance, Technology & Data business. His role involves partnering with hedge funds, private equity firms, and venture capital firms to support impactful emerging tech-focused "centre of excellence" units and AI lab build-outs.

Prior to joining Maven, Tom was an Associate Director at Robert Walters, where he built the technology business with teams covering Research Science, Applied Analytics, Product, and InfoSec. These teams focused on identifying initial functional hires and strategic leadership for early-stage, venture-backed startups. Tom has also worked in the Netherlands and Hong Kong. He values the collaborative relationships he has built with top universities and their alumni networks.

In his personal time, Tom enjoys spending time with his young family, working on improving his "very average" golf handicap, and exploring new international cuisines.

Charles Buchan

Charles Buchan

Consultant

Charles joined Maven in 2017 and is a key member of the Investment Management and Global Markets team, covering portfolio management, trading and sales roles on both the buy and sell side. He has successfully executed searches in the UK, Continental Europe, North America and Asia.

Charles studied Economics at City University London where he was also a member of the Rugby 1st XV. He’s also passionate about basketball and getting to Kitzbühel to ski as often as he is able to.

David O'Connor

David O'Connor

Consultant

David joined Maven’s Investment Management team in New York having had a six-year track record in investment management and commodity trading executive search. David’s body of work includes successful placements across energy trading leadership, deal origination, weather research and quantitative market analytics, working with clients in Singapore, Houston, New York, and London. He enjoys learning about niche markets and going in-depth with clients and candidates about where they find esoteric sources of alpha.

Having a dual degree in Economics and Liberal Studies from the University of Notre Dame, he considers himself a lifelong student and welcomes inbound conversations about trading, college football, or your favourite summer read.

In his free time, you can find David playing pickup basketball, golfing, or binging audiobooks on walks around Central Park.

Isa Blanco-Bush

Isa Blanco-Bush

Consultant

Isa joined Maven in 2018 and has worked on a variety of senior executive level assignments across Global Markets, Investment Management and Investment Banking. She now spends most of her time working on some of the firm’s highest profile strategic projects across Investment Management and Investment Banking with particular specialisms in Private Credit, M&A and Capital Markets. Although based in London, Isa splits her time between the Americas and EMEA.

Isa earned a Bachelor's degree in History, Literature and Cultures of the Americas from The University of Warwick – having decided it was for her when, aged just 11, she made a tour of its campus with her brother. Proficient in Spanish, Isa loves UFC, NBA and always likes to wow an audience with her mum's legendary carrot cake recipe.

Jade Blumenzak

Jade Blumenzak

Consultant

Jade joined Maven as a Consultant in November 2022 as part of the Quantitative Finance, Technology & Data team, where she focuses on projects across Infrastructure & Site Reliability Engineering. With over six years’ experience in the industry, Jade started her career at a boutique executive search firm, where she was responsible for placing senior-level executives in the Commodities Trading space for buy-side Financial Services clients. 


Prior to joining Maven, Jade was responsible for developing the executive search arm at a boutique search firm, focusing on senior Technology appointments within Financial Services. As a true foodie, she usually spends her free time trying out new restaurants around London or finding new recipes to make. 
Jade holds a Bachelor’s degree in Culture, Politics & International Business Diplomacy from the University of Georgetown.

Zack Hanerfeld

Zack Hanerfeld

Consultant

Zack joined Maven’s Quantitative Finance, Technology & Data team in October 2022 to build out our coverage across Quant Finance, Technology & Data, where he focuses on projects across Quant Development & Software Engineering. Before joining Maven, Zack previously worked at a multi-national recruitment agency where he successfully built a Quantitative Development practice. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business & Commerce from Bentley University. 


If you cannot find Zack at work, he is most likely traveling, playing sports, practicing his photography or enjoying the latest blockbuster.  

Chichi Okafor

Chichi Okafor

Senior Associate

Originally from Canada, Chichi joined the London office at Maven as an Associate working within our Investment Banking team.  

Chichi earned a first-class Bachelor of Law degree and a Master’s in Management from the University of Liverpool. 

Chichi is a fitness fanatic, breaking records in track and field before coaching teams at High School. When she’s not getting stuck into a good book, Chichi loves to discover new and interesting restaurants around London. 

Chinello Nwakwesi

Chinello Nwakwesi

Senior Associate

Chinello joined Maven in 2020, with a primary focus on Investment Banking in both EMEA and the Americas. Prior to Maven, Chinello started her career at a boutique recruitment firm, successfully executing a variety of mandates across Financial Services and Law.

Originally from Toronto, Chinello earned her BA (Hons) in Law and Business at Carleton University in Canada before crossing the pond to study for the LLB at City University in London. Away from work, Chinello loves sport and can often be found hunkering down to watch the Big Game – whether it's basketball or gridiron.

Devraj Harilela

Devraj Harilela

Senior Associate

Dev joined Maven’s Quantitative Finance, Technology & Data team in 2023, covering projects across EMEA and Americas. Before Maven, Dev divided his time between different sectors, but most recently, he was one of the Top Senior consultants at a global FTSE 250 company, specialising in DevOps and Cloud Engineering within Financial Services.  

Originally from Hong Kong, and spending his teenage years at a British boarding school, he studied Business and Entrepreneurship at the University of West England.

An avid DJ and music lover, Dev spends his free time curating new set lists, watching football or playing golf.

Ellie Bartley

Ellie Bartley

Senior Associate

Having joined Maven in London, Ellie works across the Investment Banking and Investment Management teams, covering both the Americas and EMEA.   

Whilst studying History at the University of Oxford, Ellie took on the role of Women’s Officer, which involved organising and hosting events to celebrate and advance discussions on gender equality. 

Away from work, Ellie enjoys playing netball and participating in local park runs. 

Christina Ganotakis

Christina Ganotakis

Associate

Christina joined Maven’s London office as an Associate in 2022 and works in our Investment Banking team across both EMEA and the Americas. Prior to Maven, Christina was a policy analyst for the Civil Service of Canada covering foreign affairs, immigration, and technology.

Christina holds a master’s degree in Migration, Mobility and Development from SOAS University of London and a bachelor’s degree in Public Affairs and Policy Management from Carleton University in Canada. Away from work, Christina enjoys playing basketball and rugby, travelling, and running a coeliac blog which equips her with an exceptional knowledge of London’s gluten-free food scene.

Ellery Lassiter

Ellery Lassiter

Associate

Ellery joined Maven in 2022, as a member of the Investment Banking team focusing on the US market. Prior to Maven, Ellery started his executive search career at one of the fastest-growing contingent recruitment firms in the US, successfully executing a wide variety of mandates across their Investment Banking & Advisory group. With previous stints as an entrepreneur and leading a sports gambling investment venture, Ellery was also an Acquisitions Associate, in Real Estate Private Equity.  

Originally from Cincinnati, Ellery earned his BA in Economics & History from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a discus and shotput thrower for the Varsity Track & Field team.  
Away from work, Ellery can be found exploring New York's creative arts scene including art, fashion, and music or playing point guard for his intermural basketball team.

Eric Land

Eric Land

Associate

Eric joined Maven’s New York office as an Associate in 2023 as part of the Investment Management business. He has a focus on equities and networks and builds relationships with portfolio managers. Prior to this, Eric worked at AlphaSights where he connected clients with leading experts and business professionals, primarily in the FIG space.  

Eric received his bachelor’s degree in communications and business from SUNY Oneonta. Outside of work he is extremely passionate about health & wellness. He is an experienced martial artist and avid weight-lifter, as well as a frequent reader of finance, business, and human psychology books.

 

Michael Hobson

Michael Hobson

Associate

Having joined Maven in 2022, Michael works in our Quant, Technology and Data team, covering searches across EMEA and the Americas.

After studying Mathematics at Oxford and before moving into recruitment, Michael worked for a leading UK Chartered Accountants.

Michael is passionate about inclusion, and was LGBTQ rep for his college, organising and hosting multiple events to champion gender equality. When not at work, he spends his time swimming, practicing martial arts and trying his hand at amateur dramatics.

Vyn Goh

Vyn Goh

Associate

Vyn is an Associate within the EMEA Investment Banking team. Vyn graduated with a Law LLB from the University of Liverpool where she also founded an international youth-led NGO tackling brain drain and increasing employability skills in underprivileged youths.

An avid vinyl collector with a love for vintage trinkets, she can be found in vintage markets on the weekend searching for yet another Billy Joel vinyl, and is also a competitive fencer, having represented her state & university in both foil and épée — though she finds her passion leaning more with épée.

Yasra Khurram

Yasra Khurram

Associate

Having joined Maven’s London office as an Associate, Yasra is part of the EMEA Investment Banking team and while she has worked on assignments in the Americas, she has focused more recently on the UK and European markets.

Yasra thrives on the unique working culture of Maven. The close collaboration with colleagues and the interesting challenges every day.  

Yasra studied at King’s College London, where she graduated with a First-Class BSc in Psychology. Sport is a lifelong passion for Yasra, with her time at King’s College including plenty of sport, netball, and karate practice which continues to this day. 

Angus Gorrie

Angus Gorrie

Head of Data & Knowledge Management

Having reluctantly dropped his childhood ambition to play centre half for Arsenal, Angus joined Maven in 2018. Since then, he's been focused primarily on Investment Banking, but has also spent time in Private Equity and Quantitative Finance across Europe, Asia and the Americas. He has also been involved in an overhaul of Maven's data management as well as a full refresh of its branding. Pre-Maven, Angus worked in contract recruitment in Birmingham.

An enthusiastic techie and budding chef with a penchant for holidays in the Hamptons, Angus obtained a BSc (Hons) degree in Marketing from Aston University.

Max Denton

Max Denton

Data & Research Analyst

Since joining in 2023, Max has offered his expertise across the firm to improve Maven’s capabilities in all the data driven aspects of executive search; from creating systems and automations to help the teams internally, to building visualisations of Maven’s data for better presentation to clients. Before joining Maven, Max honed his skills at 42 Network, where he developed a passion for conceptualising and building advanced data-mining and automation systems.

Outside of work and driven by an unwavering curiosity about the world, Max continually seeks out new, unique, challenges. Whether it's unicycle hockey, competitive wheelbarrow racing, or showcasing his love for cuisine in master chef competitions, he approaches every opportunity with enthusiasm.

Nataliia Zinets

Nataliia Zinets

Data Entry Administrator

Nataliia joined Maven in September 2022 as a Data Entry Administrator to assist the team in maintaining Maven’s database keeping it accurate, comprehensive, and up to date.

Prior to joining Maven, she was a reporter at a global news agency covering Ukraine’s economy, finance, and banking sector. Her many years of journalistic experience in searching news and facts has helped her master the role and become a reliable teammate.

Originally from Ukraine, Nataliia graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University with an honors degree in Journalism and later earned a Master’s in Business Administration from Kyiv International Institute of Management.

Passionate about art and culture, Nataliia enjoys her time in London, taking every opportunity to visit museums, theatres, explore charming parks and gardens as well as learn rich British traditions.

Ivy Panesar

Ivy Panesar

Operations Manager

Ivy joined Maven in January 2019 as assistant to Gaurav Sethi and Will Hannaford, with the added mandate of streamlining global operational processes. Prior to joining Maven, she was Executive Assistant at a global executive search firm, driving the European Women’s Employee Resource Group initiative, and being named Financial Services EA of the Year. Ivy has also spearheaded operations at a renowned media agency and been a studio manager at a leading digital design studio. In 2023, Ivy joins James Rudofsky in managing operations globally, with a focus on human resources, systems & culture. 

 Outside the office, Ivy is most passionate about being with family, in London & Australia, tattooing & music. 

She completed A-Levels in Adelaide – and gained a top 20 hit in the Australian singles charts – before relocating to the UK in 2000. 

Sabrina Reavley

Sabrina Reavley

Executive Assistant

Sabrina joined Maven in 2022 as assistant to Will Hannaford, with the added responsibility of supporting the leadership of the firm based in EMEA. Prior to joining Maven, Sabrina was a Department Head at a nationwide bespoke furniture design company and earlier spent several years running Events at the Goodwood Estate in Sussex.

Splitting her time between London and the sunny south coast of England, Sabrina spends her time enjoying the great outdoors (with her husband and dog trying to keep up), although is equally renowned for her prowess at a dinner party and on the dance floor. A keen traveller, she also visited over 25 countries before reaching the age of 25.

Sheldon VanKooten

Sheldon VanKooten

Executive Assistant

Sheldon joined Maven’s New York office as an Executive Assistant to founder, Gaurav Sethi. Previously he worked at one of the SHREK firms, where he supported the Global Head of Investment Management. He has over a decade of experience in this field.  

Sheldon earned his BA in Public Relations at the University of Northern Iowa - where he is originally from - before moving to New York.  

Outside of the office, Sheldon is a passionate cook, experimenting with new recipes and creating home-made vegan food.