Our Team

Will Hannaford

Managing Partner & CEO
Gaurav Sethi

Managing Partner & Founder
Charlie Steel

Partner
Genevieve Fraser

Partner
Rizwaan Ahmed

Partner
Isa Blanco-Bush

Consultant
Natalie Machicao

Consultant
Natalie Stefan

Consultant
Chichi Okafor

Senior Associate
Ellie Bartley

Senior Associate
Yasra Khurram

Senior Associate
Ellery Lassiter

Associate
Grace Gillen

Associate
Griffin Godsick

Associate
Vyn Goh

Associate
Del-Ann Henry

Executive Assistant & Project Coordinator
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.

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.

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.

Isa Blanco-Bush

Isa Blanco-Bush

Consultant

Isa joined Maven in 2018 and has worked on a variety of senior executive level assignments across Investment Banking and Investment Management. She now spends most of her time working on some of the firm’s highest profile strategic projects with particular specialisms in M&A and Capital Markets. Isa also spearheads Maven’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion strategy. 

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.

Natalie Machicao

Natalie Machicao

Consultant

Having joined Maven in 2024, Natalie specializes in originating and executing executive search assignments across M&A, Investment Banking Coverage, Capital Markets Origination and Leveraged Finance products. She has previously led execution and origination for senior search mandates, including individual target hires and team builds. She has also successfully led and executed several consulting projects focused on competitor intelligence and market analysis including detailed industry moves reports. In addition to search, Natalie has experience providing competitive intelligence management scans, management and cultural assessments, as well as benchmarking and succession planning, market sentiment analysis, and compensation analytics and advisory. 

Natalie is also an active member of New York Junior League leadership and is also a member of Greensward Circle, the young patrons of the Central Park Conservancy, and Apollo Circle at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

She graduated from Denison University with degrees in Political Science and English Literature.

Natalie Stefan

Natalie Stefan

Consultant

Natalie joined Maven’s Investment Banking team in New York where she covers our bulge bracket and boutique clients across sectors and products. Prior to joining Maven, Natalie worked in the financial services practices at both Russell Reynolds Associates and Heidrick & Struggles completing assignments for a diverse client base. These included global and regional investment banks and private equity funds as well as corporate clients. Along with conducting executive searches, Natalie has worked with clients on a variety of diversity initiatives.

Natalie graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Sociology, where she was a four-year letter winner and Captain of the Women’s Varsity Lacrosse team as well as a member of the Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society. She remains an active alumna of the Penn Athletics Mentoring Community.

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. 

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. In October 2023, she moved to the New York office to focus on Americas.

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. 

Yasra Khurram

Yasra Khurram

Senior 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. 

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.

Grace Gillen

Grace Gillen

Associate

Grace is a member of Maven’s Investment Banking team in New York, where she covers our bulge bracket and boutique clients across sectors and products. Prior to joining Maven, Grace worked in the Financial Services practice at Russell Reynolds Associates and Spencer Ogden.  Grace graduated from Butler University with a B.A. in Organizational Communications and Art & Design. While at Butler, she was an active member of Blue Key and Phi Eta Sigma Honorary Society. Outside of work, Grace enjoys pickleball and yoga. 

Griffin Godsick

Griffin Godsick

Associate

Griffin is an Associate within the Private Markets & Investment Banking team. He focuses on senior mandates across the global Private Markets asset spectrum. Prior to joining Maven, Griffin served as a Consultant in the Private Equity team at a top global recruitment firm, advising leadership across private equity, credit and infrastructure on hiring.

Griffin studied English Literature and History of Art at the University of St Andrews, where he also played for the university futsal team, was the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of an independent arts journal, and held the position of Head of Sponsorship at the largest student-run fashion show in the UK. Outside of work, Griffin is an avid footballer, and he can often be found performing in theatrical productions around London.

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.

Del-Ann Henry

Del-Ann Henry

Executive Assistant & Project Coordinator

Del-Ann joined Maven in 2023 as Executive Assistant & Project Coordinator in US IB. Prior to joining Maven, she worked as a Project Coordinator and Executive Assistant at Russell Reynolds Associates. Del-Ann graduated from Stonybrook University where she earned a BS in Health Science.

As well as an interest in reading and fitness, Del-Ann is passionate about travel and has visited over 25 countries!