Our Team

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 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 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. 

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.

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.

After reluctantly dropping his teenaged ambition to play tighthead prop for Scotland, Angus joined Maven in 2018. Having cut his teeth in US our Investment Banking practice, he now leads the firm’s efforts to stay at the cutting edge of innovation within Executive Search through use of careful and precise Data Analytics.

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.

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.

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 joined 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 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 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.  

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!

In 2024, Shaylin joined Maven as a Project Coordinator within the Quantitative, Technology, and Data team. Prior to joining Maven, she served as an Executive Assistant to the EVP of Investments and Energy at a private investment company. Shaylin proudly holds a BA in Communications from the University of Central Florida.

Beyond the office, Shaylin's vibrant spirit comes to life as she immerses herself in discovering new culinary delights, traversing the globe, losing herself in the pages of captivating books and participating in the Peloton Community.

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.