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 is a Managing Partner & COO, having joined Maven’s London office as Chief Operating Officer. He oversees day-to-day operations of the US, EMEA and APAC businesses, as well as holding other specific management responsibilities. Prior to Maven, James worked at UBS Investment Bank where he managed the EMEA Investment Banking Recruitment and Global Markets Recruitment teams. In these roles, he worked closely with the senior leadership of the business, and led change programmes across Diversity & Inclusion and UK apprenticeship.

In 2004, James graduated with an honors degree in Business Studies, before working at global executive search firms focusing on financial services.

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 including yachting, dinghy sailing, skiing, classic car restoration and watching his sons play rugby.

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

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 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.

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 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 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.

William joined Maven in September 2024 to help establish its Hong Kong office and regional presence in APAC. He has been in Hong Kong since relocating from the UK in 2013 for what was supposed to be 6 weeks, quickly falling in love with the city and region.

William has over 20 years' experience in executive search across APAC and EMEA. He advises on leadership, performance culture, and succession planning to C-Suites and Managing Directors in Investment Banks, Securities Brokerages, Financial Conglomerates and Web3 & Digital Assets. Prior to Maven, William was a Partner in Heidrick & Struggles' Financial Services Practice.

Outside of work, William's spare time is filled with learning Chinese, playing guitar, acting as chauffeur to his son and chef to his wife. He wishes he had more time to play squash.

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 joined Maven in 2017 and is a key member of the Investment Management team. Charles focuses on Global Macro Portfolio Management & Trading, and has successfully executed searches in the UK, Continental Europe, North America and Asia. In July 2023, he relocated from London to New York.

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.

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.

Emily is a member of Maven’s Quant, Technology and Data business and has a wealth of experience collaborating with Investment Banks, Hedge Funds and Proprietary Trading firms to support growth and strategically add top technology talent. Emily focuses on connecting top-tier talent with opportunities to contribute to cutting-edge trading strategies, developing mission-critical and revenue-generating platforms. She places highly skilled professionals, ranging from Software Engineers and Quantitative Developers to Data Engineers and Executive-Level hires. 

In addition to facilitating business talent acquisition, Emily is deeply committed to championing diversity and inclusion, particularly in neurodiversity. Emily has actively contributed to increasing awareness and understanding within this space. Outside of work, Emily is passionate about creative arts, fashion, exploring new destinations, the ocean, and sports.

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.

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.

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.

Olly Thompson runs Maven’s global technology business. With almost a decade of experience building specialist search teams to service the systematic trading industry, he joins Maven to expand our service offering in technology, and to specialise on strategic, leadership level talent. Olly’s track record with both C-Suite and senior leadership placements, as well as corporate intelligence projects, compliments Maven’s QTD business; allowing the division to offer both individual and team-based search mandates. The team’s core specialisms include Software Engineering, Quant Development, Research Engineering and Infrastructure.  

Olly splits his free time between his partner, their dog Pippa, and the golf course. He supports several charitable organisations focused on providing education and support to children West Africa, including paying for water for the entire village of Frankadua in Ghana. 

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.  

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.

As part of Maven’s internal mobility program, Chichi relocated to New York in 2023 to cover US Investment Banking clients, on the ground.

When she’s not getting stuck into a good book or playing tennis, Chichi loves to discover new and interesting restaurants around the city. 

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 a Senior Consultant 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.

Elliott joined Maven in January 2024 to help grow their Quantitative Finance, Technology & Data Business by connecting tech-focused hedge funds, deep tech growth companies and venture capital firms with Machine Learning & Deep Learning specialists as they strive to build world-class AI teams.

Prior to joining Maven, Elliott was a Principal Consultant in the Technology division of a FTSE 250 global recruitment firm. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management from Warwick Business School.

In his spare time, Elliott is most likely running, reading, or improving his skills as a DJ.

Emilia is a member of Maven’s global Investment Management team in London, focusing on European Equities. She brings significant experience covering buy-side market making and investment banking executive search across the US, EMEA, and APAC. Emilia has successfully executed key C-suite hires and led team builds across core middle office functions, including Risk, Compliance, and Legal.

Emilia holds a BSc in Biomedical Sciences from Royal Holloway, University of London and an MSc in Clinical Neuroscience from King’s College London. 

Beyond her professional achievements, Emilia is passionate about animal welfare.  She has volunteered in Africa and Greece, and partnered with Chimney Farm Animal Rescue, supporting international rehoming for cats and dogs. She is an avid traveller and enjoys discovering London’s up and coming restaurants.  She is fluent in English and Greek.

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 challenges she helps our clients to resolve, 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 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 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.

Griffin is an Associate within the Private Capital & 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.

Johnny is an associate in Maven's Systematic Fixed Income team, joining after completing a Master's in Politics and a Bachelor's in Ancient History at the University of Birmingham. He received the Dondald Dudley Memorial Travel Award in recognition of his academic achievements. 
 
Johnny's passion for history extends beyond his studies. He regularly explores London's museums and exhibitions, always seeking new insights. He's also a devoted listener of The Rest is History podcast, keeping up with the latest historical discussions. 
 
Sport plays a key role in Johnny's life. As captain of the University of Birmingham Handball team, he led his team in multiple competitions. Today, he remains active through football, squash, and is currently preparing for his first half-marathon. 

Oliver holds a First-Class Honors degree in Economics with Industrial Experience from the University of Sheffield. In his final year he completed a thesis on "The relationship between Cryptocurrency returns, Commodities, and other Financial Assets: An empirical study of Bitcoin.” As a student representative, Ollie contributed to the university's strategy and policy on Generative AI.

During his internship as a Finance Analyst with Hilton Worldwide, he developed a new suite of automation software. He has also benefited from virtual intern programs with JP Morgan and KPMG.

In his free time, Oliver enjoys playing guitar, skateboarding, following Formula 1 and traveling.

Sophie joined Maven in 2024. She is an Associate in the EMEA Investment Banking & Private Capital team. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Geography from the University of Bristol, where she was involved in musical theatre, starring in the production of Waitress and Spring Awakening.
 
Following her graduation, Sophie spent three months backpacking through Vietnam, Thailand, & Laos. Outside of work, Sophie enjoys listening to jazz and classical music, inspired by her love for music & singing. 

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.

After reluctantly dropping his teenaged ambition to play tighthead prop for Scotland, Angus joined Maven in 2018. Having cut his teeth in our US 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.

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.

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 to our US Investment Banking Practice. 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.

Abie joined Maven in June 2024 as a Management Accountant, bringing her financial expertise to the team and contributing to the efficient management of Maven’s accounts and financial planning. Currently completing her CIMA studies, Abie is dedicated to advancing her knowledge and skills in Management Accounting.

Before joining Maven, Abie worked at a recruitment company specializing in life sciences.

Outside of work, Abie is an avid football fan and a loyal supporter of Arsenal FC.