Abbey Watt

Abbey joined Starfish in January 2023. Originally from Aotearoa (New Zealand), Abbey has extensive experience in executive support and internal communications.

Working for the New Zealand government before moving to the UK in 2016, Abbey established roles in executive support and internal communication within a social work charity, has worked at an organisation providing an online classroom and resource hub, through to involvement in the 2022 Independent Review of Children’s Social Care in England.

Abbey recognises people and relationships are key and that everyone is different. She brings a friendly and flexible approach, building strong relationships with clients and candidates alike.

Zoe Thompson

Zoe has worked in the field of executive recruitment since 2005 securing both permanent and interim executive leaders for clients across a broad range of sectors. In the latter part of her career, she has specialised in candidate engagement and strengthening pools for some of the most challenging appointments. Previously she has led on the recruitment of numerous appointments including Chairs, NEDs, Chief Executive Officers and Directors. Zoe prides herself on her strong principles and strives to deliver high-quality results for every client; she has a demonstrable track record of building strong and long-lasting relationships with clients and candidates while adapting to the changing demands of her markets.

Parna Taylor

Parna has specialised in strategic counsel and communications across the political and non-profit worlds, working with a wide variety of organisations including international non-profits, government-funded agencies and family foundations. She has completed diagnostics of teams and structures and advised extensively on complex relationships and networks. She previously helped to establish the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, spending seven years as its Director of External Affairs. During this time, she established strategic partnerships with the UN Security Council’s Counter Terrorism Directorate and US State Department, and worked with the governments of Kosovo, Italy, Indonesia and the Philippines. Parna spent three years as a Special Adviser at Downing Street, and another two as Vice President (Public Affairs) at international advisory firm FTI Consulting, where she worked with clients including Starbucks, KPMG, and Sport England.

Juliet Taylor

Juliet specialises in executive and non-executive leadership appointments within charities and public policy and also leads our Board Practice. She partners with clients from different sectors to review Board capability and effectiveness and specialises in working with them to make strong and diverse senior appointments. Juliet has a deep personal commitment to advancing candidates from underrepresented backgrounds in leadership and has built a strong reputation for the quality of her advice and support to clients and candidates. She holds exceptionally longstanding relationships with organisations and people she has worked with.

Kathryn Sweeting

Kathryn joined Starfish Search as an admin assistant in July 2023.  Graduating from Leeds Beckett University with the Master of Laws (incorporating the LPC), and first-class honours in Law with Management, Kathryn has significant experience in providing excellent customer service.  She has invested time participating in pro bono work and volunteering with Citizens Advice Leeds to advise and support the public across a variety of areas, including property, commerce, and immigration.  Kathryn has recently embarked on the Level 3 Business Administration Apprenticeship and hopes to develop and utilise her skills to support the team at Starfish Search.

Rob Stirk

Rob has been a qualified Chartered Accountant for 18 years working in a variety of businesses across different sectors, including pharmaceuticals and logistics. With a Law and Business Studies degree from the University of Birmingham, for the past 10 years he has been a Financial Controller in the recruitment sector. In addition to dealing with all things financial, Rob’s expertise extends to IT, Legal and HR.

Luke Spaven

Luke joined the Starfish team in the Leeds office in May 2022 as a Finance Assistant supporting the Finance Director. Undertaking a level 3 apprenticeship in accounting, and with a passion for finance, Luke is committed to supporting the smooth running and development of the finance department.

Marika Sedunova

Marika joined the Starfish team in the Leeds office in March 2023 as an Executive Assistant supporting the Social Sector and Public Policy Team. She’s been working as an Office Manager, HR Assistant and PA for the last 15 years across all sectors and has a plethora of transferable and relevant skills. Marika also takes great pride in ensuring her work is high quality and with her background in customer services, that she is approachable and responsive.

Penny Ransley

Penny has worked closely with local government members and chief officers to recruit to their leadership teams for 15 years. Her genuine interest and desire to understand local authorities and the communities they serve has secured her reputation as a trusted partner across the sector. Penny’s knowledge of the market across London and the South East in particular is second to none and clients value her candid advice about when and how to recruit. Penny’s encouraging and authentic style means her feedback and interview advice is highly sought-after and she thrives on helping people recognise their personal qualities and strengths and how to articulate them. Prior to joining Starfish Search, Penny focused on top-team local government recruitment for three established search firms.

Szymon Podgorski

Szymon joined Starfish in August 2022 while intermitting from studying Medicine at the University of Cambridge, where he also gained a Bachelor’s Degree in Natural Sciences. He has stayed on with us as Assistant Consultant in the Social Sector, bringing a passion for charities working in health and healthcare adjacent fields and making a positive impact on the lives of many. He is committed to building deep and long-lasting relationships with clients and candidates alike, and, in his spare time, is an F1 fanatic.