Sunita Patel
Prior to moving into local government executive search, Sunita worked for local authorities for over ten years leading strategic communications functions for three London local authorities and on London-wide crisis communications projects for London Councils. At Starfish, she has continued to be a trusted advisor to politicians and chief officers and brings a deep knowledge of the local government landscape. She is known for her honest, direct and encouraging approach, and uses her marketing experience to ensure high quality campaigns and outstanding searches.
Governing through uncertainty – what happens next?
For council officers already operating under pressure, the question is broader than what the political implications may be - it’s also whether organisations have the leadership capacity and resilience to absorb such rapid change.
Upcoming Webinar – Starfish | Hanover Presents: Boardroom Bound: The Insider’s Guide to NED Interview Success
Landing a Non-Executive Director (NED) interview is a major milestone - but it’s also where many candidates stumble. Why? Because NED interviews aren’t about what you’ve done - they’re about how you think. You’re no longer being assessed on delivery or execution. You’re being evaluated on your ability to challenge, advise, and govern. That means showcasing strategic insight, independent judgement, and the ability to influence without authority.
What is modern leadership – and how does your board need to adapt?
In boardrooms across the UK and Europe, the profile of the leader remains relatively familiar. Yet the context in which they now lead is fundamentally different, with societal shifts having redefined what effective leadership looks like.
ACCREDITATIONS
ESPO is a public sector owned professional buying organisation (PBO), specialising in providing a wide range of goods and services to the public sector for over 40 years. Starfish Search has been awarded a place on ESPO’s Strategic HR Services framework (3S). Services we offer under the framework include: Lot 1, Executive and Managerial Interim Recruitment Lot 2, Executive and Managerial Permanent Recruitment.
Starfish are proud to be certified Disability Confident Committed. This scheme provides employers with the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to attract, recruit, retain and develop disabled people in the workplace.
Crown Commercial Service supports the public sector to achieve maximum commercial value when procuring common goods and services. In 2020/21, CCS helped the public sector to achieve commercial benefits equal to £2.04bn - supporting world-class public services that offer best value for taxpayers. Starfish Search has been named as a supplier on Crown Commercial Service’s Executive and Non-Executive recruitment. Services we offer under the framework include: Lot 3 - Non-Executive and Public Appointments.
Bloom, launched in 2012 is the UK’s leading marketplace for professional services. They provide an end-to-end solution for the procurement, contract management and payment of all professional services, via the compliant NEPRO³ framework. Their public sector clients have access to 20 professional services categories and over 4500 accredited suppliers. Bloom provides swift routes to market via either direct award or mini competition. Starfish is an accredited supplier to BLOOM; our services can be accessed via this framework - Executive and Non-Executive Search and Interim Management.
Join the starfish team
We hire people who bring insight, integrity and ambition to their work. If you’re ready to contribute to shaping the future of leadership and you want to explore our current opportunities please click the link below.
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