Who we are

Liz is a Radio and TV Broadcaster and Producer; writer and author. She is a passionate people person and works with Boards and CEOs on improving governance, trust and culture, diversity, customer understanding and engagement, and employee engagement – raising the bar across the charity, public and private sectors. She coaches in communication and presentation skills and chairs national and international conferences. Liz is Chair of the Money Advice Liaison Group and the Fair by Design Campaign to tackle the poverty premium; non-executive Director of the Lending Standards Board; member of the Fundraising Regulator Standards Board, The Equity Release Council Standards Board and the Ofgem Consumer Progress Panel; a Financial Inclusion Commissioner, Ambassador for the Money Advice Trust and IPSE the organisation for freelancers and the self-employed.

Charlotte is an Assessment and Development Specialist with experience of delivering insightful, pragmatic, best practice client solutions. Previously an executive recruitment consultant, she has specialised in the assessment and development of leadership behaviours across senior managers for 15 years. Charlotte has a Masters degree in Occupational Psychology and is accredited in the full range of profiling tools, including NEO, OPQ, Wave, Strengthscope, FIRO-B and Hogan Development Series. She brings deep experience in designing bespoke assessment activities.

Louise specialises in executive-level interim appointments across all functions for the charities sector. She brings a wealth of experience in placing interim managers that either facilitate change, oversee vital projects or fill a key management position until a permanent candidate is identified. Her warm, authentic style quickly builds trust and her ability to develop strong relationships enables her to offer both clients and candidates strategic advice, career counsel or sector news and insights.

Jo has worked in public sector recruitment for over 20 years, focusing mainly on the top tiers in local government but also working with clients across central government, health, social and education sectors. These have included Chief Executive, Executive Director, NED and Chair appointments. Jo receives consistently strong feedback on her candidate care and is passionate about delivering excellent results for candidates and clients alike.

Jamie joined Starfish in Spring 2023 providing cross-practice administration support while completing his master’s degree in Politics, Governance and Public Policy. He joined the Local Government Practice as Assistant Consultant in October 2023 and brings academic research experience to the team, having completed published work on electoral politics with the University of Sheffield. Jamie is passionate about supporting councils to provide the best possible services to their communities as well as building strong relationships with clients and candidates across the sector.

Juliet specialises in executive and non-executive leadership appointments across the social sector, including our work within health and social care, social justice and faith based organisations. With a strong track record of senior leadership appointments, she is particularly interested in how leaders build organisational resilience through strengthening their senior teams; and how this translates to the heart of the organisation’s work in delivering impact. Over the last two decades, Juliet has developed an extensive trusted network built on integrity and a genuine commitment to the long term success of her clients and candidates.

Finn attended Oxford Brookes University from 2020-24, studying Politics and International Relations, expanding his knowledge of international politics and how international governments communicate and interact with one another. Finn brings recruitment experience from his time at Barrington James, specialising in Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology and Medical Device industry recruitment. Working specifically in the American market of Barrington James, Finn partnered with the top ten pharmaceutical companies within the USA as well as working with smaller, family run firms. Building strong and long-lasting relationships with candidates and clients is important to Finn and he takes pride in nurturing these, taking pleasure in placing great candidates.

Hannah has recently joined Starfish Search as a consultant in the Social Sector team and brings a breadth of experience from her not for profit career. With over 15 years fundraising experience, Hannah has worked at a senior level in the health and arts and heritage sectors, including The Hepworth Wakefield, Northern Ballet, Sue Ryder, and LEEDS 2023. She has extensive experience of working with leaders and Boards across multiple sectors, with a particular focus on building deep relationships and engaging senior people with organisations with social purpose and delivering impact.

Usma transitioned into executive search following a distinguished 20-year career in the not-for-profit sector. She has since expanded her expertise to the global executive search arena, gaining valuable experience in the independent schools and private sector.

As a Consultant, Usma has been instrumental in facilitating successful executive and board appointments for social enterprises, private business and non-profit organisations. Her achievements include leading board and executive appointments for purposeful businesses, as well as national and local charities.

Usma is deeply committed to delivering personalised search solutions, with a particular focus on the Third Sector. This aligns closely with her core values and passion for making a meaningful impact.

Educated in Social Policy at Loughborough University, Usma brings her expertise to community roles beyond her professional work. She serves as a dedicated school governor with a focus on safeguarding and has held Trustee and committee positions with the largest social housing provider and a grant-awarding foundation.

Tim has supported local authorities for over ten years with their most senior appointments.  He has been trusted to lead on high profile and sensitive interim assignments across a wide range of professional disciplines including chief executive roles,  corporate services,  place and social care.   In 2025,  Tim moved across to Starfish’s executive search practice, his move coinciding with a family move from London to Yorkshire and is now focused on permanent appointments for unitary authorities, county councils and combined authorities. Tim is known for his honest, direct and collaborative approach and a strong understanding of current issues facing the regions.

Chloe joined Starfish as an Associate Consultant in November 2023. Having previously worked within recruitment for over two years focussing in the Tech and Gaming space, she is now looking forward to entering the Local Government sector, assisting organisations in finding the very best candidates for their roles. Prior to recruitment, Chloe has a vast amount of experience within customer service, which she believes has helped her to always ensure a positive candidate journey and create lasting relationships with both her candidates and clients.

Erin has worked in the charity sector for the last four years and is passionate about using what she has learnt to support businesses, public sector organisations and individuals to be inspired to make a difference contributing to meaningful impacts in their communities. She has experience in the philanthropy space, both supporting third sector organisations and working with philanthropists from a number of sectors and backgrounds. In January 2021, she completed the Beyond Suffrage trustee training programme for young women of colour and has since been appointed to the Board of Yorkshire Building Society’s Charitable Foundation.

Katy specialises in executive and non-executive leadership appointments across the social sector, including our work within arts, culture and heritage and socially responsible business.  She has a strong track record and ongoing interest in supporting the transition of leadership talent between sectors and leads our work with chief executives and the development of their executive teams. Katy has worked with many leaders to help them develop outstanding, diverse boards and throughout her career has built enduring partnerships with organisations and individuals. She continues to be motivated by the variety of organisations she works with and by the positive impact their leaders can have on society.

Graham’s early career was in the British Army where he served for nine years with tours in locations such as Germany, The Falkland Islands and Northern Ireland. He subsequently joined PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Executive Search Practice, five years later becoming Director of its regional search business. In 2002, he formed GatenbySanderson which went on to become one of the UK’s leading search firms before he sold it in late 2014. Graham has a particular interest in Board appointments and their effectiveness and also the interface between Executive Directors and their political counterparts. He is committed to supporting leaders from underrepresented groups and delivering for clients and candidates. He maintains a strong interest in people focused companies and gives support, guidance, and strategic direction to the Starfish Board.

Jonathan joined the team at Starfish in the summer of 2022. He graduated with a history degree from Leeds Metropolitan University, and has experience with many different work environments, including mortgages, investment and heritage. Always keen to find the best role for the client, he has an interest in charities and city culture, and hopes to develop his portfolio and build up strong relationships between candidates and future employees.   

After graduating with a degree in Sociology, Politics, and Data Analytics, Emily spent a year working as a Recruitment Consultant, specialising in the B2B media, events, and conference markets. With a longstanding passion for politics and a keen interest in societal trends, Emily is driven to support impactful, purpose-led industries. Before university, Emily lived in Singapore for two years, where she developed a love for travel and had the opportunity to explore much of Southeast Asia. Originally from Wales and fluent in Welsh, Emily have a strong personal commitment to the public sector and takes great pride in placing talented professionals into roles where they can thrive and contribute meaningfully.

Ben has over 13 years of experience within the marketing industry having worked extensively at some of the biggest agencies in the Northwest on some of the world’s biggest brands. Ben’s experience covers a wide range of industries from advertising, education, digital and a selection of the brands that Ben was worked with include PlayStation, Kutchenhaus, Placefirst, Yushoi as well as Cognisys Cyber Security, New Balance, Boehringer Ingelheim and Flutter Entertainment. Ben has experience of building a digital agency from the unknown to the point of acquisition by the market leader, as well as experience in content curation and the rollout of a global brand to over 50 countries. Ben has earned his reputation within the industry through specialising in creative marketing strategies and brand development with a strong commercial yet creative focus.

Luke has an extensive track record of public sector executive search, recruiting chief executives, corporate directors and board members for a wide array of clients for nearly 20 years.  He works across the North and Midlands and specialises in local government appointments, which includes met, county, unitary and district councils as well as LEPs, Combined Authorities, PCCs, and other related bodies.  His reputation is based upon a strong understanding of the issues facing the sector, an in-depth knowledge of the candidate pool for senior roles, and a determination to achieve the best possible outcomes for his clients.   Prior to his recruitment career, Luke worked for an HE College in Leeds.

Ruby Joined the Interim team at Starfish in March 2023. She graduated with a Fine Art Degree from the University of Leeds in 2022, following which she began her career as an event manager and office administrator for an independent clothing company. She is especially interested in the arts and heritage sectors and hopes that in her role she will be able to help organisations achieve their goals, by placing the best possible candidates. Ruby will be working alongside Catherine Kift and Lorraine Payne as an Assistant Consultant supporting interim hires across the social sector, public policy and local government.

Catherine is Head of Interim Talent at Starfish and leads the recruitment activity within this space. She has over 15 years’ experience of securing Senior Interim Managers across a broad range of sectors and for the past five years has focused predominantly on recruiting for the Not for Profit sector. Working in partnership with her clients and candidates she brings a pragmatic and authentic approach to Interim Search and is a knowledgeable and trusted advisor. Catherine specialises in partnering with organisations going though change providing impactful and dedicated Interim Managers to assist organisational development.

Rosalind has 20 years experience in recruitment and has specialised in Public Sector Recruitment since 2008, covering both interim and permanent positions. Previously focussed on Finance, Administration and Technology, she has led searches for executive and senior level appointments across the Public Sector, successfully filling many niche roles. She is an advocate for EDI and passionate about ensuring all candidates and clients receive a quality service. Having joined Starfish in April 2024, Rosalind is now looking forward to engaging with the Local Government sector, particularly across the Midlands and the North for interim positions.

Emily joined Starfish as an Assistant Consultant within our Local Government sector in December 2024 after graduating from the University of Nottingham with a distinction in her Politics and Contemporary History MA. With two politics-based degrees, a real passion for public service and a consistently up-to-date knowledge of current affairs, Emily is determined to make a positive contribution to society. Having worked in recruitment as a Resourcer for three and a half years, Emily utilises both her political knowledge with her abilities surrounding market mapping, focused candidate selection and stakeholder engagement to place the most suitable leaders into local government.

Ben has ten years of experience recruiting Senior Interim Managers into the Local Government sector. Working across the North and Midlands, Ben has a track record of recruiting Directors, Assistant Directors, and Heads of Service into all tiers of Local Government. He firmly believes in honesty, integrity and being a trusted adviser for both clients and candidates. He has a passion for developing relationships and supporting candidates on their recruitment journey.

Chris joined Starfish in early 2023 as an Assistant Consultant in the Social Sector. He graduated with a Masters in Ecological Economics from the University of Leeds in 2022. He is particularly interested in the conservation and social equality sectors and hopes that his academic background can bring a unique perspective to the intersection of sustainability, social equity and economic development.  Bringing nearly a decade of customer service experience, he is dedicated to developing strong relationships and providing end-to-end client care.

Harpreet has worked in a variety of management and leadership roles dating back to 2006, after successfully completing a BSc in Management Studies with HR Specialism at Manchester Business School. Having acquired extensive human resource experience at Boots UK and having completed a MSc in Strategic Human Resource Management, Harpreet embarked on her HR career as Head of People at Leeds University Union in 2016, gaining Charted CIPD Membership in 2020. Harpreet moved to work at UK-Med as HR Operations Manager in 2021 before returning to Leeds University Union as Interim Director of People. Harpreet is a value driven HR leader with a passion for creating workplaces where colleagues enjoy being a part of the team, where they can develop their potential and feel valued.

Rebecca has worked within executive search across the social sector for over a decade where her focus has been primarily at C-suite and board level. She began her career in search as a healthcare researcher for a leading executive search firm, moving on to lead the Not for Profit and Charity interim division. Her early career was spent in television production and art publishing. She studied English Literature at the University of Liverpool, and has a Foundation in Art and Design from Camberwell College of Art.

Collins joined Starfish Search in 2025 as an Administrative Assistant. He holds a Master’s degree in Supply Chain Management and Logistics from Leeds Beckett University and a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce (Human Resource Management Option) from Kenyatta University. With a background in operations, customer service and administration, Collins has worked across sectors such as healthcare, logistics and hospitality, supporting teams and ensuring smooth operational processes.  Collins is always focused on supporting efficient operations and delivering high-quality service.

Charley joined the Leeds office in July 2023 as an Executive Assistant within the Local Government team. She graduated university in 2021 with an English and Media degree, and has since worked in marketing and recruitment. Charley has now entered the executive search world, bringing her recruitment and administration skills to provide the best candidate care, and support to her team.

Angella joined the Starfish team in the Leeds office in September 2022, as an Executive Assistant supporting the Social Sector Team. She brings with her more than 25 years of experience. Her previous roles as Office Manager and Executive Assistant have been with Global Investment Banking and Hospitality. Angella will support the team with her skilled administrative expertise, and provide a high-quality and professional service to every client.

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.

Lorraine has worked within the recruitment industry for 14 years. Her previous focus has been ensuring the effective delivery of project management and leading a large team to ensure  high quality delivery and customer care. Her passion lies in building relationships across different sectors with both clients and candidates. Lorraine has joined Starfish to lead on the placement of interim managers across the Local Government sector with a UK wide focus.

Kate has specialised in helping people gain insight into, and then enhance, their behavioural impact over more than 30 years. Kate has pioneered her authentic leadership development methods to help senior leaders behave even more impact-fully: to help them enhance how they interact, approach their roles and crucially, make successful values driven transformations within their organisations. She is a highly experienced Team and Executive Coach with approach that relies on evidence-based psychological methodologies drawn predominantly from the psychotherapies, neuroscience and the study of effective leadership. Kate is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist & a Registered Individual and Team Coach with the BPS and a Registered Practitioner with the [UK] HPCP.

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.

Penny has worked closely with local government members and chief officers to recruit to their leadership teams for 20 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.

Tom has partnered with public sector organisations including all forms of local government for over ten years. In his previous firm, Tom was responsible for senior interim recruitment across corporate services, later developing an executive search practice. He joined Starfish in 2025 and remains dedicated to the delivery of high-quality search through clear, credible and honest communication.

Elisha, known as El, joined Starfish Search in Spring 2024 as a Consultant in the Board Practice. El brings experience of forward thinking non-executive appointments across a breadth of mission driven organisations operating across the domestic and global non-profit space, arts and culture, education, sports, research and innovation and the public sector. Furthermore, they bring first-hand board experience as Co-Chair of an LGBTQ+ Mental Health charity.

A vocal advocate for EDI initiatives with a track record of ensuring board appointments are reflective of the communities that our clients serve, El led on board shadowing initiatives, the creation of an LGBTQ+ Employee Network and neuro-inclusion efforts in their previous role in executive search and they bring the same passion for inclusive recruitment to Starfish. Notable appointments of El’s include Chair of the University of York, Lay Council Members of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, Vice-Chair of AQA and a range of Trustees/Non-Executive Directors for the British Red Cross, Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, Freedom Fund and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

Max recently joined Starfish Search after completing his A levels in Finance, IT and Sports. Max joined the Starfish team in Juene 2025 as an Apprentice Finance Assistant working towards his Level 3 Association Of Accountant Apprenticeship. With Max’s strong passion for finance, he is eager to help Starfish continue to thrive!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.