Kingsley Gate Expands in London
February 4, 2026 – Private equity-backed Kingsley Gate has expanded with the addition of Simon Gray as a partner in London. “We’re delighted to welcome Simon Gray to Kingsley Gate,” the firm said in a LinkedIn post. “With over two decades of executive search experience, Simon brings deep expertise in placing senior product and technology leaders across private equity-backed and public market businesses. He strengthens our global technology and PE capabilities as we continue to partner with clients on critical leadership decisions. Welcome to the team, Simon — great to have you with us.”
Mr. Gray is partner, private equity & public markets, specializing in product & enterprise tech with Kingsley Gate. With more than 22 years of executive search experience in the technology sector, he has a track record of hiring senior product and engineering leaders for both PE-backed ventures and large publicly listed technology providers. His global experience spans various markets, helping companies at every growth stage, from early series A startups to mature public enterprises, to secure top-tier executive talent.
Previously, Mr. Gray served as global head of executive talent acquisition at Celonis, a series D, PE-funded decacorn and pioneer in process mining. At Celonis, he defined and executed the company’s global executive search strategy, including successful placements of the chief product officer and chief engineering officer. “Simon’s passion lies in identifying leaders who leverage cutting-edge innovations in AI, machine learning, cloud computing and SaaS technologies to drive business transformation and deliver long-term value,” Kingsley Gate said.
Related: Kingsley Gate Names Leader of Financial Services Practice for the Middle East and Asia-Pacific
Founded in 2015, Kingsley Gate recruits senior leadership for private equity and venture capital portfolio businesses and Fortune 100 companies. Headquartered in New York, the firm employs consultants and recruiters with expertise in private equity, life sciences, financial services, technology, manufacturing, and professional services. Kingsley Gate has completed searches with over 1,700 clients in 33 countries. The firm is backed by the private equity firm Crescent Cove Partners LP.
IGNYTE AI
Kingsley Gate recently launched IGNYTE AI, a solution that combines proprietary AI technology with decades of executive search expertise. “IGNYTE AI disrupts the old trade-off between quality and speed,” said JL Baker, who leads IGNYTE AI. “We’ve developed IGNYTE AI to challenge traditional recruiting by combining our proprietary native AI platform with decades of executive search expertise. Our clients no longer have to choose between deep human insight and data-driven precision — they get both.”
Clients work directly with experienced consultants while the platform’s proprietary IGNYTE Intelligence accelerates every stage of the search—from role definition to candidate shortlist. This native AI human capital platform was developed from over 20 years of executive search experience and insights from thousands of successful placements. Each engagement includes a dedicated team — partner, client partner, project manager, and specialized recruiters — ensuring strategic alignment and seamless delivery from search initiation through onboarding.
“IGNYTE AI represents the future of talent acquisition,” said Andrew Holmes, CEO of Kingsley Gate. “By extending our proprietary search methodology beyond the executive suite, we help clients build a cohesive, high-performing workforce that magnifies leadership impact and accelerates results across the enterprise.”
IGNYTE AI operates with enterprise-grade security standards, including SOC-2 and GDPR compliance, ensuring safe and trusted data handling for global operations. The platform serves key corporate functions including finance, sales, marketing, operations, HR, and IT across North America.
Related: Kingsley Gate Expands in London
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
