Taylor Bennett and Birchwood Knight Merge to Create New International Search Firm
September 12, 2024 – Taylor Bennett and Birchwood Knight have joined forces to create a new international search firm, Taylor Birchwood. Merged firm will be jointly led by Taylor Bennett’s managing partner, Matthew Wall and Birchwood Knight’s founder and managing director, Wayne Reynolds. The firm will focus on finding senior talent in corporate affairs, communications, government relations, investor relations, and adjacent disciplines. They will recruit for leadership roles across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. In addition, Tori Cowley, former London Stock Exchange Group, Mitie PLC and Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) corporate affairs director, joins Taylor Birchwood as non-executive chair.
“Our two businesses together are greater than the sum of their parts – as Taylor Birchwood we are uniquely placed to support boards, CEOs and management teams in securing the very best global corporate affairs and communications talent,” Mr. Wall. “I have admired Wayne and his team’s drive and commitment to innovation for more than a decade, and I am tremendously excited about what we can do together as we continue to build on our shared long-held reputations for excellent service, strong delivery and unparalleled market insight.”
“Taylor Bennett set the standard for others to aspire to when I launched Birchwood Knight in 2009 and the firm has gone from strength to strength under Matt’s leadership,” Mr. Reynolds. “In joining forces, I know that we will continue to offer our clients across geography and industry access to the very best talent, delivering for them and our candidates, as well as building a great place to work for our people. We look forward to working with all our clients as Taylor Birchwood.”
“In a complex world, perception is everything and reputation matters,” said Ms. Cowley. “Every ambitious company, in every industry, needs expert corporate affairs counsel at the table. Whether navigating critical aspects of strategy or culture, anticipating or responding to crisis, driving through change or building trust, CEOs and boards need specialist practitioners to support them so that they can lead with authority and clarity: you don’t have to think too hard for examples where this was not prioritized.”
“I have known Matt and Wayne for many years as both candidate and client, and I am extremely excited to be joining them,” Ms. Cowley said. “They are brilliant at finding and securing exceptional talent, as well as being genuinely great people. As we combine their highly-regarded businesses to create a new market leader, I look forward to working with them, the full Taylor Birchwood team, our global partners and our clients and candidates around world in the months and years ahead.”
Taylor Birchwood are specialists, offering executive search for permanent and interim roles in the U.K. and globally. In addition to hiring chief communications officers, corporate affairs directors and heads of investor relations, Taylor Birchwood also recruits for senior management and leadership roles in media relations, financial communications, government affairs, public policy, internal communications, employee insight and engagement, digital communications and content, executive communications, speechwriting, brand and marketing.
Recent Alliances
Alliances and partnerships continue to gain traction in the executive search industry. Here is a sampling from the Hunt Scanlon Media archives:
Horton International has formed a strategic partnership with Brown & Chase, a distinguished name in the Australian Search and HR Advisory landscape. The search consultancy will leverage the expertise brought in by Brown & Chase managing director, Brian Russell and partner, Noel Rowland. “With this latest collaboration, Horton International continues its journey of global expansion which has seen it extend its reach across the Americas, Asia, and Europe in recent years,” the search firm said. Brown & Chase’s partnership with Horton International marks not only an expansion of the firm’s global reach, but also a reinforcement of its commitment to delivering solutions that align with the local market needs.”
Calgary-based Pekarsky & Co. and Edmonton-headquartered Humanis Advisory have formed a strategic partnership. Combining their renowned expertise and deep-rooted legacies, the newly company will be called Humanis Talent Acquisition & Advisory. “This merger is a testament to our shared values and vision,” said Adam Pekarsky, founding partner of Pekarsky & Co. “We are excited to preserve the traditions that have made us so highly respected while embracing the opportunities of the future. This really is a new beginning, and it is just the beginning.” With planning underway to expand east and west, the combined entity will act as a collection of local firms with national reach. The leadership team, comprised of key executives from both companies, is committed to ensuring a seamless transition for employees, clients, and partners.
Saenger Associates and GrowthPhases AG have formed an alliance to expand each firm’s client offering to include retained executive search, interim management and business consulting. The two firms were founded in 1999 and 2000 respectively. Saenger Associates is a retained executive search firm based in the Santa Clarita, CA, Valley. The firm’s practice areas include Industrial Products, Aerospace & Defense, and Consumer Products. Its clients include private, public, Fortune 500, and non-profit companies that are both established and emerging. GrowthPhases is an international interim management and M&A consultancy firm, which consists of former C-suite executives from multinational corporations and private equity-backed companies. GrowthSpaces, the consulting platform, is focused on interim management and consulting assignments. GrowthPhases’ focus is on working with private equity and investment banks on acquisitions and investment platforms and on investment strategies and opportunities.
Direct Recruiters Inc. (DRI) and INNOVA People, Starfish Partners companies, have launched INNOVA Healthcare and INNOVA Tech staffing practice areas. “We have diligently been searching for the right firm to merge our existing staffing business with since the inception of Starfish Partners,” said Dan Charney, president and CEO of Direct Recruiters, Inc. “Joel Slenning and INNOVA People are the ideal partner based on their existing footprint in the hospital IT space. Additionally, their expertise in several other areas of hospital staffing will allow us to become a complete solution for our clients. Frank Myeroff, practice leader and managing partner of the Direct Recruiters existing staffing group will work closely with Joel to continue to grow this division for Starfish across leading medical centers and several other strategic markets that we have identified.” Leveraging decades of experience in healthcare and technology recruiting and merging the staffing divisions of INNOVA People and Direct Recruiters Inc., this newly formed staffing company offers solutions, including contract, contract-to-hire, and temporary placements. In addition, they will offer customized staffing services encompassing consulting, sourcing, identifying, acquiring, onboarding, and retaining senior executives to organizations. Moving forward, the combined staffing companies will be operating under the INNOVA People brand.
Global leadership advisory and executive search firm Sheffield Haworth has formed an alliance with Progress Together, an initiative focused on addressing the socio-economic disparity within the financial services sector. This strategic alliance comes in response to the recent study commissioned by Progress Together and conducted by Bridge Group called Shaping Our Economy, which highlighted socioeconomic background is more likely to impact a person’s route to success in financial services than gender or ethnicity. “At Sheffield Haworth, we firmly believe in the power of diversity and inclusion,” said Frances Denny, managing director and head of the socio-economic diversity group at Sheffield Haworth. “Our partnership with Progress Together underscores our dedication to creating a level playing field for everyone, regardless of their socio-economic background. Together, we are working towards fostering an industry that embraces and celebrates differences, leading to a more vibrant and innovative workforce.” The collaboration between Progress Together and Sheffield Haworth will include a series of initiatives, including webinars, workshops, and training sessions designed to educate businesses about the significance of socio-economic diversity.
Related: Coulter Partners Forms Alliance with the Institute of Neurodiversity
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
