The Barton Partnership Appoints Vice President, North America
November 11, 2025 – The Barton Partnership, a U.K.-based executive search firm, has named Melissa Chester as vice president, North America. The firm said she will partner with leaders across the firm to accelerate growth in independent consulting while complementing The Barton Partnership’s established executive search capabilities in strategy & transformation.
“Melissa’s extensive experience supporting private equity firms and their portfolio companies makes her a perfect fit for our firm, and the timing is just right,” said Michael J. Doud, executive vice president, North America, The Barton Partnership. “We’re thrilled to have her join BJ Clinton in driving continued growth in the transformation & value creation space within our independent consulting practice. Her experience also complements our executive search offering and the work of our U.S. private equity team, led by Harry Chamberlain.”
Ms. Chester joins The Barton Partnership from talent solutions firm Robert Half, where she served as managing vice president, strategic accounts and led enterprise private equity relationships, partnering with operating teams at large-cap funds and their portfolio companies to deliver talent and consulting solutions through periods of change.
Ms. Chester’s appointment builds on The Barton Partnership’s North America momentum this year, following senior hires including Michael J. Doud and BJ Clinton.
“What drew me to The Barton Partnership is its client-centric focus and the agility to deliver precisely what private equity sponsors and portfolio leaders need, when they need it,” said Ms. Chester. “Mike, BJ and the team have built a strong North American platform; my goal is to expand that momentum by listening closely to our clients’ transformation agendas and matching them with practitioners who not only have the functional toolkit but can lead organizations through change.”
Ms. Chester will collaborate closely with Mr. Clinton, SVP and North American lead for the independent consulting practice, and with Mr. Chamberlain, who leads the firm’s U.S. private equity team within executive search, to ensure an integrated experience for clients across interim, consulting and permanent mandates.
The Barton Partnership is an executive recruitment firm providing permanent search and independent consulting services across all aspects of strategy and M&A, digital, data and analytics, ESG and sustainability, and transformation and change.
Related: The Barton Partnership Expands Professional Services Practice
With offices in New York, Chicago, Paris, Singapore, Hong Kong and now Sydney, The Barton Partnership’s clients include FTSE-listed and Fortune 500 companies across all sectors/industries, SMEs, strategic, innovation and management consulting firms (large and boutique), global financial services, and private equity and venture capital organizations.
New CEO
The Barton Partnership recently appointed Oliver Phoenix as CEO. Founder Nicholas Barton continues in his role as advisor and brand ambassador. “I couldn’t be prouder or more excited to announce Olly’s appointment to CEO as we move into the 18th year since I founded The Barton Partnership, and off the back of a record-breaking and award-winning 2024,” Mr. Barton said. “Founding, growing, and leading this business has been an incredible experience. Still, my greatest satisfaction has come from watching people within the firm evolve and grow over that time, and Olly is a great example of that. I’m looking forward to supporting our next chapter in my new capacity and I couldn’t be more excited and optimistic about the future of the firm and the incredible possibilities that lie ahead.”
Related: The Barton Partnership Opens New Office in Sydney
Mr. Phoenix has played a crucial role in the business’s success over the past decade and is positioned to lead The Barton Partnership through its next growth phase. He has driven expansion across the U.K. and throughout the EMEA region, continually developed The Barton Partnership’s proposition globally, and driven key account growth and diversification across all sectors.
Over the last nearly 20 years in the industry, Mr. Phoenix has worked with consultancies and corporates within the strategy, M&A and transformation space, giving him an understanding of the sector and what clients want from a specialist talent provider. He has coupled this with over 10 years of experience leading senior teams and operating at board level as the business has grown to over one hundred in headcount and over £20 million in net fee income. Mr. Phoenix first joined Barton as director of permanent search and then was named group managing director.
The Barton Partnership recently formed an alliance with Strategy in Action, a leader in the field of strategy formulation and execution. “We are delighted to partner with Strategy in Action to offer our clients a comprehensive and innovative approach to strategy,” said Oliver Phoenix, managing director EMEA. “By integrating SiA’s platform with our independent consulting and advisory services, we can provide our clients with a flexible and bespoke approach to driving sustainable growth and delivering measurable impact.”
“Strategy in Action and The Barton Partnership are dedicated to enhancing strategic excellence globally,” said Davide Sola, co-founder and CEO of Strategy in Action. “I’m confident that this collaboration will yield outstanding results for both our network and clients, leveraging Strategy in Action’s capabilities. I look forward to our journey of growth together.”
Related: The Barton Partnership Appoints Senior Leaders
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
