Wilton & Bain Appoints Leader of North American People & Culture Practice
October 7, 2025 – Wilton & Bain has named Jacob Humbert as partner, leading the North American people & culture practice. He will be based in the U.S. and joins the firm’s North American leadership team. “We are thrilled to welcome Jacob to the North American leadership team to drive our office of the CHRO capability in the region,” said John Wittorf, North America managing partner at Wilton & Bain. “We have been searching for someone like Jacob, and I’m delighted we were patient enough to find him. Culturally, he feels like he’s been part of the group for years, and his expertise will be a tremendous advantage as we continue to attract and develop top talent. Welcome to the team, Jacob!”
Mr. Humbert brings a wealth of experience to Wilton & Bain. He previously spent over five years at Jobplex/DHR Global, where he was recognized as a top partner within the corporate functions practice group, placing emerging leaders and C-suite executives worldwide. Earlier in his career, Mr. Humbert served as vice president of recruiting and managing partner at The Christopher Group, leading searches for HR and executive leaders for some of the largest and fastest-growing companies in the United States.
“There are certain things that are of paramount importance to me in my career: stability, collaboration, culture, talent, and trust,” Mr. Humbert said. “Wilton & Bain checks all of these boxes with flying colors. The unity and togetherness within the Wilton & Bain team – both professionally and personally – is infectious and something I am excited to become a part of and continue to foster. I am thrilled to be joining such a talented and cohesive group of partners and look forward to contributing to the firm’s continued success for our clients in the U.S. and globally.”
Related: Wilton & Bain Appoints Managing Partners
Established in 2001, Wilton & Bain is twice backed by investor Beechbrook Capital. With offices in London, New York, Austin, Toronto, Los Angeles, and Dubai, the firm provides executive search and interim management services to the professional, financial, technology & digital services sectors.
New Chief Client Officer
Wilton & Bain also recently named Olly Wakefield as chief client officer and a member of the senior leadership team. He is based at the firm’s London headquarters. “We’ve waited a long time, but I am delighted to welcome Olly to Wilton & Bain’s senior leadership team as chief client officer,” said David Heron, CEO of Wilton & Bain. “He will take central responsibility for leading all sales and marketing activity across the Group, while continuing his focus on private equity clients within our global network. Olly brings fantastic experience, positive energy, and a great sense of humor. We are excited to work with him.”
Wilton & Bain Expands Global Interim Practice
Wilton & Bain has added Jack Syred as partner in the firm’s global interim practice. He will lead executive interim appointments that drive transformation and value creation within private equity-backed businesses. “We’re thrilled to announce the arrival of Jack Syred to Wilton & Bain’s interim business,” said James Humphreys, managing partner. “His proven track record as a trusted, high-integrity partner in safely delivering top-tier transformation and value creation experts to investors and their portfolio companies will be invaluable as we continue to build our reputation for excellence in this space. We’re confident Jack’s energy and expertise will drive significant success for our interim team and the broader group across Europe and beyond.”
Mr. Wakefield brings extensive leadership experience from PLC, private, and PE-backed recruitment and executive search organizations, where he specialized in finance before moving into divisional and group sales leadership roles across the U.K., Europe, and the U.S. His expertise spans financial services, technology, media & telecoms, business services, and industrials, and he has a strong track record in supporting organizations to hire interim leaders and permanent talent to achieve their strategic goals. Previously, Mr. Wakefield was a senior partner with Drax Executive. Before that, he served as the head of the CFO and financial services practice at La Fosse Associates.
Related: Wilton & Bain Appoints U.S. Advisor
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
