BLACKWOOD - Key Persons


Alexandra Anton

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Principal
  • Senior Associate
Alex is a Senior Associate within the Financial Services Practice, working across Real Asset and Private Equity mandates. Prior experience: Freshminds Education: Law at King's College London

Amanda Smithson - CEO

Job Titles:
  • Managing Partner
  • Partner
Amanda is the Managing Partner and a member of the Investment Banking, Private Equity, Board and Executive Assessment Practices. She advises on leadership development, team effectiveness and senior appointments across investment banking, private equity and the boardroom. Prior to Blackwood, Amanda worked at Morgan Stanley; she spent ten years in Mergers & Acquisitions in London and New York before becoming COO of the Investment Banking Division EMEA. She is a certified professional executive coach, Meyler Campbell Mastered, AC and WABC accredited and qualified with the British Psychological Society in psychometrics, including Hogan, FIRO-B, NEO PI-R, Wave, G-LJI, LJI, Implicitly®, TKI and MBTI®.

Andy Stevens

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Principal
  • Member of the Tech Practice
Andy is a member of the Tech Practice and works on assignments across sub-sectors, with a focus on B2B software and IT services. Education: Geography at the University of Oxford.

Anna Borysova

Job Titles:
  • Associate
  • Partner
  • Member of the Business Services Practice
Anna is a member of the Business Services Practice and works on assignments across all practice areas Education: Management and International Relations at the University of St Andrews.

Annabelle Massy-Collier

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Principal
  • Member of the Private Equity Practice
Annabelle is a member of the Private Equity Practice. She advises clients across private equity and broader private markets, with a focus on mid-level and junior hiring. Education: Classics at the University of Bristol.

Anneka Ghedia

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Principal
  • Member of the Investment Management and Financial Services
Anneka is a member of the Investment Management and Financial Services Practices with a focus on private markets, including assignments across investment teams within credit strategies and investor relations within private equity, private credit and real assets.

Annie Doherty

Job Titles:
  • Partner
Annie co-leads the Investment Management Practice and is a member of the Financial Services Practice. She specialises in advising clients across the liquidity spectrum on their senior leadership needs and strategies. Her diverse client work across asset classes has included senior investment leadership roles as well as CIOs and distribution professionals.

Antonio Shinebourne

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Senior Associate
  • Member of the Private Equity Practice
Antonio is a member of the Private Equity Practice. He has worked with a range of fund sizes and strategies across the UK and Western Europe.

Archie Brown

Job Titles:
  • Associate
  • Partner
  • Member of the Private Equity Practice
Archie is a member of the Private Equity Practice and works on assignments across all practice areas. Education: War Studies and History at King's College London; Contemporary Chinese Studies at the University of Oxford.

Ben Gnauck

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Senior Associate
  • Member of the Real Assets Practice
Ben is a member of the Real Assets Practice and focuses on advising Infrastructure Private Equity clients, as well as spending time with Private Equity funds and Impact / Thematic investment strategies.

Charlie Schofield

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Principal
  • Member of the Private Equity Practice
Charlie is a member of the Private Equity Practice with a broad remit across senior, mid and junior-level hiring. He is also a member of the Financial Services Practice, advising clients and candidates on the crossover between Private Equity and Growth Equity.

Charlotje Shillingford-Laus

Job Titles:
  • Associate
  • Partner
  • Member of the Financial Officers Practice
Charlotje is a member of the Financial Officers Practice and works on assignments across all practice areas.

Charlotte Baxendale

Job Titles:
  • Associate
  • Partner

Charlotte Wade

Job Titles:
  • Associate
  • Partner

Chris Tugwell

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Principal

Chris Unwin

Job Titles:
  • Partner
Chris leads the Financial Officers Practice as well as Blackwood's regional coverage, with responsibility for the firm's activities in the North and Midlands, advising businesses on board-level succession, management changes and leadership effectiveness. Education: French and German at the University of Oxford.

Ciara McGrath

Job Titles:
  • Associate
  • Partner
  • Member of the Investment Management Practice
Ciara is a member of the Investment Management Practice and works on assignments across all practice areas. Education: Global Business at Trinity College Dublin.

Claudia Marcelletti

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Senior Associate
  • Member of the Consumer Practice
Claudia is a member of the Consumer Practice, working on assignments across all subsectors, with specific experience in international branded goods and media.

Daria Koren

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Senior Associate
  • Member of the Consumer Practice
Daria is a member of the Consumer Practice, working on assignments across all subsectors, with a particular focus on international branded goods and tech-enabled, high-growth consumer businesses.

Davide Cassanelli

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Principal
  • Member of the Financial Officers Practice
Davide is a member of the Financial Officers Practice and brings a decade of experience appointing CFOs in Private Equity portfolio companies across various sectors in the UK and Continental Europe. During his career, he has also worked with large international corporations.

Emma Lanigan

Job Titles:
  • Associate
  • Partner
  • Member of the Healthcare and Financial Officers Practices
Emma is a member of the Healthcare and Financial Officers Practices and works on assignments across all practice areas. Education: International Relations at the University of Bath.

Emy Guerrieri

Job Titles:
  • Executive Assistant
  • Partner
Emy is an Executive Assistant in the Corporate Practice and a member of Blackwood's Finance, Administration and IT Group.

Grace Wookey

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Principal
  • Member of the Tech Practice
Grace is a member of the Tech Practice and works on assignments across sub-sectors, with a focus on B2B software and IT services. Prior to joining Blackwood, Grace worked at a specialist recruitment firm with a focus on the life sciences sector.

Harry Chetwood

Job Titles:
  • Partner
Harry co-leads the Investment Management Practice and is Chair of the Financial Services Practice. He has particular expertise in advising clients on succession planning, strategic reviews and working with start-up groups ahead of launch. Prior to joining Blackwood, Harry worked within search focusing on investment management and corporate finance. He started his career as an Assistant Fund Manager at Smith & Williamson Investment Management. Harry is a Trustee of the Arundel Castle Cricket Foundation and a member of the MCC Nominations Committee.

Heather May

Job Titles:
  • Associate
  • Partner
  • Member of the Technology Practice
Heather is a member of the Technology Practice and works on assignments across all practice areas. Education: Biological Sciences at Imperial College London.

Hope Hughes

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Senior Associate
  • Member of the Tech Practice
Hope is a member of the Tech Practice and works on assignments across sub-sectors, with a focus on high-growth technology assets.

Issy Petts

Job Titles:
  • Assistant
  • Partner
  • Senior Executive
Issy is a Senior Executive Assistant in the Financial Services Practice and is also a member of Blackwood's Finance, Administration and IT Group.

James Barker

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Principal
James co-leads the Leadership Advisory practice. He specialises in leadership assessments and executive coaching, supporting business leaders with decisions as part of Board or Senior Leadership restructuring or development, M&A due diligence, succession planning or culture change processes. James has extensive international experience working with clients across a diverse range of sectors. He is certified in a variety of psychometric assessment tools, has partnered clients to develop and implement a range of leadership and functional competency frameworks and is a valued executive coach.

Jamie McKinnell

Job Titles:
  • Associate
  • Partner
Jamie leads the Real Estate Practice and is a member of the Financial Services Practice. He advises real estate investors, owners, operators, and consultants on both executive and non-executive leadership hires. He has worked with clients in the sector for over 15 years in both London and Hong Kong, and has successfully conducted assignments across the EMEA, Asia Pacific and North American markets.

Jay Angel

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Administration and Internal HR Officer
  • Consultant Search

Jayden Fitzgibbon

Job Titles:
  • Associate
  • Partner
  • Member of the Investment Management and Financial Services Practice
Jayden is a member of the Investment Management and Financial Services Practice with a focus on fund management and distribution mandates, across both public and private markets.

Jen Hughson

Job Titles:
  • Executive Assistant
  • Partner
Jen is an Executive Assistant in the Financial Services Practice and is also a member of Blackwood's Finance, Administration and IT Group.

Jenny Goslett

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Principal
  • Member of the Financial Officers Practice
Jenny is a member of the Financial Officers Practice with expertise in Group CFO, Group Financial Controller and Group FP&A hiring. She largely focuses on searches in B2C related sectors.

Jess Shailes

Job Titles:
  • Executive Assistant
  • Partner
Jess is an Executive Assistant in the Investment Management team and a member of Blackwood's Finance, Administration and IT Group. Education: PGCE at The University of East Anglia; Ancient History at the University of Reading.

Joanne Clayton

Job Titles:
  • Partner
Joanne leads the Private Equity Practice and is a member of the Financial Services Practice. She advises clients across the sector on their needs within the investment team, IR and operating functions, with a particular specialisation in senior team leaders across new investment strategies and first-time funds. She has worked extensively on the firm's Social Mobility initiatives.

Joel Holford

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Principal
  • Member of the Investment Management and Financial Services
Joel is a member of the Investment Management and Financial Services Practices with a focus on investment management, including advising long-only funds, hedge funds, family offices and pension funds.

Jonathan Lee

Job Titles:
  • Partner
Jonathan leads the Tech Practice and co-leads the FinTech Practice. He has worked extensively across media, entertainment and technology enablement with a particular focus on the digital optimisation of businesses.

Katharine Davenport

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Principal
  • Member of the Business Services Practice
Katharine is a member of the Business Services Practice and leads on professional services. Her sub-sector focus includes consulting, legal services, accountancy, testing, inspection and certification, fund administration and corporate services, HCM and recruitment, business process outsourcing and governance, risk and compliance. Prior to joining Blackwood, Katharine worked as an analyst at a business intelligence and risk consulting firm.

Katherine Sung

Job Titles:
  • Associate
  • Partner
  • Member of the Consumer Practice
Katherine is a member of the Consumer Practice and works on assignments across all practice areas. Education: European Social and Political Studies at University College London and Sciences Po Paris.

Kathryn Bonner

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Senior Associate
  • Member of the Business Services Practice
Kathryn is a member of the Business Services Practice and works on assignments across all areas, with a focus on Education including Education Provision and Services. Education: History at the University of Cambridge.

Katie Walker

Job Titles:
  • Assistant
  • Partner
  • Senior Executive
Katie is a Senior Executive Assistant in the Corporate Practice and a member of Blackwood's Finance, Administration and IT Group. Education: Adult Health Nursing at Cardiff University.

Katrina Roberts

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Senior Associate
  • Member of the Financial Officer Practice
Katrina is a member of the Financial Officer Practice and works across all assignments. Before specialising in finance, she was a generalist focusing on mandates across numerous functional areas within financial services.

Lati Gutta

Job Titles:
  • Associate
  • Partner
  • Member of the Private Equity Practice
Lati is a member of the Private Equity Practice and works on assignments across all practice areas.

Lisa Wilkinson - COO

Job Titles:
  • Chief Operating Officer
  • Partner
Lisa is a Partner and Blackwood's Chief Operating Officer, and is a member of Blackwood's Finance, Administration and IT Group. Prior experience: Prior to joining Blackwood, Lisa worked at Deutsche Bank. Education: Business Finance & Economics at the University of Natal.

Lizzie Rawcliffe

Job Titles:
  • Assistant
  • Partner
  • Senior Executive
Lizzie is a Senior Executive Assistant in the Corporate Practice and a member of Blackwood's Finance, Administration and IT Group. Education: Psychology at Northumbria University.

Lucia Ruck Keene

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Principal
  • Member of the Investment Management and Financial Services
Lucia is a member of the Investment Management and Financial Services Practices. She leads assignments for a variety of investment clients across public and private markets. She has a particular expertise in responsible investment and has a CFA Level 4 Certificate in ESG Investing.

Maria Henderson

Job Titles:
  • Partner
Maria leads the Consumer Practice. She has extensive experience advising international clients in all sub-sectors of consumer, including branded fashion and luxury goods.

Martina Ashley

Job Titles:
  • Partner
Martina co-leads the Investment Management Practice and is a member of the Financial Services Practice. She has a particular expertise in moving and building teams and defining the strategy and execution of building new routes to market. She has worked extensively on the firm's Diversity initiatives and is also an Ambassador for The Diversity Project.

Molly Stooke

Job Titles:
  • Associate
  • Partner
  • Member of the Consumer, Retail & Leisure
Molly is a member of the Consumer, Retail & Leisure Practice and works on assignments across all practice areas.

Mutsa Mutiti

Job Titles:
  • Financial Controller
  • Partner
Mutsa is the firm's Financial Controller and a member of Blackwood's Finance, Administration and IT Group.

Nigel Lloyd

Job Titles:
  • Associate
  • Partner
Nigel leads the Investment Banking and Infrastructure Practices and is a member of the Private Equity and Financial Services Practices. He focuses on recruiting senior Investment Banking professionals across M&A, sector coverage and leveraged finance. Within private equity, he specialises in investor relations appointments.

Olga Diavastis

Job Titles:
  • Associate
  • Partner
  • Member of the Business Services Practice
Olga is a member of the Business Services Practice and works on assignments across all practice areas.

Olivia Clayton

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Office Manager and Head of Events and CSR

Olivia Whitely Ali

Job Titles:
  • Assistant
  • Partner
  • Senior Executive

Patrick Hayes

Job Titles:
  • Associate
  • Partner
  • Member of the Technology Practice
Patrick is a member of the Technology Practice and works on assignments across all practice areas. Education: English Literature and History at the University of Nottingham.

Poppy Moore

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Principal
Poppy leads the Healthcare Practice and has extensive experience advising internationally listed, private and private equity-backed businesses across pharma services, healthcare services, diagnostics and devices.

Richard Marshall

Job Titles:
  • Partner
Richard leads the Business Services Practice and advises listed, private and private equity-backed businesses across the entirety of business services. He has particular expertise in professional services, technology-enabled services and education.

Rosie Leslie

Job Titles:
  • Assistant
  • Partner
  • Senior Executive
Rosie is a Senior Executive Assistant in the Corporate Practice and is a member of Blackwood's Finance, Administration, and IT Group. She is qualified in administering a variety of Psychometric tools. Education: Psychology at City, University of London.

Rupert Milne

Job Titles:
  • Associate
  • Partner
  • Member of the Investment Management Practice
Rupert is a member of the Investment Management Practice and works on assignments across all practice areas.

Shaneen Makhani

Job Titles:
  • Associate
  • Partner
  • Member of the Private Equity Practice
Shaneen is a member of the Private Equity Practice with a particular focus on leading senior and mid-level appointments. She is also a member of the Financial Services Practice, advising clients and candidates on the crossover between all forms of investment.

Sydney Lignac

Job Titles:
  • Associate
  • Partner
  • Member of the Investment Banking
Sydney is a member of the Investment Banking and Real Assets Practices and works on assignments across all practice areas.

Tamta Gagoshidze

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Senior Associate
  • Member of the Tech Practice
Tamta is a member of the Tech Practice and works on assignments across the sector. Education: Business Management at Cardiff University.

Terry Wells - CTO

Job Titles:
  • Chief Technology Officer
  • Partner
Terry is Blackwood's Chief Technology Officer and is a member of Blackwood's Finance, Administration and IT Group.

Will James

Job Titles:
  • Associate
  • Partner

Will Terry

Job Titles:
  • Associate
  • Partner