Non Executive Director, Wild Search

Rachel is the former Enterprise Editor of The Sunday Times and the author of five books, the latest of which, ‘How to Start a Business without any Money’, will be published in August 2012. Rachel combines her role at Wild Search with her work as a writer, public speaker and small business consultant.

As well as speaking regularly at conferences and awards ceremonies about entrepreneurs and small businesses, Rachel has proven to be an extremely effective moderator, using her knowledge of business to guide proceedings in an informed way.

Rachel has an MA (Hons) degree in Economics from Cambridge University and prior to joining The Sunday Times in 2003, worked for The Investors Chronicle, The Evening Standard and The Times, including two overseas postings in Australia and France. 

Associate, Wild Search

Rose graduated from Newcastle University with a First in History and Geography in 2008. Following a year as a teaching assistant in a London primary school, she joined Wild Search in September 2010 and has since worked on a range of assignments for clients including the Country Land and Business Association and the Peter Jones Foundation. 

EXPERTISE: Rose is responsible for project management, research, 'thought leadership' events, operational work and client engagement.

Consultant, Wild Search

Chris Lenton is a co-founder of Wild Search. He was Elected Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) 2008-2012 and recently wrote 'Challenges and opportunities of the next decade; Professional bodies report'. He held a number of roles previously at the CIM including Chief Executive, Commercial Director, Managing Director (CIM Holdings), Chief Operating Officer, and Finance Director and Secretary.

A former Finance and Operations Director of The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA), he took on a series of non executive appointments in 2009, which he combines with his role at Wild Search. Chris’s career has centred on strategic planning, marketing and corporate governance. Ethics and corporate social responsibility have played a key part in his business philosophy. He is a Chartered Marketer, Chartered Secretary and Chartered Certified Accountant. He still rows competitively and was a gold medallist in the coxed four at the World Masters Championships in 1989. He was educated at Chiswick Polytechnic and UCL.

EXPERTISE: Leadership appointments, Corporate Governance, Professional and Trade Bodies.

Consultant, Wild Search Leadership Coaching

Martin Neild was appointed as Managing Director of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers in 1993 and was subsequently Chief Executive of the Hodder Headline Group, Chairman of Hachette Ireland and a member of the Hachette UK Board (Britain’s largest Publishing Group).

In 2009, he left to start his own coaching, mentoring and consultancy business with Hachette UK as one of his first and continuing clients.  Other clients include the St Ives Group and the Wellcome Trust  He is also a Visiting Fellow of University College London where he teaches on the Publishing Studies Post-Graduate course and  is a member of the Oxford Brookes Publishing Advisory Board.   He is Chair of the Book Marketing Society and Deputy Chair and a Trustee of the newly formed charity, World Book Night.

He has an MA in English Language and Linguistics from the University of Edinburgh and is currently studying for an MA in Coaching and Mentoring at the Oxford Brookes Business School.

EXPERTISE: Practical experience of designing and implementing growth strategies in a dynamic and rapidly changing business environment; management and motivation of teams in creative and process areas;  Executive, Leadership  and Life Coaching  using solutions -focused and positive psychology models;  Coaching and Mentoring in Organisations 

Consultant, Wild Search

Graham Riddick is a co-founder of Wild Search and was previously a Director of the Public and Not-for-Profit Practice at Norman Broadbent, where he was responsible for finding exceptional talent for Board level positions in public sector organisations, universities and charities. Prior to his career in executive search, Graham was Commercial Director of Adfero and Business Development Manager for its predecessor company DeHavilland Information Services.

Earlier in his career, Graham was elected as the first Conservative Member of Parliament for Colne Valley in 1987, substantially increasing his majority in 1992 and serving as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Francis Maude and to John McGregor. He was a member of the Education and Employment Committee. He was educated at Warwick University and subsequently worked in Sales Management roles for Coca Cola and Cadbury Schweppes.

EXPERTISE: Corporate leadership appointments; notably Commercial Directors, Directors of Communications, Public and Corporate Affairs and direct reports.

Consultant, Wild Search Leadership Coaching 

Helen Selka joined Wild Search in 2011 to develop its leadership coaching and training service to both corporate and non profit clients. She brings a range of business experience in recruitment, training, marketing and business strategy. Her clients cover the Education, Charity and Corporate sectors, where she works with Chairmen, Chief Executives and senior managers. She is also a Director of Reliance RG.

She was educated at St Andrew's University (graduating in Spanish and French) and RADA. Helen is currently training in Systems Psychodynamic Coaching at the Tavistock Consultancy Service.

EXPERTISE: Team building, Presentation and Public Speaking, Mentoring, Leadership and Personal Development and Psychodynamics 

Consultant, Wild Search

Margaret Sentamu is a co-founder of Wild Search who brings more than 20 years experience in the voluntary, Public and Not-for Profit and private sectors.  Prior to Wild Search, Margaret was at Odgers & Berndtson where she helped set up a diversity practice.  More recently she has focused on helping companies and organisations to embed diversity in their businesses, both internally and externally. 

She has a strong track record in helping employers to bridge the gap between policy and practice by providing strategic advice and support in all strands of diversity management. Some of her recent consulting roles include interim and project management in the voluntary sector, Nestle UK & Ireland, Joseph Rowntree and York St. John’s University.  She is also a Non-Executive Director of Traidcraft Plc and a Lay Adjudicator for the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (under the Law Society umbrella). She read Literature at Makerere University, Kampala and has an MA in Theology and Adult Learning from the University College, Chester.

EXPERTISE: Chairs and Trustees of Boards and charities; Corporate Responsibility; Diversity management and Corporate Leadership Consultancy.

Consultant, Wild ReSearch

Dr Graham Stewart is a noted historian of twentieth-century British politics and the media.  A former leader writer and columnist for The Times, he is the newspaper’s official historian and author of 'The Murdoch Years'.  He is the author of the internationally acclaimed 'Burying Caesar: Churchill, Chamberlain and the Battle for the Tory Party' which was a ‘Book of the Year’ in the New Statesman and he has also been a nominee for the Orwell Prize, Britain’s most prestigious award for political writing.  His sixth book, a study of British politics and culture in the 1980s, will be published in May 2012.  A graduate of St Andrews University and with a PhD from Cambridge University, Graham is also a senior research fellow at the Humanities Research Institute of Buckingham University.

Consultant, Wild Search

Geoff Thompson is a co-founder of Wild Search who has enjoyed a successful career as a sports politician and administrator following a successful earlier career in competitive karate. As founder and Executive Chairman of the Youth Charter Geoff has developed policies and innovative approaches to Sport, Art and cultural activity and its social impact in addressing anti-social youth behaviour, child obesity, weapon and gang culture.

Geoff contributed to the Government's Review of Sport in the Inner Cities in 1988 and was subsequently appointed to the GB Sports Council (now Sport England). He joined Salford University Business Services in 1991 and was Vice President of the Sports Aid Foundation's North West Region. He is a former Chair of the Sport England Advisory Group on Racial Equality and is an Independent Assessor for the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA). A former five times WUKO World Karate Champion, he led Great Britain to three World Team Titles and was the Most Valuable Performer on each occasion. Geoff is an MBE for his services to sport and has an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Roehampton.

EXPERTISE: Leadership and management training and Social Inclusion.

Associate, Wild Search

Olivia graduated from Exeter University in 2007 with a degree in Politics and undertook internships in Parliament, Public Affairs and with a national charity. Following university, Olivia was a charter assistant for a yacht broker and did a ski season in Verbier, before joining Wild Search in early 2011. Olivia has worked for Clients such as Conde Nast and the Global Fund. 

EXPERTISE: Olivia is responsible for project management, research, 'thought leadership' events, operational work and client engagement.

Associate, Wild ReSearch

Amy Wevill is the research director. She graduated in History of Art from University College London in 2007 and subsequently worked for Zabludowicz Art Projects, London, as their Assistant Collection Manager. She was awarded a commendation from the College of Law for her Graduate Diploma in Law in 2010 and has since worked for DeHavilland writing select committee reports. Amy is currently completing her MA in Public Policy at Kings College London, which she combines with her research for Wild ReSearch. 

Director, Wild Search

Edward established Wild Search in 2010 following his earlier career in executive search with Odgers Ray and Berndtson. Prior to Wild Search he established and led the Board and Non Profit practices at CCG, specialising in appointments of Chairs, Non Executive Directors and Finance Directors. He has worked for a wide range of membership, professional and trade bodies, Arts and tourism organisations, charities, educational organisations and housing providers; in addition to work for corporate clients on national and international searches.

His early career was pursued in education (working for four of the Financial Times’ 100 leading independent schools) and charities (including Cancer Research UK and Addaction). His final role in education was as the first ever Development Director of Hampton School. He also wrote School by the Thames (James and James 2005) and, with Neil Carmichael MP, Who Governors the Governors? (Wild ReSearch 2011) and Stronger Boards, Better Education (Wild ReSearch 2012). He has written regular columns on politics and education for regional newspapers and magazines, in addition to being quoted by The Sunday Times on senior appointments and the rural economy. Most recently he has written for The Times,  Conservative Home and City AM and co-authored with Neil Carmichael MP, the Wild ReSearch Report, 'Stronger Boards, Better Education'. He was educated at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Edward is a trustee of the Sedbergh School Foundation and a member of the Development Board of the Churches Conservation Trust.

EXPERTISE: Chief Executive, Finance Director, Chairs and Non Executive Directors/ Trustees across sectors.