Our Team

Our Team
Richard studied Accountancy and Finance at Kingston University and initially worked in a Chartered Accountancy practice before moving into financial recruitment. He has over 30 years of professional recruitment experience, operating and managing businesses recruiting at the most senior level across Commerce and Industry, Sales and Marketing, IT, HR, and Finance. Richard has previously held Managing Director and Director roles within UK-based international recruitment companies.
Having covered the African market since 2007, he brings specialist experience in the Fintech, Agriculture, Infrastructure, Telecoms, FMCG, Renewable Energy, Business & Professional Services, NFP and Oil & Gas sectors. During his career focused on Africa, he has been personally involved and led a significant number of Executive level searches across the Continent completing numerous Searches for CEOs and other CXO roles.
He also specialises in the identification of senior leaders for Private Equity, African-focused funds investors for their portfolio companies, up to Chair / NED / Advisory positions.
Sarah graduated from Oxford University in 1992 and worked briefly for Arthur Andersen before moving into professional finance recruitment for over ten years. Her career developed into Emerging Markets Search in 2003 initially covering Financial Services in Russia and CIS.
Having travelled extensively throughout East, West and Southern Africa, Sarah took the opportunity in 2008 to focus purely on the African markets. She co-founded Executives in Africa with Richard Putley in 2010 and has since worked on over 300 Search mandates across a range of C-level, Senior Management, and Technical roles with specialist expertise in Financial Services, and extending to cover Fintech, Payments and Tech-enabled businesses, Professional Services, FMCG and the Development & Charity sectors.
Sarah regularly speaks at Conferences and served for 4 years on the Global Council for 100 Women in Finance to support them build their networks across Africa.
Kiera graduated from University of Sussex and spent five years working in recruitment before moving into senior executive appointments in early 2007. Kiera began her career with Executives in Africa in 2010, heading up the In-House Research Team.
Kiera is now responsible for Operations including Research, Business Services, HR and Quality Assurance. With experience spanning the UK, European and African markets, Kiera’s experience working as a Search Consultant gives her an in-depth understanding of the industry, thus providing relevant support and Quality Assurance which is critical to the success of every mandate.
Having studied Law at Liverpool University, Jon qualified as a chartered accountant with Grant Thornton in 1999. He moved from public practice into commerce progressing his career within industry within various sectors including marketing, media, film and sport. Whilst at Tiger Aspect Television he oversaw the finances for films such as Billy Elliot and Kevin and Perry Go Large, and as Finance Director at Ska Films oversaw the financial production of the film Layer Cake. Jon was also responsible for running the takeover of the Football League club Peterborough United in 2006 for one of his high net worth clients.
Utilising his experience Jon is now Finance Director for Executives in Africa as well as for a portfolio of organisations providing a balance of financial rigor and commerciality to the Finance function.
Paul Marsh
Business & Strategy Advisor
+44 (0)7903 233214
In 2010 Paul founded Lightbulb, a training and consultancy business with the mission to reduce the painful bits we often live with when working for organisations and with other people! Lightbulb’s Painless People Management Programme continues to prove popular to organisations of all sizes and its innovative Chinwag approach is ditching the annual performance appraisal and redefining how we manage performance at work.
Paul’s experience spans several blue-chip Companies in operational, HR and at board-level as a COO in the recruitment sector. He is also the author of ‘HR & Other Swear Words: Practical & Credible HR for Beginners’. As a speaker he is reported as being ‘engaging’, ‘memorable’, ‘non-fluffy’, ‘energetic’ and ‘down to earth’. He has trained, coached and worked with hundreds of people across sectors and from SMEs to more well-known brands such as Mulberry, Rank Entertainment, MC Saatchi, BMW, Zenith, Eurostar, Macmillan Publishing, Conde Nast, ITV, Pizza Express, Primark, Citigroup and London School of Economics.
Steve has over 20 years’ experience in Recruitment having been responsible for the Global Centre of Excellence for Talent Acquisition across Africa, Asia and Europe within FMCG. He has developed and introduced recruitment processes, profiling tools and recruitment skills training, aligning the recruitment strategy and processes to change programmes, resulting in controlling costs and improving retention.
Most recently working for PZ Cussons Plc, Steve’s focus for the last 10 years has been specifically on sourcing local talent for operating units, especially in Africa, always aiming to grow senior talent pipelines for the businesses, not just delivering on single critical hires. He also brings over 15 years’ experience in coaching HRBP’s & Line Managers globally to deliver a strong end-to-end candidate experience and improve Employer Brand and EVP. Now working as an Executive Search Consultant for Executives in Africa, Steve continues to work within his sectors of strength, being FMCG, Agribusiness and Industrial Manufacturing.
Adam graduated with a Master’s Degree in Philosophy before working in International Executive Search & Selection for over 5 years in the Construction, Mining and Oil & Gas sectors in Sub-Saharan Africa. Here, he worked with leading international companies and indigenous SMEs on high-profile Director and C-level mandates. Adam has since developed his specialist sector knowledge to include the Agribusiness, Financial Services and Manufacturing sectors.
Since joining Executives in Africa in 2016, Adam has delivered on over 90 senior Search Assignments across Africa including an MD for a Manufacturing Business, CFO for an Agribusiness, Global COO for a Technology Company, Head of Remedial for a Pan African Bank, Multiple General Managers for an Agribusiness and a Business Development Manager for a Global Mining Company. Adam has worked on mandates across multiple African countries including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda and Zambia.
21William holds a Business Management degree with the University of Surrey and joined the EiA team in 2012. Since graduation, William has risen quickly through the business, working as a Research Associate, Associate, Search Consultant and now Executive Search Consultant. He has travelled to Nigeria and Kenya to meet clients and attend conferences, takes an active role in Africa-focused networking events held in London and has worked on over sixty Search Mandates on the continent.
William has expertise within a variety of sectors but has a particular interest in the Agriculture sector, both within Agricultural Development not-for-profits helping small holder farmers across the continent and within Agricultural Cultivation for organisations growing Tea, Avocados and Macadamia Nuts and raising Livestock. He has also gained experience in Pharmaceuticals across Africa working with one of the world’s largest generic pharmaceutical companies. Working with PE funds has seen him deliver senior leaders in Life Sciences in East Africa as well as the Retail sector where he also worked with a multinational shoe manufacturer and retailer.
Matt has been with Executives in Africa for over 5 years in which he has quickly risen through every level of the business – Research, Delivery, and Consulting team, now to be one of our trusted Executive Consultants. Matt has been responsible for securing several high-profile searches, including the first Chairperson search in EiA’s history as well as executing searches for sector-leading businesses in a variety of sectors as well as several listed businesses (London Stock Exchange, Nairobi Securities Exchange, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Nigerian Stock Exchange, among others) on their Board, C-Suite and Executive Level assignments.
Matt has delivered on over seventy senior Search Assignments including mandates for Board Members, Group Executive Management, and C-Suite level across a broad range of sectors including Financial Services, Telecommunications, Sport and Entertainment, Industrial, Not-for-Profit, Renewable Energy, Infrastructure Development, FMCG, Private Equity and Agriculture.
Andrea joined Executives in Africa after re-patriating to the UK from South Africa in June 2018 bringing valuable local knowledge of Southern and South African culture and a passion for empowering and uplifting the local African talent. She has over 30 years’ Sales and Management experience including 10 years in Freight Forwarding and Clearing and 20 years in Recruitment and Executive Search having owned her own recruitment firm in South Africa where she specialised in Financial Services recruitment.
Since joining Executives in Africa Andrea has led over 100 searches for senior level and C-Suite talent spanning Financial Services, Conservation, Agribusiness, Shipping, Technology, Renewable Energy, FMCG, Start-up Businesses and Impact Organisations across Nigeria, Uganda, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, DRC, Chad, Benin, Togo, Angola, Mozambique, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso and South Africa to name a few.
Tonye is an HR leader with almost two decades of experience and expertise in the multinational telecommunications and financial service industries across the Human Resources spectrum in Recruitment, Training & Development, Performance Management, HR Operations and HR Shared Services. He has held leadership positions across the African continent and has led multiple transformation activities to drive business growth with extensive experience in People, Process and System Re-engineering projects from a career that includes stints in Customer Service and Marketing.
Having recently led the global Shared Services team for UBA Plc covering 23 countries in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and America, as well as the Shared Services team for Bharti Airtel covering 15 countries in Africa, he brings on board not only his vast networks in the financial services and telecommunications sectors but also his understanding of the Africa market and its talent landscape as well as his project-driven approach to delivering value to businesses.
A graduate of the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria with a BSc degree in Geology and an MBA in Business Administration and General Management from the University of Liverpool, he is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) and the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) and holds various certifications across the HR value chain.
After graduating in Psychology, Stephen gained experience working for two leading recruitment firms moving into leadership roles before setting up and leading a specialist recruitment business that focuses on the delivery of executive level Financial, Legal and HR appointments. He brings over twenty years of experience in delivering on Director and C-Level mandates for Corporate roles.
Stephen has a broad knowledge of working across a diverse range of industries, from Financial Services to Manufacturing, including in depth specialist sector knowledge in Pharmaceuticals, Medical Devices, FinTech, MedTech, E-Commerce and Hi-Tech Manufacturing. Now working at Executives in Africa, Stephen partners with businesses across Africa, building capability at board level to execute and enable company’s growth plans for future.
Ryan holds a Higher National Diploma in Business and Finance and after a short stint working as an accountant, began his twenty-five-year career in recruitment, working firstly in professional Finance recruitment for six years before establishing a Search and Selection business for the UK market.
For the past fifteen years, Ryan’s area of expertise has been within Financial Services internationally, with a particular specialist focus on all areas of Risk and Compliance within this. He adopted a research methodology to map, track and attract candidates in niche areas across risk within Capital Markets, Retail & Corporate Banking, Wealth and Asset Management. Ryan’s keen interest in the development of financial inclusion for individuals and microenterprises on the continent of Africa led him to join Executives in Africa, where his specialism remains in Financial Services along with Banking, Wealth Management and Fintech.
Recent examples of completed mandates include: Credit Risk Quant Manager and Digital Transformation Director for a Financial Services organization; Risk Management Consultant for a Management Consultancy; Structural Reform Manager within a Financial Services organisation; Senior Compliance Manager for a Boutique Bank; Legal Analyst for a Fintech and Compliance Manager for an Asset Management organisation.
Heba was born in Morocco and moved with her family to Paris at the start of her secondary education. She went on to achieve a Master’s Degree in International Trade and Arabic at the Sorbonne and Dauphine Universities in Paris. Being trilingual, (Arabic, French and English) has enabled Heba to live and work in several countries in Africa, the Middle East and Europe before settling in the UK in 2010.
Heba’s broad-based work and life experience, together with qualifications in psychotherapy, enhances her natural ability to understand and communicate with people at all levels. A natural team player, Heba’s deep personal interest in Africa, resourcefulness and emotional intelligence together with her keen sense of fairness and objectivity makes her a highly focused and valuable addition to the EiA Team with a specific focus on Francophone Africa.
Adam spent three years working in B2B Technology Sales covering cloud services, disaster recovery and compliance solutions before moving into Consulting, specialising in customer analytics, data and technology solutions. His career in recruitment initially covered a variety of roles across technology, property, legal and media markets in the UK before focusing on his passion and strength, being Technology.
Adam quickly built a strong reputation for excellent client relationship management, demonstrating a natural flair for profiling and headhunting the right individuals for senior roles. Having moved to Tanzania in 2020, he continued to develop his expertise accessing senior candidates for executive appointments, filling roles such as Head of Product and COO amongst others.
Adam speaks Swahili which he picked up during the 3 years he has spent living in East Africa. He brings strong networks in the region whilst retaining specialist focus on senior technology appointments.
Anju graduated from Kings College London in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts in Hispanic Studies. She started her career in Public Relations in the UK and subsequently moved to India where she specialized in Marketing, Corporate Communications and Investor Relations representing companies across diverse sectors. Having spent most of her childhood in Nigeria, Anju decided to move back to Lagos in 2009 and in 2010 she joined the Emel Group where she spent ten years working in different capacities including Marketing & Communications, Business Strategy & Management, People & Culture Development. During the last five years of her tenure at Emel, Anju played a key role in recruitment at all levels and across multiple business divisions.
As a Consultant with Executives in Africa, Anju brings valuable knowledge of the Nigerian market and culture, as well as hands on experience of dealing with local talent and multi-cultural teams. She is an insightful interviewer with an aptitude for understanding the true requirements of a role and assessing whether an individual has the requisite skills and behaviours to succeed.
Graeme joined Executives in Africa in August 2019 after emigrating to the UK from South Africa in January 2019. He brings valuable hands on knowledge of not only Southern Africa but Africa as a whole as well as the Middle East. He has over 40 years’ Financial Management experience including 16 years with a leading Mobile Telecommunications Company in Africa having been based in South Africa and the Middle East.
Most recently Graeme utilised his strong communication skills in a Customer Experience Manager position in a regional role covering Southern and South Eastern Africa. Besides Telecommunications, Graeme had also had exposure to a number of other sectors including Venture Capital, Hospitality and FMCG. This extensive corporate experience gives him a unique insight from the “client’s” perspective and enables him to bring first-hand experience of the challenges of operating on the ground across Africa.
James is a skilled professional with a strong academic foundation from Southampton Solent University and five years of diverse experience in retail, hospitality, and logistics. Throughout his career, he has honed his telesales abilities, refined his customer service skills, and gained valuable management experience. His roles across these sectors have equipped him with a solid understanding of supply chain management, project management, and strategic planning.
A natural leader, James quickly advanced to management positions, where he excelled at overseeing teams and driving performance. His competitive nature, fueled by his passion for sports, drives him to achieve excellence in all his endeavors. This competitive edge is evident in his current role, where he plays a critical part in supporting the business through technology and data management. James ensures that the company’s technology infrastructure is secure and efficient, while also managing data to facilitate informed decision-making.
With his combination of technical expertise, leadership skills, and relentless drive, James is a valuable asset to the team, consistently contributing to the organization’s success and growth.
Tim graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from York University in 1983. After spending 12 years working in finance and accounting for various companies, Tim decided to join VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) and in 1995 was posted to Guinea-Bissau in West Africa to teach IT at the National Business and Administration College. Following this 2 year posting, Tim joined a medical research organisation as Coordinator for their research station in a remote village in Guinea-Bissau. Later he moved to the capital, Bissau, also within a health research environment, as International Coordinator.
Tim returned to the UK in 2018 and continues to have a strong personal interest in Africa, in particular Guinea-Bissau and its development. Having worked in a research environment as well as corporate environments, combined with having spent many years in Africa, Tim is a real asset to the EiA Research Team.
Bassam graduated with an LLB from the University of Kent, as well as an LPC from Manchester Metropolitan University. He brings experience gained in the legal field including working at one of the top law firms in Ghana. Having subsequently spent time in the recruitment field in the UK, he discovered his passion for this area and joined Executives in Africa as a Researcher in 2022.
Bassam’s training in law helped him develop an eye for detail which he now applies to the research process to ensure he delivers thorough mapping of the relevant market for every Search. His previous experience dealing with clients allowed him to garner good all-round business knowledge as well as a practical understanding of the operating environment in Africa. Bassam is an avid reader and is rarely seen without a book in hand, unless it’s to watch football, supporting both his national team, Ghana, and Arsenal in the UK.
Alfred has a Bachelor of Science in Cyber Security from the University of Winchester. His commitment to excellence and hardworking nature are evident in every project he undertakes and in his academic results. Alfred is a passionate problem solver, with a drive to dissect complex issues and uncover innovative solutions. At university, he thoroughly enjoyed researching the ever-changing landscape that is cyberlaw and the difference in approach taken by the UK since leaving the European Union.
Beyond the professional sphere, Alfred is a force to be reckoned with on the rugby field, showcasing his competitive spirit and teamwork. Off the field, he unwinds through social badminton matches. Having spent the past 6-7 years within the hospitality industry, where his natural strong communication skills have been complemented by developing excellent organisational abilities. He brings an excellent work ethic, a spirit of curiosity and determination, traits that seamlessly translate into his research work and which make him a great addition to the Executives in Africa Research Team.
Theo graduated from King’s College London with a First-Class Honours degree in History and International Relations. During his time at university, he developed a real aptitude for research, undertaking extensive projects focused on geo-political history and diplomatic interactions between states, attracting recognition for the depth and detail of his work. Theo brings a meticulous and diligent working style to the team, translating directly into the crucial research he conducts as part of Executives in Africa.
Outside of work, Theo enjoys keeping active, playing squash and rugby. He is also a keen photographer and particularly enjoys architectural photography.
Yared studied Software Engineering at Adama Science and Technology University in Addis Ababa. During his time there, he was involved in a charity group and was also one of the Founders and President of Red Cross Club in the university.
As part of the Executives in Africa team based in Ethiopia, Yared works on Research Projects including database integrity. In his spare time, he undertakes charity work as well as having a keen interest in photography and graphics work.
Surafel Fitsumsew has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Addis Ababa University. As part of the Executives in Africa team in Ethiopia, Surafel works very closely with our Research team in the UK and works on Research Projects including database integrity.
Surafel plays soccer and is a devoted Liverpool fan. He admires technology and in his spare time enjoys working on electronics and programming.
Yafet has a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting and Finance from Arbaminch University. He was involved in an International professional work experience opportunity representing Ethiopia as a Global Volunteer with AIESEC. He spent his early career working for a Trading Industry Construction & Services Company as a Sales Associate.
Yafet has an interest in Sports and Travelling.
Carla graduated from the University of Scranton (Pennsylvania, USA) with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Secondary Education in 1997. After spending a short time in private banking with Brown Brothers Harriman on Wall Street, New York she moved to the UK where she taught French and Spanish for 9 years at secondary level.
Portuguese by birth, Carla joined Executives in Africa in 2012 to support Consultants specialising in Portuguese-speaking C-Level mandates, assessing Candidates’ language skills in order to deliver to Clients the very best available individuals who best match the target profile. Now a permanent member of the team as a Quality Assurance Manager, she is a critical member of our delivery team ensuring excellence on every Search.
Johannah brings over four years’ of progressive administrative experience gained within diverse sectors, including recruitment. Her self-driven motivation and excellent organisational skills, ensure that an effective secretarial and administrative service is provided to the Managing Directors, Senior Management and the Consulting team.
Johannah supports the EiA Search Process by making travel and visa arrangements, scheduling appointments and interviews, as well as supporting our Quality Assurance Managers with Search documentation.
3Meareg Hailu has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science form Addis Ababa University. As part of the Executives in Africa team in Ethiopia, Meareg works very closely with our QA Manager in the UK and works on assuring the accuracy of documents. He also works on Research Projects including database integrity.
Meareg plays soccer and is a devoted Manchester United fan. He loves travelling around the country and visiting the different “Ethiopian Treasures” like Axum and Lalibela.
Research Team
In addition to the above core personnel, we employ a number of freelance researchers with specific language and sector expertise. If you are approached by any of our freelance researchers and wish to verify that they are authorised to approach you on behalf of Executives in Africa, please do not hesitate to contact Kiera Mauro, Operations Director at km@executivesinafrica.com.
Join The Team
We are continuing to grow and are always interested to hear from talented individuals who would be interested in joining our team, either as a Consultant or an Associate Researcher. We would be particularly interested in anyone with French or Portuguese language skills, as well as any previous exposure to Africa.
Please send your CV in confidence, to Sarah FitzMorris at sf@executivesinafrica.com