Gary Stolkin, Global Chairman & CEO

Gary

Stolkin

Global Chairman & CEO

Gary is the Founder & Global CEO of The Talent Business, the world leader in executive search for businesses fueled by innovation and creativity, delivering transformative leadership hires. Since launching The Talent Business in 2007, he has built a 50-strong team across six offices that's motivated by strategic partnership and deeply invested in clients' success. He partners brand owners, communications agency groups and consultancies on business critical hires in the US, UK and other key international markets. He also advises agency groups on acquisitions, and brand owners on their selection of agency partners. Gary is a five-time speaker at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, an Opinion Contributor to Adweek, and has also written for Fast Company, AdAge, The Drum and The Guardian. He was on the advisory council for Business Insider's 'Most Innovative CMO's in the World 2017'.
Emma Ward

Emma

Ward

Managing Director Europe
Business & Marketing

Emma spent 16 years in London advertising agencies, always with a focus on developing diverse and effective teams in order to build high performing brands, before joining The Talent Business in 2010. As European Managing Director of The Talent Business’ Marketing & Business practice, Emma partners senior marketers and agency leaders, helping them to identify and secure transformational senior talent capable of driving innovation and delivering strategic and commercial impact. Emma works across a multitude of sectors for tech platforms, brand owners, product and business design consultancies and communications agencies. Emma’s agency career saw her leading McVities, Allied Bakeries, Muller and Coca Cola at Publicis, before joining the Brand Consultancy, Banc, where she was Managing Director, and the independent creative agency, Farm, where she was also Managing Director.
Olivia Skone

Olivia

Skone

Managing Director UK
Business & Marketing

Olivia spent her formative years in some of London’s top creative agencies of their time, including WCRS, CHI&Partners, and RKCRY&R, producing award winning campaigns for Marks & Spencer, The Times and The Sunday Times, Land Rover and TalkTalk. She has also held marketing role at the start up Espotting.com and the media owner ITV, where she worked on the pioneering strategy for advertiser funded programming. Olivia completed a post grad in periodical journalism and had her two sons (which she describes as her most challenging role so far) before joining The Talent Business in 2013. She describes working with transformational senior talent at The Talent Business as finding her ‘True North’. Olivia heads up The Talent Business’ European Marketing & Business practice out of the Group’s London office. She partners a broad range of brand owners, tech platforms, consultancies and communications agencies, helping them to identify and secure transformational hires. Her primary focus has been marketing leadership roles with brand owners & tech platforms, and business leadership roles for communications agencies.
Cecile Beaufils

Cecile

Beaufils

European Head of Business & Marketing

Cecile spent the first fourteen years of her career in client services roles at some of the best London creative agencies of their time; Saatchi & Saatchi, AMV BBDO and Leagas Delaney. This gave her the opportunity to work on integrated campaigns for iconic brands such as Sony, Guinness, and Mars. Cecile joined The Talent Business in 2012 and is a Partner in the Group’s European Business & Marketing Practice, based in the London office. In this role, she partners brand owners, consultancies and agencies on their transformation journeys. Cecile is also the co-founder and Marketing Director for One Gin, an award-winning premium craft gin and the first spirit brand to fund clean, safe water projects in the world’s poorest communities. She has a strong belief in constantly up-skilling, completing a postgraduate degree in Entrepreneurship at Cambridge Judge School, and a Sustainability Management course at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. A French national, she spent most of her childhood in New York and all her professional life in London, leaving her with a rather odd Irish accent.
Louise Cook

Louise

Cook

Global Head of People

Having graduated from London College of Fashion and settling in London, Louise naturally felt the city and the creative industries were going to be for her. Since joining The Talent Business in 2017, Louise has grown her knowledge and understanding of the sector since then. In 2019 she became EA to Gary Stolkin and as of 2024, she progressed into her role as Global Head of People. Louise loves travelling and discovering new cities, islands and ski resorts. All this stems from living in South Africa and the USA when she was growing up. If Louise is not travelling, she is either obsessing over Japanese food, her love for mid-century design or spending time with family and friends.
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