Gary
Stolkin
Global 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'.
Andy
Wardlaw
Global Managing Director
Tech & Innovation
Andy started his career just as the first wave of digital businesses were beginning to establish themselves, transforming entire industries and generating a need for a new breed of innovative, hybrid talent.
Joining the first digital specialist search firm, he found himself helping to structure and staff the nascent UK teams of Amazon, Microsoft, AOL & eBay, as well as the first digital communications agencies.
Advising businesses and senior talent within the creative and technology sectors has been the focus of his career. He has built cross-functional internal talent team and led staffing and talent strategy internationally for leading creative businesses, including AKQA. He has also run his own talent consultancy.
Andy believes that the key to sustainable commercial success is the alignment of transformational talent with business transformation and growth strategy. Since re-joining The Talent Business in 2016, he has been advising brand owners, tech platforms, consultancies and communications agencies on their senior hires, identifying and securing leaders capable of driving business transformation. He has also worked with agency groups on their business acquisition strategies, and advised brand owners on the selection of agency partners.
When he can, he runs, skis, travels and spends time with his family.
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.
Will
Knox
Managing Director UK
Creative & Design
Will spent his youth harbouring ambitions to become many things; a rugby player, an actor, a musician. Unfortunately, for one reason or another, be it ability or application, he was unable to make these goals a reality. (He says it was ability, by the way).
Since joining the The Talent Business in 2009, Will has partnered the world’s leading creative businesses, helping them to identify and secure transformational senior creative talent. He now heads up The Talent Business’ European Creative & Design practice out of the Group’s London office.
When not running the Creative & Design practice, you’ll find him bothering people about music, barbeques, and Arsenal FC.
Sarah
Kynaston
Head of Strategy
Sarah started her career in Production, back when Clearcast was the BACC, press ads were sent via ISDN and social media was Friends Reunited.
She was an account handler at Ogilvy London on the agency’s Pfizer and Nestle business when boot cut jeans were on their way out and Facebook and Twitter were on their way in.
When digital exploded and iPods were still a thing, she worked at creative independent agency, Farm, on UK government campaigns and Goodfella’s pizza.
Sarah joined The Talent Business’ London office in 2013, just as Emoji became a global language. She partners an ever-evolving mix of creative businesses, including communications agencies, brand owners, tech platforms, start-ups and consultancies, helping them to secure game changing senior strategists with diverse skillsets and backgrounds.
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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