28 Executive Search Leaders Across New Zealand Firms

Last updated: August 2026

Executive search is a relationship business. In New Zealand, the people who guide board, chief executive and senior leadership appointments sit across local boutiques, partner-led firms and international practices.

As of August 2026, this directory brings together 28 people whose public roles connect them to executive search work across Aotearoa New Zealand. The names are grouped by firm so readers can move quickly from a person to the wider team around them.

It is designed for leaders, boards, founders, researchers and professionals who want a clearer starting map for senior appointments. Each entry keeps the focus on the person's published role and one useful detail about their work.

Why Executive Search Matters

Executive search matters because senior appointments shape more than one job description. Boards and leadership teams are often making choices about capability, culture, succession and the next stage of an organisation at the same time.

The firms represented here work across different sectors and locations. That variety matters because a search brief can call for local market knowledge, specialist depth, national reach or experience with a particular kind of leadership transition.

A directory like this is most useful when it helps a reader ask better questions. Which firm understands the sector? Which person works at the right level? What kind of role, organisation or appointment needs the most relevant experience?

1. Ian Kennedy

Managing Partner, Momentum

Ian Kennedy is Managing Partner at Momentum. Momentum lists him as the Managing Partner for its Wellington executive search team.

2. Caolan Keegan

Managing Partner, Momentum

Caolan Keegan is Managing Partner at Momentum. Momentum lists him as a Managing Partner leading work in its Technology and Transformation area.

3. Jason Beith

Director and Founder, Infinitas

Jason Beith is Director and Founder at Infinitas. Infinitas says he founded the firm in 2018 after more than 18 years in executive recruitment across London and New Zealand.

4. Tate McClenaghan

Partner, Infinitas

Tate McClenaghan is Partner at Infinitas. Infinitas lists him as a Partner in its team of people who work with boards and leadership teams nationwide.

5. Graeme Sandri

Director, SWR Group

Graeme Sandri is Director at SWR Group. SWR describes his background as including senior banking, consulting and general management roles before setting up SandriWalsh and SWR.

6. Tony Walsh

Director, SWR Group

Tony Walsh is Director at SWR Group. SWR lists him as a Director on the team behind its nationwide executive and specialist search work.

7. Dave Rees

Managing Partner, Convergence

Dave Rees is Managing Partner at Convergence. Convergence lists him as its Managing Partner in a New Zealand based executive recruitment and specialist search firm.

8. Erin Kirk

Partner, Sales and Marketing, Convergence

Erin Kirk is Partner, Sales and Marketing at Convergence. Convergence lists her as a Partner working across Sales and Marketing in its executive recruitment team.

9. Michael Viner

Owner and Managing Director, Customise Talent Partners

Michael Viner is Owner and Managing Director at Customise Talent Partners. CTP lists him as Owner and Managing Director within a New Zealand owned recruitment business that offers executive search.

10. Leanne Bell

Partner and Senior Sourcing Specialist, Customise Talent Partners

Leanne Bell is Partner and Senior Sourcing Specialist at Customise Talent Partners. CTP lists her as a Partner and Senior Sourcing Specialist in its team of individual business owners.

11. Hamish McLean

Director, New Zealand, Capstone Recruitment

Hamish McLean is Director, New Zealand at Capstone Recruitment. Capstone says he leads its New Zealand business and has 20 years of search assignments in property and infrastructure.

12. Melanie Dawson

Associate Director, Capstone Recruitment

Melanie Dawson is Associate Director at Capstone Recruitment. Capstone says she leads its construction and engineering recruitment desk with more than 15 years of search assignments.

13. Cilla Carter

Client Partner, SEQEL

Cilla Carter is Client Partner at SEQEL. SEQEL says she has more than 13 years in search and experience with C-suite, CEO and non-executive director appointments.

14. James Sleigh

Managing Partner, SEQEL

James Sleigh is Managing Partner at SEQEL. SEQEL lists him as Managing Partner and describes experience with CEO, executive and board appointments, assessment and CEO succession.

15. Ian Taylor

Managing Director, North Island, Sheffield

Ian Taylor is Managing Director, North Island at Sheffield. Sheffield says he headed its executive search practice before becoming Managing Director and has 34 years of governance and C-suite recruitment experience.

16. Katy Anquetil

Executive Director, Wellington, Sheffield

Katy Anquetil is Executive Director, Wellington at Sheffield. Sheffield says she brings more than two decades in recruitment and workforce solutions and works across chief executive, executive leadership and governance appointments.

17. Lynda McMeekan

Business Director, Executive Search, Robert Walters Executive Search

Lynda McMeekan is Business Director, Executive Search at Robert Walters Executive Search. Robert Walters says its New Zealand Executive Search team is led by Business Director Lynda McMeekan.

18. Neil Munro

Executive Search Associate Director, Robert Walters Executive Search

Neil Munro is Executive Search Associate Director at Robert Walters Executive Search. Robert Walters describes him as bringing more than 20 years in workforce solutions to senior leadership appointments.

19. Ken McEwan

Client Partner, Korn Ferry

Ken McEwan is Client Partner at Korn Ferry. Korn Ferry says he is based in Auckland and leads its Food and Agribusiness practice across Australia and New Zealand.

20. Rachael Finnemore

Country Manager, New Zealand, Korn Ferry

Rachael Finnemore is Country Manager, New Zealand at Korn Ferry. Korn Ferry lists her as Country Manager, NZ on the current Auckland office page.

21. Peter Kerridge

Partner, Kerridge and Partners

Peter Kerridge is Partner at Kerridge and Partners. Kerridge and Partners says its founding partner established the firm in 2005 and works across search, governance and leadership.

22. Nick Edlin

Partner, Kerridge and Partners

Nick Edlin is Partner at Kerridge and Partners. Kerridge and Partners says he specialises in chief executive and senior executive roles across transport, infrastructure, health and professional services.

23. Stuart Chrisp

Partner, Rothbury Kinross

Stuart Chrisp is Partner at Rothbury Kinross. Rothbury Kinross says he co-founded the firm and specialises in C-level and director searches across several sectors.

24. Robert Storey

Partner, Rothbury Kinross

Robert Storey is Partner at Rothbury Kinross. Rothbury Kinross says he established Boyden International in New Zealand in 1997 before co-founding the firm.

25. Nicola Morris

Managing Partner, New Zealand, Johnson Partners

Nicola Morris is Managing Partner, New Zealand at Johnson Partners. Johnson Partners says she has more than 17 years of executive search experience in the United Kingdom and New Zealand, focused on board, CEO and C-suite work.

26. Natalie Stones

Partner, Johnson Partners

Natalie Stones is Partner at Johnson Partners. Johnson Partners says she has more than 20 years in human capital consulting and has appointed CEOs, C-suite executives, general managers and non-executive directors.

27. Carrie Hobson

Founding Partner, Hobson Leavy

Carrie Hobson is Founding Partner at Hobson Leavy. Hobson Leavy identifies her as a founding partner who leads a hand-picked team of search experts.

28. Stephen Leavy

Managing Partner, Hobson Leavy

Stephen Leavy is Managing Partner at Hobson Leavy. Hobson Leavy identifies him as a founding partner and Managing Partner of the New Zealand executive search company.

What These Leaders Show Us About Executive Search

The people in this directory show that executive search is not one uniform job. Some roles sit close to boards and chief executives. Others bring deep sector knowledge, research capability, assessment experience or a partner-led approach to the search.

The common thread is the responsibility to understand the brief properly before a name is put forward. That means reading the organisation, the role, the market and the human context together.

For a client, the useful question is not simply who has a search title. It is which person and firm can understand the leadership problem clearly enough to help the organisation make a sound appointment.

How to Use This List

Start with the firms whose geography, sector or role experience matches the question in front of you. Then read the person's exact role and the kind of appointment their public profile connects them with.

You can also use the directory as a prompt for internal planning. Before approaching a search partner, be clear about the outcomes the role needs to deliver, the culture the person will enter and the decision makers who need to be aligned.

Related reading includes leadership team alignment, leadership team development and Working Genius team composition.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is executive search?

Executive search is a focused process for finding and assessing people for senior leadership, board and specialist appointments.

How is this directory arranged?

It is grouped by firm for easy navigation.

Which locations are covered?

The directory includes people in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, the South Island and national New Zealand roles.

How should a board start?

Begin by defining the role, the outcomes, the decision rights and the context before choosing a search partner.

Conclusion

The right executive search relationship starts with a clear understanding of the leadership need. This directory gives New Zealand readers a practical set of people and firms to explore as they think about senior appointments.

Related Reading

For more practical leadership ideas, read the articles on leadership alignment consulting, leadership team development and Working Genius team composition.

A Practical Next Conversation

If your organisation is working through a senior leadership appointment, the first useful step is often to make the brief clearer. That gives the board, the executive team and the search partner a better foundation for good decisions.

About the Author

Jonno White is a leadership consultant, keynote speaker and Certified Working Genius Facilitator. He is the author of Step Up or Step Out and works through Consult Clarity to help leaders build organisations people would move cities to work at.