Bronzegate Team
PIONEERING BETTER PARTNERSHIPSBronzegate is led by one of the most experienced management teams in the finance executive search field, including two former CFOs.
Adam Akbar
Managing Partner
Adam is the Founder and Managing Partner of Bronzegate. He has over 20 years’ industry experience and has specialised in finance executive search since 1999. Before founding Bronzegate, Adam was a Board Managing Director at Pure Search—an international search firm—where he developed a new approach to finance search: a model which is used successfully at Bronzegate today.
Tom Birch
Partner
Tom is a Partner at Bronzegate. He has 13+ years of experience in CFO and Finance Leadership executive search. He has worked across a wide range of sectors and clients from investor backed high growth businesses to large, listed corporates. Tom’s specialism is appointing CFO’s into private equity backed (VC, mid-market and large cap) businesses on a permanent, interim and pre-deal basis across the UK and Europe.
Tom Guy
Partner
Tom is a Partner at Bronzegate with over 14 years of experience in Financial Leadership Recruitment and Executive Search. He previously led the Senior Finance Practice at a large international recruitment firm working with a range of listed, private equity backed and high growth organisations.
Helen Cottle
Partner
Helen is a Partner at Bronzegate with a dual role in leading Bronzegate’s best in class research and delivery team and the broader business operations. Helen brings over 12 years of recruitment delivery and leadership experience from her time at a listed global firm and a privately owned search and selection boutique both within the finance and specialist finance sector.
Jeremy Rickman
ADVISOR
Jeremy is a member of Bronzegate’s board, and a respected figure in the field of CFO and Corporate Officer executive search. A PWC trained and ACA qualified accountant, Jeremy joined leading executive search firm Russell Reynolds in 1998. He worked in various leadership roles including developing and leading Russell Reynolds European CFO practice. As a member of the Executive Committee, he developed and rolled-out the firm’s Knowledge Management strategy.
Pauline Lafferty
ADVISOR
Pauline is a member of Bronzegate’s board. Previously she was the Chief People Officer of The Weir Group PLC, a FTSE listed global engineering company. Prior to that, Pauline was an executive search consultant with Miles Partnership and Russell Reynolds Associates in the UK and Australia and held business planning and operational roles with Motorola and Digital Equipment Corporation in Scotland, Australia and Hong Kong. She now sits on the board of SEC Ltd, Centurion Group Ltd and XP Power Plc.
Neil Warner
ADVISOR
NNeil is a highly experienced CFO and board executive, and a member of Bronzegate’s board. Neil was previously Group Finance Director at Chloride Plc—a FTSE250 constituent— a position he held for fourteen years until the company’s acquisition by Emerson Electric. Prior to this, he spent six years at Exel (formerly Ocean Group), where he held a number of senior posts in financial planning, treasury and control. He has also worked as Finance Director for Balfour Beatty (formerly BICC Group) and Alcoa, as Senior Independent Director and Audit Chairman at Dechra Pharmaceuticals plc and at Trifast plc, Audit Chairman at Vectura Group plc, and Chairman and Founder at Enteq plc. He is currently Audit Chairman at Directa Plus plc.
Fenella Sheen
CFO NETWORK MANAGER
Fenella is a CFO Network Manager within Bronzegate. She has four and half years’ experience of recruitment in the UK and Australia, most recently working for an investor in start-ups and scaling recruitment businesses.
Will Mayne
SENIOR ASSOCIATE
William is a Senior Associate at Bronzegate and leads on the research and assessment of CFO & Finance Leader mandates across Private Equity, Corporate and Private business mandates. He graduated from the University of East Anglia with a First Class Honours in International Relations and Modern History.
Lee Mitchell
SENIOR ASSOCIATE
Lee is a Senior Associate at Bronzegate, leading research projects and assessments on CFO and senior finance mandates. He has worked with both small specialist boutiques and a large international firm to deliver assignments across various sectors. Lee has an upper second-class degree in History from Queen’s University Belfast.
Aaron Chapman
SENIOR ASSOCIATE
Aaron is a Senior Associate at Bronzegate, leading on research and assessment of CFO & Finance Leader mandates. Aaron has a background in the Healthcare sector where he led research across all Senior Management positions. Prior to that he was a professional sportsman, representing Bristol Bears and his Country in the Rugby Union.
Alexandra Ruff
MARKETING COORDINATOR
Alexandra is Bronzegate’s Marketing Coordinator, leading on our online communications, branding and PR. Alexandra holds a First Class degree in PPE and is currently pursuing a part- time MSc in Communications at The London School of Economics. Before joining Bronzegate, Alexandra worked in several communications positions in the advertising, publishing and NGO sectors in London and Budapest.
Catherine Newton
OPERATIONS MANAGER
Cat is the Operations Manager within Bronzegate. Cat graduated from Winchester University with a degree in Film Studies and spent the first part of her career working in the Film and Broadcast TV industry. Since then Cat has spent the last 10 years working in client liaison and operational roles.
Priscilla Boateng
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
Priscilla is an Executive Assistant to the Partners at Bronzegate. Priscilla graduated from the University of Northampton with an Upper Second Class degree in Sociology. Prior to joining Bronzegate Priscilla worked in recruitment providing operational support to the team and liaising with their client network.
Adam Akbar
Managing Partner
Adam is the Founder and Managing Partner of Bronzegate. He has over 20 years’ industry experience and has specialised in finance executive search since 1999. Before founding Bronzegate, Adam was a Board Managing Director at Pure Search—an international search firm—where he developed a new approach to finance search: a model which is used successfully at Bronzegate today.
Tom Birch
Partner
Tom is a Partner at Bronzegate. He has 13+ years of experience in CFO and Finance Leadership executive search. He has worked across a wide range of sectors and clients from investor backed high growth businesses to large, listed corporates. Tom’s specialism is appointing CFO’s into private equity backed (VC, mid-market and large cap) businesses on a permanent, interim and pre-deal basis across the UK and Europe.
Tom Guy
Partner
Tom is a Partner at Bronzegate with over 14 years of experience in Financial Leadership Recruitment and Executive Search. He previously led the Senior Finance Practice at a large international recruitment firm working with a range of listed, private equity backed and high growth organisations.
Helen Cottle
Partner
Helen is a Partner at Bronzegate with a dual role in leading Bronzegate’s best in class research and delivery team and the broader business operations. Helen brings over 12 years of recruitment delivery and leadership experience from her time at a listed global firm and a privately owned search and selection boutique both within the finance and specialist finance sector.
Jeremy Rickman
ADVISOR
Jeremy is a member of Bronzegate’s board, and a respected figure in the field of CFO and Corporate Officer executive search. A PWC trained and ACA qualified accountant, Jeremy joined leading executive search firm Russell Reynolds in 1998. He worked in various leadership roles including developing and leading Russell Reynolds European CFO practice.As a member of the Executive Committee, he developed and rolled-out the firm’s Knowledge Management strategy.
Pauline Lafferty
ADVISOR
Pauline is a member of Bronzegate’s board. Previously she was the Chief People Officer of The Weir Group PLC, a FTSE listed global engineering company. Prior to that, Pauline was an executive search consultant with Miles Partnership and Russell Reynolds Associates in the UK and Australia and held business planning and operational roles with Motorola and Digital Equipment Corporation in Scotland, Australia and Hong Kong. She now sits on the board of SEC Ltd, Centurion Group Ltd and XP Power Plc.
Neil Warner
ADVISOR
Neil is a highly experienced CFO and board executive, and a member of Bronzegate’s board. Neil was previously Group Finance Director at Chloride Plc—a FTSE250 constituent— a position he held for fourteen years until the company’s acquisition by Emerson Electric. Prior to this, he spent six years at Exel (formerly Ocean Group), where he held a number of senior posts in financial planning, treasury and control. He has also worked as Finance Director for Balfour Beatty (formerly BICC Group) and Alcoa, as Senior Independent Director and Audit Chairman at Dechra Pharmaceuticals plc and at Trifast plc, Audit Chairman at Vectura Group plc, and Chairman and Founder at Enteq plc. He is currently Audit Chairman at Directa Plus plc.
Fenela Sheen
CFO NETWORK MANAGER
Fenella is a CFO Network Manager within Bronzegate. She has four and half years’ experience of recruitment in the UK and Australia, most recently working for an investor in start-ups and scaling recruitment businesses.
Will Mayne
SENIOR ASSOCIATE
William is a Senior Associate at Bronzegate and leads on the research and assessment for our large-cap private equity CFO mandates. He graduated from the University of East Anglia with a First Class Honours in International Relations and Modern History.
Lee Mitchell
SENIOR ASSOCIATE
Lee is a Senior Associate at Bronzegate, leading research projects and assessments on CFO and senior finance mandates. He has worked with both small specialist boutiques and a large international firm to deliver assignments across various sectors. Lee has an upper second-class degree in History from Queen’s University Belfast.
Aaron Chapman
SENIOR ASSOCIATE
Aaron is a Senior Associate at Bronzegate, leading on research and assessment of CFO & Finance Leader mandates. Aaron has a background in the Healthcare sector where he led research across all Senior Management positions. Prior to that he was a professional sportsman, representing Bristol Bears and his Country in the Rugby Union.
Alexandra Ruff
MARKETING COORDINATOR
Alexandra is Bronzegate’s Marketing Coordinator, leading on our online communications, branding and PR. Alexandra holds a First Class degree in PPE and is currently pursuing a part- time MSc in Communications at The London School of Economics. Before joining Bronzegate, Alexandra worked in several communications positions in the advertising, publishing and NGO sectors in London and Budapest.
Catherine Newton
OPERATIONS MANAGER
Cat is the Operations Manager within Bronzegate. Cat graduated from Winchester University with a degree in Film Studies and spent the first part of her career working in the Film and Broadcast TV industry. Since then Cat has spent the last 10 years working in client liaison and operational roles.
Priscilla Boateng
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
Priscilla is an Executive Assistant to the Partners at Bronzegate. Priscilla graduated from the University of Northampton with an Upper Second Class degree in Sociology. Prior to joining Bronzegate Priscilla worked in recruitment providing operational support to the team and liaising with their client network.