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. He founded the firm’s Research and Knowledge strategy department and was then appointed Global Head of the Corporate Officers Practice
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.
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 and acquired by Deutsche Post in December 2005), 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.
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.
Laura Streather
ASSOCIATE
Laura is an Associate with Bronzegate and leads on the research and assessment of CFO & Finance Leader mandates across Private Equity, Corporate and Private business mandates. She began her career in a multinational translation firm working across the financial and legal sectors, and studied in Paris, gaining a First Class in French studies, and a Master’s from UCL. Laura is also proficient in Italian and German.
Kester Webb
ASSOCIATE
Kester is a Research Associate within Bronzegate. He has an Upper Second Class degree in Geography from University College London. Prior to joining Bronzegate Kester worked in Corporate Partnerships for a global Charity.
Alexandra Ruff
MARKETING/TEAM ASSISTANT
Alexandra has a dual role at Bronzegate as Marketing & Team Assistant. 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
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
Cat is an Executive Assistant 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 roles.
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. He founded the firm’s Research and Knowledge strategy department and was then appointed Global Head of the Corporate Officers Practice
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.
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 and acquired by Deutsche Post in December 2005), 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.
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.
Laura Streather
ASSOCIATE
Laura is an Associate with Bronzegate and leads on the research and assessment for our Mid-Market Private Equity CFO mandates. She began her career in a multinational translation firm working across the financial and legal sectors, and studied in Paris, gaining a First Class in French studies, and a Master’s from UCL. Laura is also proficient in Italian and German.
Kester Webb
ASSOCIATE
Kester is a Research Associate within Bronzegate. He has an Upper Second Class degree in Geography from University College London. Prior to joining Bronzegate Kester worked in Corporate Partnerships for a global Charity.
Alexandra Ruff
MARKETING/TEAM ASSISTANT
Alexandra has a dual role at Bronzegate as Marketing & Team Assistant. 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
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
Cat is an Executive Assistant 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 roles.
