About
talent atelier is a female-founded, boutique Executive Search firm with offices in London, Paris and Amsterdam.
For over a decade, we've partnered with clients across Fashion, Beauty, Sports and Outdoor, Lifestyle, Music and Culture with scaling founders, PE/VC funds, and global groups to build impactful leadership teams.
Essentially, we're matchmakers - pairing companies with the people who will power their next chapter. We know how important it is to find that 'click', which is why our approach is personal, informed and exacting.
We are category specialists, interlocking brands and culture through placing exceptional talent, providing a best-in-class experience for clients and candidates alike.
Deep sector expertise informs every conversation. We are deliberate, thorough, and move with pace when it matters.
Services
Alongside our core Executive Search practice, we offer Market Mapping and Consultancy. Each service is designed to give access to exceptional leadership talent, with deep sector knowledge applied to the specific challenge at hand.
For director to C-suite appointments, the process begins with understanding the business - the team as it stands, the vision for where it's headed, and what kind of leader will make the difference. Sector expertise enables informed counsel on role definition, compensation positioning, and realistic market expectations. From there, a comprehensive view of global talent is narrowed to a considered shortlist - candidates selected for capability and their potential to thrive within the specific culture and context. The process is accompanied from first approach through to signed offer, with continued support during onboarding and probation. Nothing is templated. Every search is shaped by the role, the business, and the leadership it requires.
Areas we cover
- Marketing, Brand, Social Media & Editorial
- Commercial & Sales
- Product & Merchandising
- Creative & Design
- Retail & Operations
- General Management & CEO
- Board Level
- Ecommerce & Digital
Strategic decisions often require understanding the landscape before committing to hire. Market mapping provides a clear, confidential picture of the talent ecosystem: key players, competitor structures, and which leaders might be receptive to future conversation. This intelligence informs critical planning - whether preparing for anticipated growth, considering organizational restructure, developing succession strategy, or building talent pipelines for future needs. Mapping projects can run as standalone engagements or transition seamlessly into retained search when the time is right.
What we deliver
- Confidential organizational mapping
- Competitor analysis
- Talent availability and mobility assessment
- Succession planning support
- Intelligence on passive, high-calibre talent
Access to C-suite and Board-level operators who bring strategic clarity to complex challenges. Whether launching in international markets, navigating product repositioning, or determining the right approach for brand transformation, this network of fractional CMOs, Commercial Directors, Product leads and transformation specialists provides expert counsel and execution capability.
Sectors
Fashion, beauty, sports, lifestyle, & media share interlocking skills, sensibilities and commercial challenges. While each sector has its distinct requirements, there are moments where adjacent experience creates significant value.
Our work across these industries means clients gain access to a broader talent pool when the right alignment exists. We understand where experience translates and where sector-specific expertise is non-negotiable. This discernment ensures our clients benefit from both deep category knowledge and strategic cross-pollination where it genuinely adds value.
Fashion & Luxury
From heritage houses to disruptive direct-to-consumer brands, we place leadership across the full spectrum of fashion and luxury. Our network spans Creative, Marketing, Merchandising, Buying, Product, Retail and Executive functions.
Example Roles
- Chief Marketing Officer
- Chief Commercial Officer
- VP Ecommerce
- Creative Director
- General Manager
- VP Retail
- Merchandising Director
- Digital Director
- CEO
Beauty
Beauty is one of the most dynamic sectors we work in - and one of the most competitive for talent. We've placed leaders across prestige beauty, indie brands and DTC disruptors, covering everything from brand and marketing to product innovation, ecommerce and international expansion.
Example Roles
- General Manager
- Chief Marketing Officer
- VP Ecommerce
- Commercial Director
- Creative Director
- Director of NPD
- CEO
- Digital Director
Sports & Outdoor
We work with global sportswear giants and challenger outdoor brands alike, placing leaders in design, brand, product, marketing, commercial and retail functions. This is a sector that moves fast and demands leaders who combine commercial acumen with genuine passion for the category.
Example Roles
- Chief Marketing Officer
- VP Commercial
- General Manager
- Design Director
- VP Brand Marketing
- Product Director
- Ecommerce Director
- CEO
Lifestyle
We work with brands that sit at the intersection of design, culture and everyday living: from gift and homeware to stationery, accessories and beyond. These are businesses built on taste, craft and knowing their customer intimately. Success in this category requires leaders who understand not just what resonates today, but how generational shifts are reshaping what people want from the brands in their lives. We place talent across Brand, Creative, Product, Buying, Retail, Ecommerce and Commercial functions for companies where emotional connection drives commercial success.
Example Roles
- Chief Marketing Officer
- VP Commercial
- Social Media Director
- General Manager
- Design Director
- VP Brand Marketing
- Product Director
- Ecommerce Director
- CEO
Agency + Media
From independent creative studios to global content and media networks, we place leadership talent for businesses creating the campaigns, content and strategies that connect brands with audiences. This sector demands leaders who can balance creative excellence with commercial delivery: whether that's producing standout work, building social media strategies, driving media performance, or winning new business. We work across Creative, Content, Social Media, Strategy, Production, Client Services, Media Planning and New Business functions.
Example Roles
- Creative Director
- Managing Director
- Strategy Director
- CEO
- New Business Director
- Chief Growth Officer
- Client Director
- Commercial Director
- Influencer Director
- Chief Operations Officer
Clients
Hear from our clients about their experiences & the impact of our work
Selected Clients & Collaborators
Team
Rachel Saywell-Burr
Founder
Beauty & Fashion
Rachel also advises investors on acquisitions, organisational structure and key appointments. She is currently completing executive coaching accreditation at Henley Business School.
Rachel founded Talent Atelier in 2016 to create a specialist search practice focused on Fashion, Beauty, Sports and Lifestyle - sectors where brand is the business and cultural fluency is as critical as commercial capability. With over twenty years of executive search experience, Rachel recognized that these industries require leaders who understand both their consumer and how to connect brand with culture. Today, she oversees senior leadership placements across Talent Atelier's portfolio of beauty and fashion clients. Her approach is informed by direct industry experience - having worked as a makeup artist at Sephora early in her career - which gives her an insider's understanding of what drives success in beauty and fashion retail.
Jo Gilmour
Managing Partner
Luxury, Media & Agency
Outside Talent Atelier, Jo is a mentor for The Girls' Network, Arts Emergency and Babes on Waves - organisations that uplift marginalised voices and create opportunities for underrepresented talent.
Jo began her career in fashion, working as a stylist across editorial photography and music videos - shooting with the likes of David Bailey, Naomi Campbell, Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. Her instinct for pairing people with brands led her to Executive Search, where she's now built more than 15 years of experience placing prolific talent into global organisations. She joined Talent Atelier in 2016, just months after it was founded. As Managing Partner, Jo is responsible for our luxury fashion as well as media and agency clients.
Beverley Le-May
Managing Partner
Fashion, Sports & Outdoor
A graduate of London College of Fashion, Beverley began her career on the brand side before moving into executive search, giving her an insider's perspective on what drives success in consumer-facing industries.
Beverley joined Talent Atelier as Managing Partner in 2024, bringing two decades of executive search experience across Fashion, Sport, Outdoor and Lifestyle sectors. Having held partner-level roles at True Search and SRI, and previously led European operations for 24 Seven, Beverley has built a reputation for placing senior leadership in some of the industry's most challenging and high-profile searches. Her expertise spans C-suite to functional leadership roles for both global brands and founder-led businesses, with particular strength in outdoor, sporting goods and fashion retail. Beverley's approach is rooted in understanding the intersection of brand storytelling and commercial performance - identifying leaders who can navigate both creative vision and operational delivery.
Imogen Haisman
Senior Associate
Cross Function
As Senior Associate, Imogen supports all stages of the search process, coordinating our research team to ensure seamless delivery across Talent Atelier's diverse portfolio of assignments.
Imogen joined Talent Atelier in 2022 as a Talent Researcher and was promoted to Senior Associate in 2024. She works cross-functionally, supporting executive search assignments and mapping projects. With a background in art curation and a Master's degree in International Contemporary Art from the University of Exeter, Imogen brings a curatorial eye to talent identification - understanding how to assess cultural fluency and creative capability alongside commercial acumen.
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