Andrew Gray
Founder & CEO
Andrew founded eg.1 in 2003 initially to focus on senior appointments for the professional services, technology and commercial sectors. Today, Andrew leads eg.1’s sales activities and the Professional Services practice.
Andrew began his career within Human Resources at Arthur Andersen, where he began to develop his understanding of professional services and strategic human capital. After six years, he transitioned his career into executive search, working at first for a European boutique and latterly Heidrick & Struggles across the UK & Europe. Andrew’s interests include sport, fitness, motorsports and cars.
Why I Do What I Do
“I believe that there is room for this industry to provide a great deal more value to its clients, candidates and employees. We are here to change the game.”
Steve joined eg.1 in 2018 with over 20 years executive search and recruitment expertise. He has lived the full business life-cycle, starting, growing, and maturing an executive search business, resulting in a successful capital sale and exit. Steve has extensive experience working in the Boardroom, setting strategy, full P&L responsibility, management of shareholders, advising on complex negotiations and dispute resolution. His expertise and proven track record are across the disciplines of tax, audit and advisory. He has the ability to build deep client relationships and lead high profile projects.
Why I Do What I Do
“I thoroughly enjoy growing businesses, developing people and doing things differently to stand out from the crowd.”
Qing leads the Growth Advisory service line. Since joining eg.1, she has worked on engagements focused on delivering market insight, competitor analysis, succession planning and senior talent acquisition for professional services firms across the financial services & private sectors. Qing advises our clients on better account management and go-to market strategies. She has also led and delivered multiple searches at partner level for some of the world’s largest professional services firms. Qing holds a BSc in Economics and an MSc in Management and Economics from the London School of Economics & Political Science.
Why I Do What I Do
“Because it changes your perspective about life – people never fail to surprise me; just when you think it can’t get any worse, it does. Just when you think it can’t get any better, it does.”
Kanyinsola joined eg.1 as an Associate in 2021 having graduated from University of Nottingham with a joint degree in Economics and Politics. She works within the executive search team and also advises on a range of Growth Advisory assignments. Since joining, Kanyinsola has worked on several projects focusing on the technology and digital sectors, and has a particular interest in assisting clients with their Diversity & Inclusion agendas.
Why I Do What I Do
“The opportunity to build long-lasting relationships with my clients and colleagues is a major driver. In addition, I love expanding my knowledge and networks in our chosen markets of specialisation.”
Dominic has more than twelve years’ experience of leading senior level Executive Search, Recruitment, Growth Advisory, Diversity & Inclusion and Leadership Development engagements from end-to-end for global clients in the Professional Services industry.
He is an accredited GC’ologist – helping people and organisations understand their positive proclivity and impact. For more information see www.thegcindex.com.
Why I Do What I Do
“I enjoy building relationships with clients, candidates and colleagues and also the opportunity to work globally across multiple industries.”
Robert has 20 years of experience in both major corporations and executive search at senior levels, across Europe, North America and Asia. He focuses on developing a deep understanding of clients needs, paying particular attention to cultural fit as well as competencies and capabilities. He is committed to providing an exceptional service to clients, and an outstanding candidate experience.
Why I Do What I Do
“I love helping clients solve problems, specifically helping them find the right senior candidate to meet their business needs. It is the advisory nature of my work that is my passion. For me the “right candidate” means someone with exceptional capabilities and a strong cultural fit, but also a candidate for whom the role represents an excellent personal opportunity. I regard my role as bringing together two parties in a true win/win scenario, in a well-managed process, and one at the end of which I can be proud of creating value for everyone involved.”
Elaine joined eg.1 as a Project Coordinator in 2022 after graduating from The University of St Andrews with a First Class degree in International Relations and Social Anthropology, and completing a Master in Law. Prior to eg.1, she gained experience working with solicitors in both Hong Kong and the UK. Since joining, she has advised on a range of projects across Growth Advisory.
Why I Do What I Do
“I enjoy learning about a breadth of different topics across a global platform, as often required for Growth Advisory, and working with clients to provide bespoke solutions for their questions.”
Hannah joined eg.1’s Growth Advisory Team in June 2024, and she is excited to grow alongside her team. She holds a BA in Arabic and an MSc in International Relations. She later pursued a career in financial analysis and has since gained experience in various industries, including financial services consulting at Delta Capital.
Why I Do What I Do
“The opportunity to work collaboratively, and participate in engaging discussions with leading people in the industry to produce innovative solutions through a breadth of research on diverse topics is very gratifying.“
Arhondia joined the Executive Search team at eg.1 as a Senior Associate in 2021. She has worked as an Executive Search Consultant at Deloitte and Talent Manager at Santander via Alexander Mann Solution. Her projects focused on sourcing senior talent and building teams for Tax, Audit and Private Banking throughout the UK. Prior to that she sourced Senior Talent internationally for Blue Chip companies and assisted her clients in attracting the best candidates across Europe, Asia and America. She holds an MA in English Language and Literature, is CIPD – Level 3 qualified and earned her PhD at King’s College London.
Why I Do What I Do
“I enjoy gaining in depth knowledge of the markets I work in and being able to provide clients with those nuggets of information that make a difference to their planning and market impact.”
James works with professional service leaders supporting their most pressing international market and capability growth objectives. Working with international clients, he has shaped and delivered actionable client and market intelligence in established and nascent markets. Complimentary to this, he advises clients on securing high impact individual and senior team appointments as well as the rapid capability scaling through M&A. A certified GCologist, James is passionate about the use of data to inform the development and retention of winning teams in the context of client growth objectives.
Prior to eg.1, James was MD at Accenture advising global B2B technology clients on operating model and customer transformation. From Accenture, James joined Spencer Stuart, specialising in leadership advisory and executive search to global professional services clients. James holds a BSc in Economics from the University of Edinburgh.
Why I Do What I Do
“To be part of the strategic growth of the most impactful professional services companies in the world – Galvanising client leadership teams, informing growth strategy and targeting capability investment to differentiate in established and new markets.”
Alex has over 13 years experience of working with the world’s leading Professional Services firms and large corporates across all industry sectors. During this time, he has supported clients with Executive Search engagements to source leaders and teams that bring the desired impact and change his clients are looking for. Alex is dedicated to build long standing relationships and always immerses himself in the details of his projects, which has enabled him to build an exceptional network and a reputation as a go to person for advice. Now, more than ever, Alex is supporting clients with innovative ways to succeed in engaging and hiring diverse talent.
Why I Do What I Do
“For me, it’s all about getting to know my clients and building long term relationships. When you understand your clients, you know how to deliver a message on their behalf and bring the right people together.“
Louisa joined eg.1 in 2021 with 15 years’ experience in Executive Search focused on Professional Services. Louisa holds a first-class degree in Economics & Management from Oxford University. She started her career with a boutique economics consulting firm, before moving into Executive Search. Louisa founded and ran her own Executive Search firm successfully for many years and has become a leading advisor in her field. Louisa has deep expertise across all areas of strategy, management consulting and finance, where she has successfully worked with a range of professional service firms across Europe and the US.
Why I Do What I Do
“Executive search combines my love of rigorous research and the ambiguity that comes from dealing with people. I enjoy exceeding client expectations in competitive markets to help them achieve their Talent goals.”
Nick is a Director within the Professional Services market with eg.1. Nick has worked since 2006 with leading professional services firms in both the UK and on an international basis. With a focus on senior appointments, he has worked with high profile brands advising on talent strategy, executive sourcing, M&A and outsourcing. As a key part of this Nick has been responsible for a number of high profile corporate intelligence, diversity and recruitment campaigns into locations which include China, Hong Kong, South East Asia, Moscow, Dubai, India, CEE, Western Europe and the US.
Why I Do What I Do
“I believe that as a firm we are truly transformative. We work and travel across the globe to deliver engagements that lead to fundamental change for both organisations and individuals alike. Doing this collaboratively and through real partnerships with our clients is what makes us unique.”
Ming-Shih Hwang is an experienced life sciences project manager with 9+ years of work experience in the pharmaceutical and drug development industry, including a PhD at Imperial College London, followed by postdoctoral fellowships at both Cambridge and Oxford. He has managed multiple concurrent project teams delivering value in deals through the identification and quantification of full value potential for clients. Additionally, he has been an active coach for team members, ensuring learning opportunities are embedded in all workstreams to secure delivery of quality insights and successful management of external and internal stakeholders. His therapeutic areas of focus have been genomics, immunology, oncology, and virology. Outside of work, he is an avid performance violinist and competitive rower.
Why I Do What I Do
“Having been trained as a biomedical research scientist before transitioning into commercial advisory, problem-solving through data gathering and insights is second nature to me. I find joy in tackling key client issues across various projects spanning multiple functional areas and industry sectors. What excites me most is the opportunity to contribute to the development of eg.1’s healthcare and life sciences service capabilities within Growth Advisory.”
Jacob joined the eg.1 team in 2022. He started as a Senior Associate within Executive Search, working across the globe in the Professional Services market. Jacob focuses on senior appointments and working with high profile brands advising on talent strategy, executive sourcing, M&A, and outsourcing. Prior to joining eg.1, Jacob worked for Michael Page for 3 years, where he specialised in recruiting practice professionals (across Tax, Corporate Finance, Forensics, and Audit) up to Partner level for independent, mid-tier, and Big 4 firms.
Why I Do What I Do
“For me, it’s all about adding value to people’s lives. This job allows me to connect with people across the globe, whilst offering a bespoke, tailored service to fulfil their business needs and achieve their career goals.”
Tom joined eg.1 in 2017, after graduating from LSE in 2016 in international history and following internships in market research and consulting. Since joining, Tom has worked on a number Growth Advisory projects within financial services and tax, in addition to some executive search projects with a number of boutique firms. A passionate Arsenal fan and self-proclaimed food critic, Tom’s interests also extend to travel and music.
Why I Do What I Do
“I enjoy the variety that comes with the projects I’ve worked on, seeking to identify clients’ scope for improvement and delivering meaningful impact.”
Gavin has over 20 years’ experience in building and leading delivery teams in executive search/research. This has both been in-house with EY where he was also leading partner recruitment for a region and in executive search firms specialising in professional services/consulting working at a senior level and cross-border. His role is to lead the Growth Advisory team, delivering best-in-class research, talent mapping, identification, and diversity & inclusion engagements. With this mix of research driven search experience and end to end operational hiring of senior leaders, he has a strong understanding of the needs and challenges that candidates and clients face.
Why I Do What I Do
“Being able to influence our client’s talent strategy. I believe that giving our clients a complete picture of the market and talent that exists allows them to make more informed decisions when planning their workforce strategy and goals, whether internal or external. This saves the client time and money in the longer term and gives people a chance to move and progress their careers knowing the due diligence has been done to find the right people for the right roles.”
Felicity sits in the Growth Advisory team, following her previous experience both in Consulting at KPMG specialising in Finance Transformation, Technology Strategy and Data & Analytics and working in Deliveroo in Operations and Strategy. Her breadth of experience means she can consider projects from multiple facets bringing a truly rounded approach to her delivery and providing the best outputs for her clients.
Why I Do What I Do
“There is so much movement in the market in the past years, I like to be ahead of the curve, see what’s coming and employ new strategies and approaches to produce the best outcomes for my clients.”
Oona joined eg.1 as an Associate in 2021 after graduating from the University of Cambridge with a First Class degree in Psychological and Behavioural Sciences. Since joining, she has worked on numerous Executive Search assignments across technology, digital, strategy, and operations for eg.1’s management and technology consulting clients.
Why I Do What I Do
“With a background in Psychology I love to understand people, what motivates them, and how they can make their best impact in an organisation. This, coupled with my aptitude for rigorous research, makes Executive Search a perfect fit.”
Nick has more than ten years’ experience in delivering executive search, growth advisory and leadership consulting engagements to global and boutique professional services, technology, digital and private equity clients. He has led the end-to-end delivery of more than 200 search assignments through which his clients have acquired people, teams, or companies to provide a strategic step change to their business. He has been with eg.1 since 2011 and now leads eg.1’s Technology & Digital practice.
Why I Do What I Do
“I have spent a great deal of time understanding what drives people, their engagement and how they can make their best impact. And I love making sure the right people are in an organisation and role that allows them to make their best contribution.”
John has been assessing leadership capabilities, and coaching senior executives and their teams, in leading organisations for over 30 years. He was a PhD scholar a London University before training as a clinical psychologist in the NHS. He then moved into the world of organisational psychology, holding director roles with Kiddy and Company and Kaisen Consulting before setting up the Oxford Consulting Group, Misura Consulting and, more recently, The GC Index.
His extensive experience in the worlds of academic, clinical and organisational psychology underpin the development of The GC Index®, an Organimetric that profiles individual and team contributions to the world of work.
He has been a guest lecturer for AMBA, Warwick Business School, IOD, INSEAD, The Exeter Leaders Programme and The Cranfield School of Management.
Why I Do What I Do
“Like most fortunate people, I’m drawn to doing what I do because it’s what I do best.”
Dougal joined eg.1 in September 2022, after graduating from the University of St Andrews with a first in English and Modern History. Starting as a project coordinator in the Growth Advisory Team, Dougal’s research skills and close attention to detail in written work are key to the smooth delivery of projects. New to the world of professional services he is excited to grow and develop alongside the company as we expand our offerings around market insight.
Why I Do What I Do
“The variety of projects provides endless opportunity for expanding my knowledge and understanding of different markets across the world. It is a great privilege to be surrounded by such a supportive and insightful team, and I am both excited and proud to be a valued member of the eg.1 community.”
David joined eg.1 in 2023 and brings over 20 years of executive search experience, specialising in board and senior executive appointments for fast growth technology and enterprise professional services organisations. David focuses on board and executive appointments in cyber, professional services, management consulting firms, defence prime, A.I, SaaS, and systems integrators. He has a functional specialism in go-to-market positions and is a sector specialist expert in security and automation.
Prior to joining eg.1 David was a Partner in a leading Technology Boutique as well as being the Practice Lead Director of Technology & Professional Services at Harvey Nash. David has supported the security and intelligence sector throughout his career and passionately believes in the critical role it provides, creating clear and actionable information in an increasingly complex world.
Why I Do What I Do
“I consider myself fortunate to be part of an organization that is actively striving to innovate and offer a comprehensive suite of professional services to our clients. As a passionate people person, I’ve remained dedicated to my work for twenty-two years, continually inspired by the incredible individuals I encounter every day.”
As co-founder of eg.1, Nathan makes sure that eg.1 continues to maintain high standards of delivery excellence to its clients as well as continuing to pioneer innovative solutions. With over 20 years’ experience working with business leaders to get the best from their talent, Nathan has always thought there was something missing. This notion that ‘something was missing’ is the key stimulus for The DNA of a Game Changer research, which was commissioned by eg.1 in 2013 and has led to the global framework, language and community of impact, at www.thegcindex.com that we see today.
He is the co-author of The DNA Of A Game Changer and The DNA Of A Game-Changing Team https://www.thegcindex.com/research/ and published Coaching Me, Coaching You (a-ha) with Dr GC as requested by the global GCologist community https://www.thegcindex.com/book/
Why I Do What I Do
“People fascinate me; there is nothing more rewarding than unlocking the full potential of someone and watching them achieve results that they couldn’t have conceived possible.”
Julia joined eg.1 as an Analyst in September 2023 after graduating from the London School of Economics with a Master’s degree in Anthropology and Development. She uses her experience in research to deliver high-quality work. Julia is excited to grow and see what opportunities the future at eg.1 holds. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, reading, and yoga.
Why I Do What I Do
“With a background in Social Science and Development I love to research and apply my finding to real life situations. Growth Advisory projects allow me to get to know the market and its dynamics, expanding my horizons and understanding of the modern world.”
Iwona joined eg.1 in 2008 as an Accounts Assistant and is now our Financial Controller. She started her professional career at City Bank in Poland as a Financial Adviser for small and commercial businesses, before moving to the UK and working as a Finance Assistant. Iwona holds a Master’s Degree in International Finance, and is a part qualified Chartered Accountant (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants). She is committed to providing the company with the most effective and efficient financial process.
Why I Do What I Do
“I like to keep cash under control and love numbers…the bigger the better!”
Chris joined eg.1 in 2024, bringing with him over a decade of experience in executive search. His network of tax and finance professionals spans globally, having conducted searches across Asia, Europe, and the United States. In addition to his expertise in executive search, Chris has successfully executed numerous multi-hire assignments for various consulting groups. He has played a pivotal role in assisting these firms in building industry-leading functions in tax, risk, and financial advisory across both Europe and North America.
Why I Do What I Do
“I find it rewarding to assist individuals in recognizing their strengths and effectively utilizing them to achieve their objectives, whether it involves making a significant career transition, pursuing a step change in their professional journey, or enabling them to create a more significant impact in their current role.”
Freya has more than ten years’ experience in delivering niche Technology and AI search, market intelligence and leadership consulting engagements to global and boutique technology organisations, research labs and rapid growth scale-ups. She has led the end-to-end delivery of more than 200 tech focused search assignments across finance, capital markets, autonomous driving, robotics, AI4Good and deep tech nationally and internationally.
Why I Do What I Do
“I recognise that technology and specifically Artificial Intelligence is playing a bigger role in our lives, year on year. I’m passionate about working with leaders and technologists to understand what motivates them and what they need to be set up for success. I love ensuring the right people are in the right role with the right team around them, allowing them to make their best impact.”
With over 16 years of experience in executive search and recruitment, Lynette is a passionate and driven leader specializing in the professional services sector. She joined EG1 in 2024 and, as an entrepreneur, aims to deliver high-quality, tailored solutions for partner-level appointments and team builds in professional services firms.
Why I Do What I Do
“I value integrity, trust, and collaboration, and I strive to create long-term and mutually beneficial relationships with my clients and candidates. I also bring diverse perspectives and experiences to the executive search industry, having worked in different markets and sectors, and having a background in commercial law.”
Michelle joined eg.1 in 2020 with over 20 years of Executive Talent and Business Intelligence experience. Having initially trained in tax with a key Big 4 Partner, Michelle then moved into Executive Search, advising global professional service firms across tax, audit and advisory. Over the years she has worked with many high profile figures, board members, and business leaders; helping them to align their strategy through commercial market intelligence and the effective hiring of senior leaders who can transform business. Michelle is very involved in helping firms understand how to implement effective diversity programs that truly promote the equality of gender, race, and ethnicity.
WHY I DO WHAT I DO
“Within a professional services market that is male-dominated, I love working closely with clients to challenge the status quo, build a new strategy, and grow effectively as a diverse market-leading firm.”
Ross joined eg.1 in 2023 as an Analyst in Growth Advisory, graduating from Durham University with a degree in Theology and Philosophy. Having previously worked in the management consulting industry, Ross is keen to apply his presentation and research skills to a range of projects, whilst developing his own knowledge of professional services.
Why I Do What I Do
“Problem solving lies at the heart of this role, and it is something that I find thoroughly stimulating. Having the opportunity to engage with a wide variety of interesting individuals and projects, and work in teams to develop the best advice possible for clients is highly enjoyable.”
Lisa joined eg.1 in 2021 and is highly experienced within recruitment, executive search and market intelligence. She worked for 9 years in house within two leading financial services firms in the UK where she led teams to deliver on recruitment strategies nationally. Previously responsible for executive search assignments within professional services at Director and Partner level globally, she has worked for a number of years providing high level research into individuals and organisations. She enjoys the challenge and diversity of working across disciplines including (but not limited to) Tax, Advisory, Forensics and Legal.
Why I Do What I Do
“I have the incredible opportunity to work with individuals at the very forefront of their market helping driving change. I know the advice we give can help make a real difference to their business.”
Shania has an undergraduate degree in Business Management from the University of the West of England and a Masters degree in Human Resource Management also from the University of the West of England with also a Level 7 CIPD qualification. Whilst completing her masters, she worked in retail banking for the Royal Bank of Scotland.
Why I Do What I Do
“My knowledge of human resource management allows me to explore people’s motivations and carefully align them with a business need. I enjoy building unique teams across the world giving our clients sustained competitive advantage.”