Nicola has over 15 years’ executive search experience in both the UK and New Zealand supporting a variety of both public and private sector organisations. She brings a particularly deep specialisation in financial services (including retail & business banking, investment banking, investment management, private equity, and iwi), professional services (particularly legal and consulting firms where she focuses on partner and leadership roles) and more generally operating across functional areas including Boards, CEO, General Counsel, CFO, COO, CDO/transformation, CPO and CCO roles.

Nicola joins us from executive search firm Hobson Leavy where she was a Partner and had spent over 10 years.

Nicola began her career as a lawyer with Russell McVeagh, before moving to the United Kingdom where she was initially a lawyer at Sky TV. Nicola then joined professional services recruitment company SSQ in 2006 until returning to New Zealand 12 years ago. During this period Nicola also founded a luxury bespoke jewellery business which she then sold to one of New Zealand’s leading jewellers, Sutcliffe, in 2018.

Nicola has a BA/LLB from the University of Auckland and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from Birkbeck, University of London. Nicola is a qualified Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand and has also completed the Advanced Certificate in Executive Talent Programme conducted by Cornell University ILR School.