Profiles

Simon is a senior advisor to financial services clients. He enjoys working directly with the Board and Executive team of organisations, where leadership change and succession requires careful thought, a broad business and international perspective, plus sensitive, swift progress.

Simon is based from London and in addition to his UK mandates, works internationally 30-40% of his time. He has specialist knowledge of Digital Banking and Transformation. He founded 1805 Ltd in early 2016, having previously led the Financial Services Practice at Russell Reynolds Associates in London. He worked there as partner and for 12 years, globally coordinating executive and Board client relationships across digital, consumer and commercial Banking, wealth and insurance.

Simon has worked extensively in Australia, The Middle East and USA, jointly leading international search mandates for over 15 years. At Russell Reynolds, he ‘anchored’ the UK end of Australian & US / UK client relationships for financial services and more broadly across industries.

Among his current clients, Simon has worked with 10x Banking on its industry transformation strategy & growth since 2016. He is currently also advising Banks in Australia and the Middle East with their digital transformation leadership strategies and since forming 1805 has been able to develop long term, deep relationships all the more and with a select number of clients.

Formatively in the Royal Navy for 10 years, Simon was promoted to be a Commanding Officer before leaving the Service and transitioning in to the Executive Search industry in 2000. While at sea, he studied for his MBA with the Open University. In addition to 1805, Simon is trustee for the White Ensign Association, a Royal Navy charity, and he is also an Advisory Board Member for Arctic Shores, a rapidly growing, international, digital psychometric assessment business.

With 27 years’ senior level, international executive search experience, Rebecca founded Gramercy Search in 2016. She works with a diverse portfolio of clients spanning EMEA where, outside of UK-based work, she has gained a track record and reputation for working across emerging and high growth markets. During the course of her career, Rebecca has lived and worked in Hong Kong, Sydney and London, appointing commercial and functional leaders, and Board members, across banking, consumer finance and insurance. Rebecca commenced her career in Hong Kong with a global executive search firm, and has since worked for two internationally focused boutique organisations.

Toby Ellison is the managing director of Argo Navis and brings more than ten years of consulting experience from a wide range of angles around the private equity industry.

Initially, Toby worked in private fund placement and mergers and acquisitions at Deloitte and he has subsequently specialised in executive search at two leading London boutiques. His track record spans investment, value creation, and investor relations professionals, their advisors and the leaders of the companies they invest in. His first career was at sea in the Royal Navy, leading teams, people and operations, after which he completed an MBA at Cass Business School, London.

Wil is a co-founder of Mason Wilhelm and brings with him 15 years’ experience in Leadership Consulting and Executive Search. Wil complements this with over a decade of industry experience as a senior operating executive.  Wil’s record of Board Renewal, CEO Succession and Top Team renewal has had a Private Equity and Healthcare Services emphasis.

Wil’s early career was in consulting with Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) and Bain & Company. Subsequently, he worked in the US and Hong Kong between 1995-2004 with the telecommunications provider, Sprint Corporation, where he had roles in international leadership, network deployment and business redesign. Between 2009-2011, Wil was the COO CHAMP private equity-owned Healthcare in Australia, where he was responsible for the performance, integration and subsequent sale of 14 state-based nursing agencies to a UK listed company.

Wil is a NED of Giant Steps Australia, a not-for-profit providing education and therapy to children and young adults with autism in Sydney and Melbourne.

Heidi is a co-founder of Mason Wilhelm and brings to the team experience that combines eighteen years of Leadership Consulting and Executive Search, as well as a knowledge base developed during her prior career in the finance industry. Heidi has extensive experience working across all aspects of Financial Services and with her background as a finance leader, developed and led the Corporate Officer practice at Russell Reynolds Associates for over a decade.

Heidi is based in Sydney and has worked extensively both within the Australian market and internationally. This combination of experience allows her to assist her clients with the identification, attraction and development of high performing leadership teams.

Within the Board & CEO Services practice, Heidi works on a range of projects including CEO succession, leadership and talent development and Board renewal. She has advised Boards and leadership teams across a range of issues across performance, development and retention, in addition to leading a broad range of search initiatives.

Prior to her executive search career, Heidi was the inaugural Chief Financial Officer of Enron Australia. Her earlier roles including finance leadership at State Street and Macquarie Bank. Ms Mason qualified as a Chartered Accountant during her time as part of the Banking and Finance Group within KPMG Australia.

Heidi has a passion for mentoring and developing executive talent which includes volunteering with the Minerva Network and Women Lead Australia.

Susan works closely with Boards and senior executives leading senior executive searches, aligning talent and strategy with current and anticipated market dynamics. Clients range from multi-billion dollar publicly traded companies to private equity backed early stage businesses.

Based from Atlanta, Susan has a particular expertise in financial services, payments and fintech, including functional corporate officers, technology and operations. Prior to establishing Miller+Boyd in August 2014, Susan spent 15 years at Russell Reynolds Associates as a Partner and Head of the Americas for the Consumer and Commercial Financial Services Practice.

Susan started her career as a corporate banker at SunTrust Banks in Atlanta and New York, where she became a Vice President in the middle market and large cap banking groups.

Susan holds a BBA from the University of Georgia. She graduated Cum Laude from the Honors Program with a major in Finance.

She serves on the Dean’s advisory board at the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia, on the Rollins School of Public Health Dean’s Council at Emory University and on the Board of Directors of Atlanta Habitat for Humanity.

James is a chartered occupational psychologist and an affiliate member of the British Psychological Society.  He has consulted to clients in the private and public sectors for over 16 years, specialising in executive assessment and development.  He is a qualified user of a broad range of psychometric instruments and has assessed over 2000 executives for organisations in the UK and around the world.

James has extensive experience of helping boards in their executive hiring decisions, working with chairs and CEOs to plan for recruitment, succession planning and development. He works across sectors and functions and has a particular interest in helping companies plan for tomorrow by profiling the potential of future leaders.

Prior to starting his own assessment and development business, James worked at Russell Reynolds for five years, running the leadership and succession practice in their London office and serving clients throughout Europe, Australasia, Asia and the USA.