OUR STORY
The journey so far
Meet our award-winning team and our path-breaking Group CEO Natasha Makhijani.
From humble beginnings to award-winning international firm
Oliver Sanderson was born in 2011, as Natasha Makhijani channelled the experience as a successful recruiter at Hays and Michael Page to start a new company of her own. What began as one woman and a laptop on her dining table has grown into an international business at the cutting edge of executive search.
Today, our brand is known for transparency, innovation, and inclusion. Having built up a strong track record of c-suite appointments, our research team works across complex, challenging, and stimulating briefs across a wide range of industries. We embrace technology, champion EDI, and continually strive to deliver an outstanding client and candidate experience.
Oliver Sanderson was honoured to be invited to feature in the 2022 Platinum Jubilee Pageant Commemorative Album, in a section highlighting aligned organisations. The company was selected for its "transformational contribution" to the sphere of business, which stands as one of our proudest achievements.
It’s all a long way from Natasha’s dining table in 2011, and as a team, Oliver Sanderson has conquered countless challenges along the way. Today, Natasha leads a business at the forefront of an evolving industry.
OUR STORY
A unique leadership perspective
When it comes to EDI, Natasha draws from her own path-breaking experiences as an Asian woman CEO in an industry where her demographic is underrepresented.
“I think it’s widely accepted that we have a long way to go in terms of EDI, in business and wider society. But we are beginning to make progress in the areas of diversity and inclusion, and I have certainly noticed a shift across the course of my career. People used to do a double take when I walked into the boardroom as an Asian woman CEO, but perceptions are beginning to change.”
Natasha is a true trailblazer, and her dedication to diversity and inclusion has been recognized with a series of awards, including CEO Monthly’s Executive Recruitment CEO of the Year 2023, Highly Commended Agency Recruitment Leader of the Year at the British Recruitment Awards 2023, Best Emerging Leader at the WCRC INT Superfest Awards 2023 at the House of Lords, Finalist (Entrepreneur) at the Asian Women of Achievement Awards 2024, and a feature in the Queen’s prestigious 2022 Platinum Jubilee Album.
In addition to her role as Group CEO at Oliver Sanderson, Natasha holds leading roles in a series of EDI charities focused on raising awareness and driving systemic change in HR management, on corporate boards, and across the wider business world.
Our Team
Natasha Makhijani
CEO and Founder
Marija Simovic
Non-Executive Director & Board Advisor
Sanjive Sachdev
Partner
Donell Waysome
Operations Assistant
Susan Gorridge
Director of Research
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Join the team at Oliver Sanderson
We are constantly on the lookout for entrepreneurial people looking to grow their own desk at a dynamic firm. Operating across the UK and US, we offer competitive performance-based compensation, including shares offerings and other benefits.