Natasha Makhijani, CEO, Oliver Sanderson, Charts Her Personal Career Journey

Tell us about your current leadership role?

As a CEO of an Executive Search firm in the permanent and interim space for the FTSE 350 I firmly believe that a leader should have passion, drive, energy, honestly, integrity, and humour, to name a few! It is vital to be aware of the needs of the sector, the job market, and the requirements of one’s company and people.

A leader has to be open-minded and find solutions through difficult times. Leaders must be challenged, actively listen, constantly know that they are always learning, and be open to others guiding you. As a business grows, a leader should be apt at identifying and cultivating talent; proper succession planning can lead to great leaders. it is essential to know what your goal is, devise a strategy and a business plan, and continuously refer to it. It would help if you never lost focus on what your goal is and where you want to go.

In the whole of the journey, is it essential to focus on the beginning but always be open and adaptive to how things can change? There will be stumbles and knockdowns, but you can’t let them define you. Failure not what sets you. "It is how you get back up and get back on track."

And the career journey that led you there?

Degree Qualified from City University and a Masters in HR from the USA, I began my professional career with Hays Logistics on their graduate scheme. I set up the Victoria office with my manager, and within two years, the Victoria office and the staff of eight became the top-performing office in the country. I was offered the opportunity to work with Michael Page and Robert Walters.

I started with Michael Page Human Resources, and she became their top biller within HR during her first year. I helped set up their St Albans office and then moved to London to set up permanent recruitment for the Public Sector. Later, I was promoted to Managing Consultant and contributed to the growth of the Public sector office.

I consider myself lucky to have had a revelation to an entrepreneurial community from an early age, and I believe that this helped me shape into somebody who is vibrant and enthusiastic and with a keen interest and passion for business.

What would your advice be to your younger self?

Believe in yourself, you can.

What’s your biggest ambition/what inspires you?

The one thing that I would like to accomplish is growth to an exceptional level in the interim side of our business. I would also like to open offices internationally, and I have already started exploring New York, India, and The Netherlands. It is essential to diversify the working practices and reach out; there is still so much for us to learn and expand. We also recognise that we must be mindful of a changing workplace due to the Global Pandemic and companies changing working practices and how they hire. The next six to twelve months will affect how business strategy is taken forward depending on the Global economy. There is a rise for change and it is about embracing new ways of working for everyone.

Change brings opportunity it’s about navigating your way through the choppy waters to ensure a successful outcome.