We’re not your average search team because we’re not satisfied with traditional results.
Together we’ve rallied around the idea that search should be done differently. That’s why we’ve built RETURN.
We’re disruptors who question the status quo and are comfortable being uncomfortable because we refuse to settle for Day One results.
We each own an area of the business, but it takes every one of us on a project to deliver a RETURN.
Alastair
CEO FounderI founded RETURN with a simple belief: executive search should be judged by what happens after the hire, not when the contract is signed.
After more than two decades in executive search, I became increasingly frustrated that the industry measured success by placements rather than performance. That led us to rethink the model entirely, combining executive search with occupational psychology, leadership assessment and post-hire integration to help organisations make better leadership decisions and improve long-term outcomes.
Whilst RETURN has evolved significantly, one thing hasn't changed: we're a deeply hands-on business. I continue to work closely with CEOs, Boards and executive leadership teams, helping define what success looks like before we go to market, assessing leaders against the realities they'll face, and supporting them long after they've joined.
RETURN is my vision, but it has only become a reality because of the exceptional team around me. Together, we're building a business that believes hiring great leaders is only the beginning; helping them succeed is where the real value is created.
Outside of work, I'm simply Al. Husband, dad, and happiest spending time with my family. I also have a lifelong appreciation for anything fast, beautifully engineered and built to perform.
Summer
Operations Lead & EA to CEOI’m the operational driving force behind RETURN, working closely with our CEO to keep the business, our clients and our candidates moving forward.
With more than nine years’ experience in administration and six years in office management, I bring structure, energy and a practical approach to everything I do. I help keep priorities clear, projects on track and make sure nothing falls through the gaps.
I’m known for being warm, reliable and highly organised, and I thrive in a fast-paced environment. I enjoy bringing order to complexity and connecting the different parts of the business to create a seamless experience for our clients, candidates and team.
At work, I’m Summer. Outside of that, I love travelling, exploring new places and spending time with the people closest to me.
Chris
Chief PsychonomistAs a registered Occupational Psychologist, I’m responsible for all the ways we use psychology and psychonomics to better understand organisations, individuals, and the behaviours that lead to success - many of the things that make us different from other search firms.
I’m not going to share my age, but over the last 15 years I’ve assessed over 700 senior leaders and worked for some of the most influential companies in the world.
I’m not here to make decisions for you, just help you understand who is the most likely to succeed, and who might not, but it’s not just about decision making. I spend a lot of my time coaching senior leaders to help them perform better.
I’m Chris at work, outside work I can usually be found spending time with my young family, exploring the outdoors, watching films, or deep into a good book spanning history, science fiction or fantasy.
Olivia
Client Strategy LeadPerformance is rarely shaped by one factor, which is why our work looks beyond the appointment itself and focuses on what happens after a leader starts. I spend my time connecting client challenges, market trends, and leadership insight to help organisations think more strategically about where performance risk sits, where future leadership pressure is building, and how RETURN. can support better outcomes.
Working closely across the team, I help turn the insights we gather into focused client strategies, ensuring we are speaking to the organisations, regions, and leadership teams where our approach can have the greatest impact.
At work, I’m Olivia. Outside of that, I’m usually out walking, trying somewhere new to eat, or painting, with two cats never too far away.
Angad
Global Head of ResearchI lead our global research to find and assess the best talent, often talent that aren’t looking for their next role and don’t show up in the traditional places search firms look, but it’s more than that. I also uncover the data and insights that feed into our multi-method psychological analysis and assessments.
In my more than 13 years of search experience I’ve prided myself in a human-led approach to using the latest technology to accelerate research, while at the same time going even deeper into understanding performance.
I work across the organisation not to just provide data and lists, but to help answer questions and find the performance indicators that are there to see but often missed.
I’m Angad at work, and at home a husband and dad to a beautiful daughter. When not working, you’ll find me travelling, exploring new places, and enjoying great food.
Saurabh
Research Lead – Europe and AmericasI focus on sourcing candidates and insights for our clients in Europe and the Americas.
We pride ourselves in sourcing candidates that other search firms miss, by applying human intelligence to insight-led detailed market mapping, competitor benchmarking, and rigorous talent intelligence to building leading candidate pipelines.
With over 16 years’ experience I’ve become an expert on research-led talent intelligence which allows me to work with my colleagues to turn requirements into search strategies that identify and connect with hard-to-reach candidate profiles.
At work, I’m Saurabh. Outside of it, I’m a husband, traveler, sneaker addict, and occasional collector of watches and die-cast cars - usually offset by lifting heavy things at the gym.
Sahil
Research Lead – APAC and MENAI focus on sourcing candidates and insights for our clients in APAC and MENA.
I’m also passionate about tracking down the best emerging technology and AI that will enable us to carry out some tasks faster, more efficiently, and even more effectively than before. This is especially true when conducting research.
By accelerating some research tasks, it allows our team to focus more of their time on only what they can do – applying human judgement and psychology to identify the behaviours and performance indicators tech and AI can get wrong if left to their own devices.
Whilst I’m always looking for ways to do more with tech and AI, I’m a conductor helping create that perfect balance between our humans and machines.
At work, I’m Sahil, driven by curiosity. At home, I’m a devoted husband. And in between, you’ll usually find me immersed in movies, music, or out exploring great food.