Meet the Team

 


  • Founder

    A former executive search consultant focusing on industrial and financial services clients, Peter was a Partner in Whitehead Mann and Hanover Partners, in London, New York and Hong Kong, before becoming full-time President of the British – American Chamber of Commerce and then the global Association of Executive Search Consultants. He transformed both organisations by introducing commercial disciplines and broadening their mandates.

    In his early career Peter served as Vice President of Human Resources for the Bendix Corporation in Paris, as a consultant in Algeria for Sonatrach in manpower planning and management training, and as Manager of Marketing Practices for IBM in the UK. He served with Voluntary Service Overseas in Bangladesh on graduating from University.

    Peter has a track record of creativity and successful board management in organisations with diverse stakeholders. He is Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Scientific Exploration Society and a member of the Advisory Boards of the St. George’s Society of New York and Books Beyond Words, a learning disability charity. He has an MBA from INSEAD and was awarded the CBE in 1992 for services to British Commercial Interests.

 


  • Founder

    Previously an executive search consultant, Paul was a Partner in three leading international search firms: GKR, where he became Managing Partner, Whitehead Mann and Korn Ferry International.

    Acting for industrial clients with a focus on Board issues, Paul has consulted to Chairs and CEO’s across a wide range of industries, quoted and privately held.

    In addition to executive search he has provided Talent Management and Succession Planning advice and facilitated Thought Leadership initiatives that have included Corporate Governance, Directors’ responsibilities and Board effectiveness.

    Earlier in his career Paul spent ten years as an Army officer undertaking a variety of assignments, culminating in his appointment as personal staff officer to an Army Board General at the Ministry of Defence.

Our Advisors

Our Advisors are active senior executives who have accumulated experience across a wide range of functions and industries, both within the UK and internationally.

Their role is to act as advisors and promoters of our business and where appropriate assist in practical mentoring work to complement the work of the principals.

 
 

  • Paul Lester is Chairman of the FTSE 250 Companies Essentra and McCarthy and Stone. He recently stood down from Forterra, the FTSE 350 brick company after a successful IPO.

    Paul is also Chairman of Readypower (the private equity backed rail engineering services Company), Signia (the private investment business); and the private equity backed business Knight Square.

    Paul has been a member of the UK Government Major Projects Review Group since 2005.

    Previously from 2002 to 2010 he was Chief Executive of VT Group plc, the support services company.

    Paul also held the position of Group Managing Director for Balfour Beatty plc. from 1997 to 2002, and was Chief Executive of Graseby plc from 1990 to 1997 following senior management positions at Schlumberger and the Dowty Group plc.

    Paul was Non-Executive Director of Invensys, the FTSE 100 company and has also previously served as President of the Society of Maritime Industries, the BSA and the EEF.

    Paul is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers and was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws. Paul was awarded a CBE in 2007.

    Paul is a life-time West Bromwich Albion supporter.

 
 

  • Senior international institutional, Private Equity, and family office investment CIO covering alternative assets globally. Experienced corporate board member/committee chairman of companies listed in Europe and the USA, and of privately owned businesses in the USA, Europe and Asia.

    Formerly Group Management Board Member and Global head of private equity at Dresdner Kleinwort (AUM PE €4.7BN). Ex-Acting Global Head of Private Equity for Standard Bank of South Africa.

    Co-founding (pre-IPO) board member of Roper Technologies Inc. (NYSE: ROP, S+P 500), now a c.$40bn market cap multinational, serial acquiror of application software, network systems and medtech businesses. Oversaw 58 acquisitions by Roper since 1990.

    Director, Merifin Capital NV (a large family office in Brussels), Spice PE AG (ZUR listed). Chairman, Yimei Capital Ltd, a VC firm in Shanghai.

    Past Executive Chairman of Maxcess International Corporation, former Director of Genaissance Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ) and Idox Plc (AIM).

    Pro bono: Director, The Sutton Trust, Advisory Board, Scientific Exploration Society

    Hon. Fellow, Corpus Christi College, Oxford. FRGS, and FRSA.

 
 

  • Alison has been a non executive director of Tesco plc , since 2016, and in October 2019 was appointed Chair of Legal and General's newly launched financial advice business , LGFA.

    Alison was CEO of Countrywide plc the UK listed residential and commercial property group, between from 2014 to 2018. Prior to that she spent over twenty years in healthcare and financial services with Bupa responsible for a range of businesses in the UK including insurance, clinics and hospitals. In her last five years there she led the development of Bupa’s emerging markets businesses - including major acquisitions in Poland and Hong Kong and the significant growth of Bupa’s JVs in Saudi Arabia and India. She spent her early career at British Airways where she held a number of senior positions over thirteen years.

    Alison is a member of the steering group of the Hampton Alexander Review and was previously the Chair of 'Opportunity Now’ which seeks to accelerate change for women in the workplace . She was a non-executive director of Cable & Wireless Communications Plc until 2015 and was a non-executive director for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office between 2005 one 2010. In 2011 she was awarded the CMG (Companion of the order of St Michael and St George) for services to the Foreign Office.

    Married with three children, Alison is a keen sports fan and committed runner.

 
 

  • Starting as a research analyst in the late 1960’s ,John’s career has spanned over 50 years working in senior management roles in both the investment banking and executive search industries. He spent 20 years at Hoare Govett, having made partner in 1976, and established the firm’s operations in the USA in 1982.

    He returned to England to work at Morgan Grenfell as Managing Director of the global securities activities and was a member of the Group Management Committee.

    He then held senior roles at both Morgan Stanley and Credit Lyonnais. John moved into the executive search industry in 1995 as a partner of The Berwick Group, and handled the subsequent sale of the business to Odgers Berndtson, where he became head of Financial Services and a member of the Board Practice.

    Over the past 10 years, he has held a wide number of advisory and NED roles. He is currently Chairman of Hardman & Co, and investment committee member at London Wall Partners.

 

Our Associates

Our Associates are professionals in coaching and mentoring who have their own practices in the UK, Australia and the United States and are willing to collaborate with Turner Felix on relevant assignments.

 
 

  • Mary helps senior management achieve their strategic objectives through transformational initiatives, performance optimisation, organisational design and executive leadership coaching. She works with clients in the United States and internationally especially in financial services, pharmaceutical, and telecommunications industries.

    Prior to her career in consulting Mary held senior business positions at Citicorp in New York, van Heyst & Company merchant bankers in Sydney, Jannotta, Bray Consulting and Right Management Consultants. Mary holds a B.A. from Mount Holyoke College, where she was a former Chair of the Board of Trustees, and an M.A. in International Economics from The Fletcher School at Harvard & Tufts.

 

  • Philip has acted as Chairman/CEO and non-executive Director of quoted and private companies, in the UK, USA, South Africa, UAE, and Italy. He has held senior finance and general management positions in the computer, electronics and energy industries, and has served on the boards of companies in the leisure, insurance broking, financial services and recruitment sectors. He remains an active Chairman of Holborn Assets – the Middle East’s premier financial advisory group.

    Philip continues to work with CEOs to improve their leadership skills and help secure their organisation’s strategic value. He has been Deputy Chairman of the Board of Governors of Bath Spa University, has a law degree from Cambridge University and completed the strategic marketing programme at Harvard Business School.

 

  • Daniel has held senior management and CEO roles with large US and European multinationals (Grace & SGS) in Switzerland, Spain, Japan, Thailand and Indonesia. Graduating from the University of New South Wales and INSEAD Daniel spent his early career with Coca-Cola.

    On his return to Australia Daniel became a senior partner in a leading global executive search firm and in recent years has become a mentor to CEOs on strategic and leadership issues in a wide range of industries.

    Daniel was awarded the Order of Australia in the 2022 New Years Honours list and has an honorary doctorate from the University of New South Wales for services to education.

Contact us

We have worked with and supported a number of executives in their career development. Contact us to discuss your current situation.