Our management team has extensive experience of delivering effective client solutions

Charles Whitaker
Charles is the founder and Managing Director of Connaught Search Solutions. He entered the Executive Search industry in 2001 and has held roles ranging from International Consultant to MD, with experience in the financial services, technology and industrial sectors. He is passionate in delivering the highest quality propositions to major corporations, whilst saving cost and contributing to competitive advantage via strategic partnership - partnership in the truest sense of the word. He conceived and implemented this innovative and unique senior resourcing model within a FTSE 100 company, and subsequently developed it for the wider market – launching Connaught as the first "Search Solutions" company in the executive recruitment industry. A key pioneer in the delivery of strategic senior resourcing solutions to major corporations, Charles specialises in the construction of high performance services for Clients across global platforms.

Formerly a professional soldier for some 15 years, Charles was educated at Sandhurst and The Staff College, his latter appointments including command of an operational reconnaissance squadron in the Balkans, and Chief of Staff of a Brigade.

Toby Grey
Toby is Director responsible for Finance and International. Graduating from Oxford University with a Law Degree, he qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Coopers & Lybrand - now PwC. He subsequently became Finance Director of DHL in France, before spending 15 years in London and Sydney with TNT, holding a range of senior HO international finance positions. Toby then became Regional CEO for TNT in Brazil and (after their acquisition by the Dutch Post Office) CEO South America of Sea Containers, operating in shipping, rail and hospitality. Since returning to the UK, Toby has enjoyed diverse interim Managing Director appointments as well as working with private equity firms.
Toby’s extensive international senior management experience provides valuable support to Connaught’s consultants as they strive to fill top management positions at multinational clients; whilst his deep financial knowledge helps to ensure the financial success of Connaught’s own business.

Crispin Blunt MP (Non-Executive Director)
Crispin is a Non Executive Director of Connaught Search Solutions. He read Politics at Durham University and gained an MBA at Cranfield. After serving as an Army Officer, Crispin stood for Parliament in 1992, then becoming Special Adviser to Malcolm Rifkind between 1993 and 1997 as Defence and then Foreign Secretary. In 1997 Crispin was elected to Parliament for Reigate in Surrey, and re-elected in 2001 and 2005. His parliamentary appointments have included frontbench appointments as Shadow Minister for Trade, Energy & Science; Northern Ireland and his current role is as an Opposition Whip. Crispin is also Chairman of the Conservative Middle East Council and sits on the House of Commons Defence and Environment Select Committees.