Meet The Team 2

Vanessa Moon BSC (HONS)

Founding Director

Vanessa Moon has over 25 years senior management and board level recruitment experience. She works with a broad portfolio of clients both in the UK and internationally; these range from start-ups, family-owned concerns, major banks as well as FTSE Listed businesses. She also has significant experience in the not for profit and charity sectors. She recruits mainly board level roles; covering Non Exec, Chairman, CEO/ MD, FD, Sales, Operations and HR.

Vanessa co-founded Moon Executive Search in 2000, perceiving a need for a return to the personal touch in senior level recruitment and is a firm advocate of the company's core values of being distinctive, ethical and approachable in all their undertakings.

In 2018, in recognition of her contribution and commitment to enterprise development, the third sector and the local community, Vanessa was awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Business Administration from UWE Bristol. Vanessa is on the Advisory Board of the UWE faculty of Business & Law, Chair for Insane Root Theatre CIO, a Co-opted Governor at City of Bristol College. She is past Master of the Guild of Guardians, and former Trustee of the RWA and Spike Island.

Reach Vanessa via email to find out more about Moon Executive Search.

Simon Quinn (FIRP)

Director of Executive Search

Simon is Director of Executive Search at Moon Executive Search and brings nearly 25 years’ experience in the Executive recruitment industry.

Simon began his career managing high volume requirements for several key accounts in London, including the Metropolitan Police, before joining a specialist global financial recruiter to manage senior finance positions.

Joining Moon in 2014, he now manages high-level retained C-Suite, Non-Exec and senior search campaigns for PE and VC backed entities, SMEs, family and owner managed businesses. He operates across multiple sectors regionally, nationally and internationally.

Simon brings a developed network of CEO and Chair contacts within FTSE Plc’s and regularly represents Moon on client panel interviews, as well as providing a board consultancy service for internal promotion processes.

He was made a Director of the business in 2019 in recognition of his high-level experience, knowledge of the market and utmost commitment to integrity and ethical values.

Simon is also Chair of Babbasa which supports disadvantaged young people in Bristol.

Contact Simon via email to find out more.

Brian Frost

Finance Director

Brian Frost is a graduate Chartered Accountant with over 25 years of Post Qualification Experience.

He has worked for a £60million manufacturing business as Divisional Director of Finance and as head of finance for a medium sized import and distribution business supplying High Street retailers.

He now acts as a business consultant to a number of entrepreneurial enterprising small businesses advising on strategy, performance and bottom line profitability.

Peaches Golding OBE MBA

Non-Executive Consultant

Peaches Golding OBE is His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of the City and County of Bristol. She is a Non-Executive Consultant at Moon Executive Search, having joined as a Principal Consultant from Business in the Community, where she held a number of roles including regional director, deputy director of a diversity campaign, director of special projects from 1996 to 2011. She was the High Sheriff of Bristol 2010 – 2011. She is also serving as Honorary Captain of the Royal Navy Reserve.

Peaches is Independent Chair of the Bristol Water Challenge Panel which represents the interests of water consumers and assures the industry regulator and is a Trustee of the SS Great Britain. Peaches has held a range of non-executive roles in public, private and voluntary sector organisations including Chair of the ITV Viewer Advisory Panel for ITV West Country, Non-Executive Director of Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, a Non-Executive Director of North Bristol Hospital NHS Trust and a Non-Executive Director of GWR West Limited.

She was a member of the Ethnic Minority Business Forum, the Home Office representative on the Independent Member Selection Board for Avon & Somerset Police Authority, a Governor of the University of the West of England and a Member of the General Chiropractic Council.

Peaches was awarded an OBE in 2009 for services to minority ethnic people in the South West, an honorary MBA from the University of the West of England in 2010 in recognition of her work in responsible business behaviour in the region and a Doctorate of the University in 2017 for her on-going support of the University and its values. As well as this, the University of Bristol awarded Peaches with an honorary Doctor of Laws in 2018.

Sandy Hinks FIRP

Head of Charity Practice

Sandy Hinks heads up the Charity Practice at Moon Executive Search, she joined in 2016 and has over 30 years’ experience working within recruitment and consultancy. Sandy has successfully grown the Charity Practice over the last few years, working nationally and locally with many major Charities, not for profit and voluntary groups, recruiting for C Suite, Trustee, Chair, Company Secretary and Treasurer roles.

She has also worked closely with newly established charities working alongside them from conception to launch, building their complete Trustee boards of up to 12 people. Sandy successfully uses innovative ways of working collaboratively with organisations to appoint the very best people to create and build exceptional high performing teams.

Before joining Moon Executive Search, Sandy has worked for another executive search business, a global consultancy recruiter specialising in Finance, a national IT recruiter as well as a boutique recruitment agency.

Sandy has a wide range of experience recruiting to and advising boards across all sectors and she has a particular skill in identifying talent and working with individuals and organisations to ensure that the most successful appointments are made. She has led searches which have resulted in the successful appointments of Chief Executives and Directors across all disciplines within the not for profit and private sector. Sandy is also a qualified REC professional recruiter.

More recently she has been working for a construction/property development family business, as well as running a successful 180 acre organic beef farm which was set up 15 years ago.

Contact Sandy via email to find out more.

Gemma Wilks

Head of IT Practice

Gemma joined Moon Executive Search in 2013 and has successfully recruited across all sectors at senior management and board level. Finding her passion during the Covid-19 pandemic, amongst the heightened need for IT and technical candidates, she is now highly specialised in the IT and Tech space.

With a thriving network within these sectors, Gemma prides herself on building strong relationships with both clients and candidates. Her detailed, dedicated research method allows her to strategically target closed markets, and this, combined with an open and honest approach has led to a high success rate and repeat business.

Gemma leads Moon's IT and Tech offering as Head of IT Practice, with a focus on technical roles across the thriving technology and software industry sectors, including: IT Project Managers, Solution Engineers, Software Consultants, Cloud Architects, Unified Communications Engineers, Senior Management and Team Lead roles as well as IT support (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th line).

A highly organised, skilled communicator, Gemma’s philosophy is based on transparency, always working hard to provide the support and advice clients and candidates deserve – finding long-term solutions that work for all parties.

Please contact Gemma via email to find out more.

Natalie Mockett

Executive Assistant

Natalie joined the Moon team as Executive Assistant to Vanessa Moon in 2020, she supports Vanessa with confidential campaigns, handling sensitive data and a busy diary. Alongside her main role, she provides support to the wider Moon team as well as monitoring the REC Business & Legal Support updates, where she is responsible for keeping abreast of important business documentation and guidelines, ensuring Moon Executive Search are kept up to date.

Natalie assists with the website and marketing and utilises her organisation skills for Moon events, liaising between guests and key note speakers to ensure everything runs smoothly. Natalie has a strong background in the corporate sector providing high level support to a number of Directors.

She is highly organised with proven experience when dealing in fast-paced customer facing roles. Natalie also volunteered for some time as the Secretary for Business Beats Cancer West of England Board which is a team of people who bring business leaders together to raise vital funds for cancer research in Bristol.

Previous to Moon, Natalie has worked primarily within the property sector generating a mixture of experience in both Personal Assistant and Administrative support roles.

Natalie prides herself on her organisational skills and is always keen to get involved and help wherever she can.

Leighann Beck

Researcher

Leighann joined the Moon Executive team in February 2022 as a Researcher. Leighann’s role is multi-faceted role, combining market research for client projects, sourcing candidates and tracking business.

Leighann has come from a Construction background, having worked as an Onboarding Vetting Manager for a Tier 1 contractor at Hinkley Point C and most recently a Social Value Coordinator for a large South West Construction Company.

Leighann has gained experience in giving careers advice and guidance to a range of individuals including students and apprentices.

Sophie Keeley

Office Administrator

Sophie joined the Moon Executive team as the Office Administrator in December 2021. She is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the office, providing executive support to the directors, processing of applications and building strong working relationships.

Sophie has a strong background in customer service, having worked within the healthcare industry for most of her career. She is highly experienced in working with confidential and sensitive data and adhering to associated confidentiality guidelines, Sophie is a bright and friendly personality who loves prides herself on being able to multi-task under a fast-paced environment.  

Sophie’s breadth of role stretches far and wide, she is our Data Protection Officer, looking after our GDPR, ensuring that Moon Executive Search are compliant in all of our undertakings, as well as this she manages and maintains a large and complex database. Sophie also manages our Build Your Board proposition, working closely with our connections to create profiles showcasing their skills and experience.

Helen Parker-Pow

Executive Assistant

Helen joined the Moon team as Executive Assistant in 2022. Taking up the vital role of supporting the team in its everyday operations, Helen brings twenty years of experience working in senior PA and EA roles in various industries across Bristol, including the public sector, construction, property, charity, and engineering.

Her responsibilities include diary management, filing, answering office calls, liaising with clients and candidates, organising interview schedules, monitoring databases, organising board meetings, minute taking, drafting documents and organising internal events.

Helen’s skilful coordination helps drive Moon forward, and her daily adaptability, resilience and strategic outlook help ensure that the team is always proactive and ready to face the challenges ahead,

Benny Bruce

Content Creator

With a passion for content marketing, Benny joined Moon in 2022 to produce quality written content, providing valuable resources to clients and engaging a wider audience around the knowledgebase, philosophy and methods Moon has developed over the years. 

Benny is a freelancer working with a wide range of clients from, the world of high-performance yachting to assistive technology, to the charity sector and agency-side marketing. Benny has a real creative spark and a talent for writing blogs and articles, managing websites and social media accounts, and consulting on marketing strategy.