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Today we offer full executive search and board advisory services to diverse clients across North and South America. Acting expertly on behalf of Boards, Chief Executives and Executive Leadership Groups. 

 services to diverse clients across North and South America. Acting expertly on behalf of Boards, Chief Executives and Executive Leadership Groups. 

We draw on a deep and diverse network of local and international executive talent, to identify and appoint high calibre, experienced and culturally appropriate candidates.

Paul has spent his 18-year executive search career working with and helping to grow Gerard Daniels across the international resources sector. During this time he has delivered many successful appointments, including some highly challenging roles, placed into most parts of Australia, USA, Canada, Indonesia and Africa.

Throughout his career Paul has developed broad technical, metallurgy, sales and marketing management experience working in R&D, projects, operations support, business development, product development and consulting roles.

Paul’s diverse executive search skills are complemented by experience gained working with leading international organisations in mining, mining services and OEM sectors, and from direct involvement in coal, gold and diamond mining, iron ore and alumina production.

Paul has specific technical experience in the life extension of components in mining, crushing and mineral processing, hands-on experience in slurry pumping (for process plants and tailings disposal) and the application of high-pressure grinding rolls (HPGR) in mineral circuits. 

Building on significant Board and Committee experience, Paul is currently Director and National Treasurer for Materials Australia. He previously chaired MA’s National Committee for Technical Training and was Chair of a Technical Committee with Weld Australia. Paul has also been Chair/Convenor for a number of technical conferences and seminars.

As a Managing Partner/Practice Leader at Gerard Daniels, Paul brings honesty, tenacity and passion for delivering high quality appointments. He enjoys being a trusted advisor to senior industry representatives and growing relationships with candidates that later become clients.

James is a highly skilled consultant with 15 years’ experience working across human resources and executive search disciplines.

Having spent the early part of his career as a generalist HR advisor for a global energy services business in Western Australia and Singapore, James later took on senior HR and executive search roles for global organisations based in Sydney and London.

Since joining Gerard Daniels in the UK James has been predominantly focused on delivering executive appointments for high calibre clients in the energy and industrials sector.

A genuinely collaborative approach allows James to build trusted international networks, which he leverages to partner with leading organisations and to acquire outstanding leadership talent throughout the UK, Europe, Middle East, North America, Australia and Asia.

By combining these networks with vast functional expertise James has successfully delivered mandates from Board, C- Suite, Functional and Regional leadership level across a diverse range of Energy (including oil and gas, power, renewables and clean technology), Private Equity, Industrial and Technology-focused clients.

Nona joined Gerard Daniels in 2023 as a Partner in the London office, strengthening the Firm’s natural resources and industrial sector footprint in the EMEA region. She draws on 15 years of experience – including a decade spent working in the mining and infrastructure industries – advising senior decision makers on anticipated socio-political and human capital trends impacting their businesses as well as connecting Executive talent with the right opportunities globally.

Nona is driven to help clients understand what the right profile looks like for a given role, and to identify and deliver candidates that are the right fit. Understanding that the mining sector’s challenges and opportunities are complex and multifaceted, Nona also draws on her knowledge of regional and global business critical trends to advise clients on:

Socioeconomic factors impacting the natural resources sector

Human capital and technology trends and the anticipated impact of technological innovation

Anticipated challenges for the future leaders

To-date Nona has appointed senior leaders as well as board directors in Canada, the USA, Chile, Peru, the UK, South Africa, Guinea, Australia amongst other places. Having lived and worked in several countries, she has established enduring relationships and enjoys continually learning from a network of experienced professionals around the globe.

Nona also has strong coaching skills, and a keen interest in talent development and mentoring.

Kester is an experienced international professional with extensive experience working across the Asia Pacific, CIS, EMEA and Americas markets with a strong track-record completing C-suite, Non-Executive Director, Country Manager, Regional and functional leadership appointments for listed entities, private companies and private equity backed businesses.

With a particular interest in the Energy sector, Kester has a developed specialism in Sustainability and ESG mandates, and their evolving impact on the extractive industries. He has also established deep functional expertise in Renewables and Decarbonisation projects, including Hydrogen, Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Sequestration, Offshore Wind and Hydropower.

Kester is motivated by the personal and intellectual challenges of partnering with boards and C-suite leadership to ensure that they have the right teams in place to ensure both success today and critically, relevance tomorrow.

When James began his career in executive search he spent several years with an international executive search firm based in the UK. In 2019 he later joined Gerard Daniels, where he continues to work as an experienced Senior Research Associate focused particularly on the energy, natural resources, infrastructure and financial services sectors.

Throughout his career James has acquired vast experience executing global searches at Board and senior executive level across the functions of CEO, CFO, COO, HR Director, General Counsel, General Manager, and Senior Technical (Mining and Energy). Through these assignments James has supported globally listed entities, private companies and private equity backed businesses across the Asia Pacific, Americas and EMEA markets.

In addition to his work in research, James has held executive search consulting roles where he successfully won and delivered on executive level appointments - experience that enables James to own the result of his executive searches today.

With every search James is passionate about building the sources and layers of research that uncover the best possible individuals, using an approach that combines thoroughness, creativity, transparency and a commitment to deliver high quality shortlists.

James finds it rewarding making a substantial difference to the careers of candidates and the performance of companies. He also enjoys the variety of his work, knowing that no two searches are ever the same.

Jarryd joined the Gerard Daniels’ London-based team as a Research Associate in mid-2024, assisting the Firm’s senior Executive search consultants with a variety of research projects across EMEA and APAC region roles. In line with his strengths, Jarryd is particularly focused on market mapping, research and early candidate engagement.

Jarryd has some experience supporting market mapping and executive search projects. Having worked previously in trading and procurement, Jarryd also brings broad skills and experience to his research assignments, including a deep understanding of many issues that surround agriculture, manufacturing, global supply chain, logistics, pricing and product distribution.

Following a period spent studying environmental science, Jarryd has a keen interest in sustainability and supporting search assignments for energy transition roles.

A natural listener, Jarryd takes the time to really understand each client’s needs. He enjoys working with diverse clients and briefs and the calibre of talent that Gerard Daniels exposes him to.

Berta joined Gerard Daniels in 2024 as a Research Associate. Having spent seven years prior working in recruitment, research and client services roles, she brings a wealth of highly transferrable skills and experience to support the Firm’s Executive search assignments.

In her current role Berta helps to identify Executive talent. She also performs in-depth market research and analysis to understand industry trends; to track the competitive landscape; and to develop talent maps for Executive-level profiles. Her proven ability to quickly understand the brief and to align talent with the requirement, ensures the right fit can be found for clients and candidates.

Berta’s energetic and highly personable nature makes engaging with her feel equally comfortable and professional. She values being able to provide a high level of service while building lasting relationships through meaningful engagement. Berta’s native Spanish language skills are another valuable asset, particularly for clients in Spain and Latin America.

Berta was first drawn to the Firm by a desire to have real world impact and to support the type of appointments that can shape the direction of client organisations. “Helping to identify and secure the right opportunities for individuals who can drive change, is in itself very rewarding,” she says.

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Executive Search and Board & Executive Leadership

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Meet The Americas team

Paul Howard

James Christian

Nona Sichinava

Kester Guy-Briscoe

James Nichols

Jarryd Saliba

Berta Fernandez Diaz

Get in touch with the Houston team

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