Changing the Face of Executive Search: Natasha Makhijani, CEO Today Global Awards 2021 Winner

Natasha Makhijani, CEO of the Oliver Sanderson Group, has been recognised for her forward-thinking leadership with a prestigious CEO Today Global Award 2021.

A pioneer of technology innovation in executive search and a powerful advocate for diversity and inclusion in the business world, Makhijani has come a long way in a short space of time. A decade ago she was converting her dining table into a makeshift office desk to launch her own company – today she leads an international company at the cutting edge of executive search.

New technology has been central to Oliver Sanderson’s rapid growth, and Makhijani is a pioneer of digital innovations in executive search and recruitment. She co-founded Snapp CV & Snapp Resume, the world’s first mobile job board with voice technology capability and Amazon Alexa connectivity. The app currently has a database of over 25 million candidates in the UK and the USA, with over 250,000 positions listed on its mobile job board.

After the success of the Snapp suite, which includes Snapp Resume US & Global, Snapp CV UK, and Snapp INView video interviewing software, Makhijani recently launched a dedicated Oliver Sanderson Executive app. Designed and created by her in-house tech team, the app provides digital solutions at every stage of the appointment process, featuring introductory candidate and client profile videos, fingerprint and password-protected online NDA signatures, digital candidate packs, integrated job applications, and video interviews.

With diversity and inclusion at the forefront of the corporate conversation, Makhijani has led the way in breaking down barriers and engaging under-represented communities. She has drawn from her unique experiences as an Asian woman CEO to become a thought leader in the D&I space. “Being a BAME woman CEO in the recruitment industry has not been easy, but I’ve always seen it as a strength,” she said. “I have always been unique, slightly different. Most importantly, I have had to be extremely assertive to get where I am today.”
Makhijani is currently launching a major new initiative with a group of industry leaders to foster positive change in diversity and inclusion, addressing a range of issues related to race equality, disability, and gender.

Meanwhile, Oliver Sanderson is planning an expansion in its Europe and U. S. operations, while the firm’s newly launched Just Interims division represents another important milestone in its growth.

It’s all a long way from her dining table in 2011, and she has conquered countless challenges along the way. The CEO Today Global Award 2021 represents another significant milestone, placing Makhijani among the world’s most inspiring business leaders.