We’re specialists with extensive experience meeting the talent needs of fast-moving companies worldwide.
We combine extensive industry knowledge and proven global experience with collaboration and in-depth research. You can rest assured that your needs will be met with the skill and expertise to deliver first-class outcomes.
2016
year founded
400+
successful placements
1 in 4
candidates interviewed are hired
Piers Webster
Founder & CEO
Piers founded Initial Talent in 2016 and has served as the CEO since. His experience spans over 25 years, working in a variety of recruitment leadership roles, and he has been based in the UK, the Middle East, and Australia. Piers specialises in senior-level GTM appointments and is an expert in structuring international buildout projects for scaling businesses. He has been instrumental in building some of the sector’s most innovative and influential brands.
Piers started his career recruiting within the EMEA semiconductor marketplace, hiring teams for Texas Instruments, Motorola, and Philips. From there, he pivoted into the EDA marketplace, working with global players such as Synopsys, Cadence, and Mentor Graphics. Since 2001, he has specialised in hiring talent for the SaaS, software, and broader Tech sector, with a focus on PE/VC-backed start-ups and scale-ups.
Clients include Flexera, Snow, Sirion Labs and Axon. He has developed particular expertise around expansion strategy and frequently advises companies on their most effective routes to market.
Piers is married and lives in rural Sussex. In his spare time, he cycles – mainly for pleasure but frequently for the Rockinghorse charity.
Will Parkhouse
Investor & Director
Will is a hands-on search advisor specialising in GTM leadership search and team build-outs within the B2B Technology and SaaS space. In his early career, he worked with leading Enterprise Software vendors such as BMC Software and CA, appointing the first GTM leadership functions in territories such as Scandinavia, Russia, and MEA.
Moving to Asia in 2013 and working with DHR International, he partnered with later stage SaaS business Matrixx Software, leading Global Cloud Service Providers, Rackspace, and Telecommunication Network Vendors including Ericsson & Nokia in the appointment of key GTM functions.
Since returning to Europe in late 2021, he has represented some of the fastest-growing investor-backed SaaS Start-Ups and Scale-Ups and established software businesses in C-Suite, VP, and Director-level GTM engagements.
Will is married and lives in Surrey. On Saturdays, he plays golf or watches his local football team, Dorking Wanderers.
Sarah Webster
Chief Finance Officer & Co-founder
Sarah has spent the last 25 years advising Boards on financial strategy and best practices and has her finger firmly on Initial Talent’s financial pulse. She also brings significant expertise to our board-level revenue placements, advising on financial metrics for talent assessment purposes.
Sarah has worked across multiple sectors/businesses in EMEA and APAC and gained significant experience managing various financial functions. She founded and ran her own accounting business before her appointment with Initial Talent.
Sarah is married to our CEO, Piers. In her spare time, she runs extensively (frequently for the Rockinghorse charity). She is also an active participant in local politics as the Chair of a local Parish council.
Mark Anscombe
Head of Research & Delivery
Mark has been with Initial Talent since 2021 and leads our research and delivery team, specialising in team-build outs across SaaS businesses and supporting C-Suite searches.
Mark has a track record of successful engagements across the B2B SaaS space, including with organisations such as Flexera, Axon, SourceDogg and Snow Software.
Prior to joining Initial Talent, Mark had a successful start-up career as the founder of Outhouse Entertainment, a music production and artist management business that went on to become one of South England’s most reputable artist management companies in R&B, Pop, and Hip-Hop.
It was during this time Mark developed a strong understanding of B2B partnerships and analytics, having worked with several significant music labels, including Warner Music Group and Atlantic Records. He also made music production placements in some of the biggest media companies, including Sky, Netflix and BBC Films.
Mark lives in Sussex and, outside of work, still enjoys music production and helping the development of upcoming artists and music producers.