Puerta de Kingsley, a leading global AI-native executive search and human capital advisory firm, today announced three new senior appointments: Jennifer Becker joins as Partner, advising private equity firms and middle-market organizations on building leadership teams that drive value creation across the investment and growth lifecycle; Tim Thompson-Essex joins as Partner supporting private equity investors and industrial clients across the US and Canada; and Owen Buckley joins as Partner in New York, focusing on technology search across the buy side, systematic markets, and digital assets. Together, the three appointments mark a significant expansion in Kingsley Gate’s senior bench across North America.
“Jennifer, Tim, and Owen are each recognized leaders in their fields, bringing the kind of deep sector fluency and trusted relationships our clients rely on for their most consequential leadership decisions,” said Andrew Holmes, CEO of Kingsley Gate. “Jennifer has spent 25 years helping private equity-backed and middle-market companies build the leadership teams that carry them through every stage of the investment lifecycle. Tim has built his career guiding industrial and manufacturing businesses through leadership transitions, from pre-deal diligence through executive build-out, and Owen brings deep credibility with founders and investors building the next generation of technology companies. We’re proud to have talent of this caliber joining the team.”
About the appointments:
Jennifer Becker
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Jennifer is a Partner with Kingsley Gate, advising private equity firms and middle-market organizations on building leadership teams that drive value creation across the investment and growth lifecycle. With more than 25 years of experience across executive search and talent advisory, she conducts searches for C-suite and senior operating roles including CEO, COO, CFO, CHRO, and technology leadership, and has supported portfolio companies through add-on and platform acquisitions, post-acquisition integration, and exit preparedness. Jennifer began her career within large global talent organizations, progressing from recruiting into sales leadership and regional leadership roles before focusing her practice on private equity-backed and middle-market executive search. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Ball State University and resides in the Atlanta metropolitan area.
“I joined Kingsley Gate to bring my experience in private equity-backed leadership search to a firm that blends the personalized, high-touch service of a boutique with innovative, technology-driven search capabilities and a global reach,” said Becker. ”I’m excited to collaborate with a highly entrepreneurial team consistently recognized as best-in-class in the industry.”
Tim Thompson-Essex
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Tim is an executive search partner with over 15 years of experience advising private equity investors and global industrial businesses on critical leadership appointments that drive value creation. He began his career in the UK supporting multinational Oil & Gas clients and, based in North America for the past nine years, now conducts searches across the US and Canada. Tim supports private equity-backed companies through the full investment lifecycle from pre-deal diligence and leadership assessment to management team build-out and CEO/functional succession with a focus on industrial, manufacturing, and energy markets, transformation, operational excellence, and supply chain performance. Prior to joining Kingsley Gate, he led the Global Industrials Practice at Proco Group. Before his search career, Tim served as an officer in the British Army and played semi-professional rugby; he holds a Master’s degree from Loughborough University and is now an accomplished marathon runner.
“Kingsley Gate is a progressive organization that’s pushing the executive search industry forward, rather than just keeping pace with it,” said Thompson-Essex. “What drew me to the firm is the ability to engage and partner with leaders at the highest level of their fields, including people shaping the direction of private equity and industrials globally. It’s a rare platform to do that kind of work at scale.”
Owen Buckley
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Owen is a Partner who focuses on technology search across the buy side, systematic markets, and digital assets. With over 13 years of retained search experience, he specializes in placing senior engineering, product, and C-suite technology leadership, working closely with founders, CEOs, and investors across the technology ecosystem to identify transformational talent. Prior to joining the firm, Owen held leadership roles at boutique search firms including Riviera Partners and Leathwaite, building a track record of delivering high-impact executive hires and scaling search practices across the U.S. and Europe. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Spanish from Denison University.
“I’m thrilled to be joining the Global Financial Services practice as Partner. The firm’s track record and reputation in technology search are well established, and I’m looking forward to growing this practice, particularly across the buy side, systematic markets, and digital assets. I see an opportunity for enormous growth in these markets fueled by the keen interest in highly technical leadership. I’m excited to be part of the team in New York and London to help clients navigate an increasingly complex talent landscape.” said Buckley.
The appointments reflect Kingsley Gate’s continued investment in building sector-specific expertise and senior-level relationships across the globe.
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