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Firoze Patel and Muna Awwadová Join Kingsley Gate Partners

Global Executive Search Firm Deepens Presence in Middle East Market

Firoze Patel and Muna Awwadova - Notable Professionals

Kingsley Gate, a leading global, executive search and human capital advisory firm, today announced the continued strengthening of its international presence with the appointment of five new partners across key regions. Dan O’Donovan joins the firm’s Chicago office, Spencer Knibbe joins the New York office, Tatyana Freitas and Loreto Montoya strengthen the Latin American presence in São Paulo and Santiago respectively, while Alejandro Salazar-Simpson enhances the firm’s European capabilities from Madrid.

“These strategic appointments reflect our commitment to expanding our global footprint and delivering world-class executive search and advisory services to our clients across diverse markets,” said Andrew Holmes, CEO of Kingsley Gate. 
Andrew Holmes, CEO of Kingsley Gate
“Each of these accomplished professionals brings unique expertise and deep regional knowledge that will be invaluable as we continue to help organizations identify and secure high-impact decision makers. Their collective experience across technology, industrial, consumer goods, private equity, risk management, financial services and transformation initiatives significantly enhances our ability to serve clients with increasingly complex talent needs in today’s evolving business landscape.”
Global Executive Search Firm Deepens Presence in Middle East Market with Two New Appointments in Dubai

January 18, 2023 – Kingsley Gate Partners, a global executive search firm that is private-equity backed, tech-enabled, and rapidly expanding worldwide, today announced that Firoze Patel (Senior Partner) and Muna Awwadová (Partner) have joined the firm. Both are based in Dubai.

Firoze Patel
Firoze Patel is a Senior Partner specializing in financial services and has more than 20 years’ experience in executive search, executing mandates in senior leadership roles.

Before joining Kingsley Gate, Firoze served as Managing Partner of India and Singapore for DHR Global, overseeing all business activities in both locations. He also led the firm’s Financial Services Practice in Asia Pacific (APAC) and was a member of the APAC Management Committee.

Prior to DHR Global, he was a Managing Director at Russell Reynolds Associates and a Senior Client Partner at Korn Ferry International, respectively.

Before joining the executive search industry, Firoze spent five years as head of finance and accounts for a large export house in India. He graduated with first-class honors from the University of Bombay and is a Chartered Accountant by training.

“I’m delighted to join Kingsley Gate Partners. The opportunity to work with the firm’s global leadership team and like-minded colleagues, coupled with Kingsley Gates innovative use of technology to ever-improve the executive search process, is a winning formula,” said Firoze.

Muna Awwadová
Muna Awwadová is a Partner with Kingsley Gate Partners. She has over 20 years’ experience in executive search, with most of her career spent in the Middle East.

Prior to joining Kingsley Gate, Muna worked for global executive search and interim management firms. She has successfully recruited executives for C-Suite and Board roles in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Egypt and Turkey.

She has also worked with governments across the Middle East to identify talent and advise on their long-term leadership planning. Additionally, Muna spent seven years with KPMG in their People and Change Advisory Services.

She began her career with Credit Suisse First Boston and Talents Technology, where she was based in Prague. Muna holds a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the Technical University of Liberec and is fluent in English, Arabic and Czech. “I’m excited to be working with the senior partners at Kingsley Gate. Their disruptive approach to executive search and use of analytics to deliver impact and results is ground-breaking. Our mission is to partner with Middle East clients to address their region-specific and evolving leadership needs,” said Muna.

“I’m very pleased to welcome Firoze and Muna to our fast-growing Middle East team,” said Noam Eisenberg, Senior Partner and Head of Middle East and Africa (MEA). “Their combined experience building trusted relationships with senior business leaders and Boards across multiple industry sectors will further strengthen our capabilities in the region.”

About Kingsley Gate Partners
Transforming the world of retained executive search, Kingsley Gate Partners leverages its proprietary and tech-enabled search platform and a world-class cadre of consultants to provide greater accountability, accuracy, velocity, and transparency to the search process in a manner that ensures a lasting strategic fit between executives and clients. The firm’s search consultants operate globally with expertise in all major industries and markets. Kingsley Gate Partners serves best-of-breed organizations in over 30 countries. Since February 2022, the firm has been backed by private equity firm Crescent Cove Partners LP. For more information, go to staging3.bryanw137.sg-host.com/.



Editorial contact:
Nicola Hunt
NHPR
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +44 (0)207 183 0383

About the Consultants

Spencer

Vice President

Dan joins Kingsley Gate as a Partner specializing in advising private equity firms and family offices on executive talent acquisition for their portfolio companies. With a consultative approach characterized by curiosity, candor, and the relentless pursuit to add value, Dan has successfully led over one hundred searches across various functions and industries including manufacturing, distribution, business services, food & beverage, consumer, and healthcare services. Prior to Kingsley Gate, he served as a Partner at Randall Partners and previously consulted with organizations from startups to Fortune 500 companies on payroll, HR, insurance, and recruiting. Dan holds a Biology degree from Marquette University and is based in Chicago.

“I decided to join Kingsley Gate because of their innovative approach to leveraging technology to transform the executive search industry,” said O’Donovan. “Their commitment to creating exceptional client experiences aligns perfectly with my vision for delivering unparalleled value through strategic talent acquisition.”

David O’Brien

Vice President

Spencer joins Kingsley Gate as a Partner specializing in executive search for risk, compliance, and audit leadership roles for Financial Services firms. With over 20 years of hands-on industry experience in governance, risk management, and compliance (GRC), Spencer founded MBK Search to establish a specialized practice focused on GRC recruiting after organizations sought his expertise in building high-performing teams. Prior to his executive search career, Spencer held senior leadership positions including Head of Operational Risk Management at Bridgewater Associates and Head of Risk – Americas at ICAP, Plc. His client-centric approach spans multiple sectors including banking, asset management, insurance, fintech, and corporate environments, specializing in C-suite placements such as Chief Risk Officers, Chief Compliance Officers, and Heads of Audit. Spencer holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government, Cum Laude, from Harvard University. Spencer is based in New York.

“I chose Kingsley Gate for their exceptional global platform spanning multiple industries and their team of highly driven professionals,” said Knibbe. “Their collaborative culture and commitment to excellence made this the perfect place to leverage my risk and compliance expertise in executive search.”

Tatyana Freitas

Vice President

Tatyana joins as a Senior Partner bringing nearly two decades of experience in executive search and leadership assessment to Kingsley Gate, with particular expertise in the Technology, Consumer, Professional and Financial Services sectors. Based in São Paulo, she previously co-led the Technology & Digital practice in Latin America at Russell Reynolds Associates and headed the DE&I practice for the region. Her career includes leadership roles at Caccuri Consultores, Korn Ferry, and Interbrand, where she led Brand Strategy & Valuation projects across Latin America and Europe. Earlier in her career, she held positions at General Electric and Procter & Gamble. Tatyana holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of São Paulo and a postgraduate degree in Business Administration from Fundação Getúlio Vargas, and is fluent in Portuguese, English, and Spanish.

“Kingsley Gate offers a unique combination of an extensive international network and global capabilities with a boutique approach,” Freitas commented. “The team is both experienced and entrepreneurial—a rare combination that creates a distinctive market positioning. The firm’s growth mindset and collaborative culture embedded in its DNA were key factors in my decision to join.”

About Kingsley Gate

Kingsley Gate is a leading global executive search and human capital advisory firm that puts decision making at the center of its approach to identifying, evaluating, and selecting executive leaders and building high-performing teams. Kingsley Gate has helped thousands of organizations across all industries, functions, and geographies, to hire effective, high-impact decision makers.

Headquartered in New York, the firm’s consultants have helped over 1,700 client organizations to successfully hire and onboard thousands of decision-making executives across all industries, functions, and markets.

The firm is backed by the private equity firm Crescent Cove Partners LP. For more information, please visit www.KingsleyGate.com

Editorial contact:

Natalie Bennett
Email: [email protected]