Thrive is a strategic talent consultancy dedicated to finding and developing exceptional talent to help your media and entertainment business flourish.

WHAT WE DO

We specialise in search for the convergent media market, where entertainment, platforms and technology are colliding at speed. In these new environments, placing leaders is not just about identifying candidates; it’s about securing individuals who can navigate complexity, inspire creativity, and deliver lasting impact.

That’s why we approach search differently. Every placement is backed by integration coaching to embed leaders from day one. And through partnerships in organisational design, business growth, and performance psychology, we help create the conditions for those leaders, and the organisations they serve, to allow them to thrive long term.

A FRESH, INVESTED APPROACH TO SEARCH

Traditional search stops at the shortlist. We believe that’s not enough. In convergent, fast-changing markets, placing the right leader isn’t just about filling a role, it’s about setting the stage for transformation.

That’s why we’re ripping up the rule book on the traditional search process. We don’t just identify and introduce candidates; we embed them. Every placement is backed by executive coaching to ensure they land well, align fast, and deliver impact. And because leadership doesn’t happen in isolation, we partner with specialists in business growth, organisational design, and leadership development to strengthen the ecosystem around them.

For us, investment means skin in the game: committing to the long-term success of the people we place and the organisations they transform.

OUR CONVERGENT NETWORK

The boundaries between formerly siloed TV, advertising, digital, branded content, and creator economies are dissolving. Global streamers dominate spend, YouTube captures mass attention, AI is reshaping workflows, and new financial models are evolving. To meet the challenges of these markets, Thrive connects media businesses with the future-ready leaders who can navigate this convergence, helping companies adapt their structures, cultures, and strategies to succeed in a market defined by disruption and imagination.

WORKPLACE STRUCTURE AND CULTURE TRANSFORMERS

Thrive is dedicated to helping founders and leaders achieve sustainable success. Together, we support clients in realigning their mission, vision, and purpose by revitalising workflows, processes, team structures, and culture to ensure teams flourish. Our clients range from start-ups aiming to raise capital to SMEs looking to scale or pivot and corporations seeking cultural transformation.

SUSTAINABILITY EXPERTISE

The rapid evolution of the media demands that leaders embrace new and adaptive strategies. Sustainable leadership involves co-creating a future for nature and humanity, with business leaders instrumental in driving transformation. Thrive partners with leaders to shift perceptions, thinking, listening, connecting, cooperating, and taking action.

  • We're thrilled with the COO appointment and very grateful for Thrive's assistance. They presented an impressive pool of candidates, and the entire process was conducted smoothly and professionally. We couldn't be happier with the outcome.

    Thomas Hoegh, CEO, Garden Studios

  • A very big thank you to the Thrive team for all the great work in getting us to this exciting position. The whole process has been incredibly efficient and effective. The careful vetting, researching and shortlisting Alice did, enabled us to meet a broad set of high calibre candidates and really get to the bottom of who we really needed for the role. We are very confident in our decision, and that's down to a solid search.

    Victoria Jaye, Vice President, Content Strategy, Video, UK & EMEA, Condé Nast

  • Working with Thrive from a candidate’s perspective was a very refreshing experience. Sarah and her team are incredibly communicative and transparent when it comes to feedback and able to leverage their extensive industry knowledge to offer insightful advice when it comes to the interview process. They are also really nice people!

    Mark McCafferty, Executive Creative Director, CultureShock

  • The team at Thrive are brilliant at working out exactly what your organisation needs to be better both now and for the future – whether that’s talent, structure, culture, or skillset – and then finding the people that meet those needs. And they make it seem effortless.

    Darren Smith , Chief Creative Officer and HOO Creative Agency Founder

  • Our brief was unique and challenging, but the Thrive team surpassed our expectations. They provided a brilliant longlist of diverse candidates, ran a flawless process, and helped us make an outstanding hire. Their expertise made the process enjoyable and successful.

    Emily Renshaw-Smith, Director of Partnerships, Open Planet

  • Thrive are genuinely world-class at finding talented people with both the skills and experience needed, but crucially the cultural fit that enables your business to go from strength to strength. They are a pleasure to work with, care deeply they deliver for you and leave no stone unturned when searching for the perfect new person for your team.

    Alice Webb, CEO, Mercury Studios

  • Working with Thrive has been really impactful for our hiring plans. They helped us understand and refine the role, and we saw a great diverse and relevant list of candidates. The interview process was skillfully managed, we secured a brilliant candidate in a short period of time. The experience of working together was great!

    Jordan Richards, CEO, &above

LATEST FEATURES AND INSIGHTS

Dive into our blog pages to stay informed and connected with the latest talent advice, insights, and industry happenings.

  • Sarah and her team found the perfect hire to head up our content team. They understand the market and know how to find stellar talent.

    Amanda Berry, CEO, The Royal Foundation

  • The team at Thrive are brilliant. I really value their transparency, industry intelligence, and investment in the hire. They were so supportive and handled everything for us, from the initial interview through to extensive referencing and contract negotiation. We found a brilliant candidate for a very important hire.

    Sarah Lazenby, Hello Sunshine, Executive VP Unscripted, UK

  • We loved working with the team at Thrive. They were open, honest and empathetic. They got our business, and when we felt we needed to evolve the brief to make a more senior hire, they helped us get it right. They are consultative and pragmatic throughout the process, and their insights made a real difference in helping build confidence around our decision-making. It was a great experience working with Thrive.

    David Dehaney, Founder, Proper Content

  • We knew we needed to make some key hires, but Thrive helped us define the roles and understand the market. We were delighted with the choice of candidates, and we are thrilled with the hire we made. Their insights and knowledge have been invaluable to us, and they are also a delight to deal with.

    Nicci Holliday, Head of Events, TBI Media

  • Working with Thrive has been a transformative experience for CC Lab. We are on track to deliver against our new strategy thanks to their brilliant recommendations, insights and the stellar talent they found for us.

    Jason Hocking, Founder, CC Lab

MEET THE TEAM

  • Sarah Shields

    FOUNDER AND CEO

    Sarah has over 20 years’ experience as a leading talent expert for the creative industries. A former producer of hit TV formats and documentaries, she led in-house talent management divisions within broadcast television companies. She set up We Are PiP in 2012, the UK’s first specialist TV production search company, where clients benefited from Sarah’s cross-sector knowledge and deep industry relationships. Thrive was born out of Sarah’s vision for cultural transformation in the creative industries.

  • Alice Friel

    DIRECTOR

    Alice leads the Thrive team and manages executive search for all sectors, specialising in leadership and C level roles, across EMEA and US markets. Previously she worked as a Producer on shows including The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent, and Big Brother.

  • Georgia Hunt

    TALENT CONSULTANT

    Georgia leads executive search for development, distribution, and acquisitions, broadcast TV production (scripted & unscripted) digital and social, and freelance roles. Before joining Thrive, she spent a decade as a Producer in unscripted television production and post-production. Her TV credits include The Voice, Dancing on Ice, and The Royal Variety Performance.

  • Beda Craw

    TALENT CONSULTANT

    With over 13 years of experience in unscripted television, Beda joins our team to support the delivery of Thrive’s search. Her impressive credits span popular series such as Big Brother, Celebs Go Dating, Geordie Shore, and The Ranganation. Beda’s extensive production expertise and dynamic approach make her an invaluable addition to the team.

  • Ian Prophet

    FINANCE DIRECTOR

    Ian has a wealth of experience mentoring SMEs and business start-ups. He currently holds multiple directorships in the recruitment sector, allowing him to bring knowledge and deep insight into a variety of sectors to Thrive.

  • Fiona Chambers

    LEGAL & BUSINESS AFFAIRS

    Fiona is a qualified lawyer, specialising in media and entertainment business affairs. Previously she was Senior Solicitor at RDF (Banijay) and more recently she set up her own consultancy, with clients including indies, distributors, Television channels as well as Thrive.

 CONTACT US

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