HOW WE WORK
We offer more than talent search and recruitment – we provide every tool you need to succeed

  • 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

  • I thoroughly recommend the Thrive team. We recently engaged them to find our Creative Director. Their long list was great; plenty of options for us to chose from. They responded well to our feedback. The shortlist of candidates and subsequent additions were bang on the money. The best thing I can say is that our new hire started a month ago and has been brilliant so far.

    Nik Selman, Managing Director, Formidable

  • I’m obsessed! I love the way you work! You have opened our eyes to new talent strategies, and your way of working makes it so easy to compare candidates.

    Ellen Fox, Managing Director, OK COOL

  • Sarah and her team are best in class. We have worked frequently with them over several years. Each time, we have honed our specific brief together and then the team have gone out to find the best people in the field. Sarah is also good at bringing outside the box ideas to the table which has broadened our horizons. We have made successful hires a number of times. Definitely recommend.

    James Burstall, CEO, The Argonon Group

  • 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, All3 Media Group

  • 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.

    Niall Murdoch, Founder, The Outfit

OUR SERVICES: TALENT

We bring the skills of different companies together to deliver everything you need to succeed.

 

 Optimised Executive Search

We help our clients to define roles, capabilities and job descriptions, and create compelling business and cultural narratives to attract and retain diverse leadership and teams.

We operate a rigorous process based on extensive sector knowledge coupled with creative thinking so you don’t waste your time with inappropriate candidates.

Building Successful Teams

Thrive has two decades of experience building teams for production companies, brands and agencies. Our network includes all senior creative, commercial and operation roles.

We design and build teams from scratch, defining team goals and responsibilities to fulfil briefs, devising purpose-driven culture, and ensuring teams are set up for success..

Refresh & Energise Talent

Candidates are looking for more from their employers so how businesses engage, incentivise and retain their teams needs to evolve.

Thrive offers organisational development consultancy, supporting teams to revitalise, grow and unlock potential. We challenge you to be brave and bold while supporting you and the business.

Effective Succession Planning

Any business looking to thrive over time depends on identifying and developing next generation leaders. We map the capabilities that define leadership in your organisation, identify employees with leadership potential and assess important flight risks.

We can provide development plans and training to upskill your next generation of leaders.

OUR SERVICES: CULTURE

We bring the skills of different companies together to deliver everything you need to succeed.

Culture and Values roadmap


Building an inclusive culture where your talent feels valued, respected and fairly treated impacts your commercial success.

Inclusivity boasts team morale, retention and, ultimately, profitability.

We can help you set and achieve inclusion and cultural goals to boost the potential of your workforce.

OUR SERVICES: DIVERSITY, EQUALITY & INCLUSION

A diverse and inclusive workforce is key to commercial success. Our specialist advisors will work with you to identify gaps and opportunities for a more inclusive talent supply chain to help align founders and leadership with EDI goals.

Our inclusivity packages are individually designed for each organisation. We will review your current procurement and co-create new processes that we can roll out with training to create impact.

OUR PARTNERS

Together with our strategic partners, we assess business objectives alongside organisational structure, processes and communications, to ensure the attraction and retention of the best candidates.

Our partners also support founders and leaders with their plans to scale, setting and implementing goals to achieve their ambitions
or even calculate buyout and exit plans. We can also develop content, marketing and branding strategies and production to implement your organisation’s growth plans and inspire your workforce and make it even easier to attract, recruit and retain new talent.

  • 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 all seem so effortless, too.

    Darren Smith – Chief Creative Officer and Creative Agency Founder

  • The whole process and working with Thrive has been an enormously valuable insight into our industry. We feel we’ve explored the market in great detail, and we feel confident we have hired the best of the best. We loved how quickly the team understood our needs before we did and how they adapted and endeavoured to find us the right person with a specific skill set in a very niche market.

    Steph Keelan, Founder, S&O Media

  • We were delighted with the service provided by Thrive.

    Roderick Seligman, Managing Director, World Productions

  • Our digital team has been up and running for a while now and I just wanted to say thanks again for THRIVE's help last year with staffing. Everyone has turned out to be exceptional and our team is working really well together.

    Dan Borelli, SVP, Digital, Mercury Studios

  • When we were starting Bandicoot, Sarah helped us make sense of the tricky world of investment deals and investors. She connected us with our backer—it was a big risk for everyone, but her instinct was spot on. Just six months later, we landed our first major commission, which was a massive win all around. We would recommend Sarah to anyone looking to start a creative label; she’s trustworthy, straight-talking, and an industry expert. Fast forward, and Bandicoot is now one of the UK’s fastest-growing independent TV companies. We couldn’t have asked for a better outcome!

    Derek McLean and Dan Nettleton, Co-Founders, Bandicoot, Argonon Group

MEET THE TEAM

  • Sarah Shields

    FOUNDER AND CEO

    Sarah Shields has over 20 years’ experience as a leading talent expert for the creative industries.

    She began her career producing hit Channel 4 formats and documentaries and led in-house talent management divisions within broadcast television companies RDF, Maverick and Tiger Aspect. Sarah set up We Are PiP, the UK’s first specialist TV production search company in 2012. We Are PiP became the go-to UK production talent recruitment company, where clients benefited from Sarah’s cross-sector knowledge and unrivalled network.

  • 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.

  • Juliette Otterburn-Hall

    PARTNER

    An accomplished C-level Exec and Entrepreneur, Juliette works alongside Thrive to boost the value of businesses and brands, helping them outperform the market and empowering their staff through the development of strong and inclusive company culture and values.

  • Sam Margaritis

    PARTNER

    Sam is an entrepreneurial leader, former MD and partner of a successful B-corp on-set and post-production services company, with deep expertise in production, post-production and technology for film, high-end TV, branded entertainment, digital. Sam leads Thrives’ client relationships and strategic consultancy and is a specialist advisor for fostering positive, neurodiverse organisational cultures.

  • Sachini Imbuldeniya

    PARTNER

    Sachini is an award-winning Executive Creative Director and the CEO of a full-service content agency. With extensive industry knowledge, she helps Thrive's clients anticipate and adapt to upcoming changes within the industry. As a DEI expert, she also founded a talent agency dedicated to supporting underrepresented artists.

  • 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

Let us know how we can help